Arthur Alistair Donald, Paul McCartney’s first grandchild — his daughter Mary’s son — was born 20 years ago today (April 3rd, 1999). The Beatles: “Yellow Submarine” although he might’ve sung it to a grand child or child was not written for a child. It was on the album Revolver in 1966 and made it to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It wasn’t a children’s song but it reminded him of one and someone child-like.
“I was lying in bed one night, and you know that moment just before you drift off to sleep? This is a little limbo moment. And with me, one of the things I find myself doing because I’m a songwriter is I’m thinking of ideas for songs. And somehow in that little limbo moment, I thought, ‘Ah, this might be good for Ringo. A children’s song,’ because Ringo was always very good with kids. And this idea of a ‘Yellow Submarine,’ like a kids book or something, came into my mind. So I think the next day I just started writing it.”
