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Released in 1971

Dear Boy

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney

Last updated on June 5, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Ram LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1971

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1971, when Paul McCartney was 29 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

“Dear Boy” is a song from Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 album “Ram“. From Wikipedia:

[…] Credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, the song was written during the couple’s lengthy holiday on their farm in the Mull of Kintyre. The lyrics were written by Paul about how lucky he was to have Linda. […]

“Dear Boy” was also written as a message to Linda McCartney’s ex-husband, Joseph Melville See, about how See missed out on Linda. In the 2012 RAM Special Edition Documentary, Paul describes the song as written about Linda’s former husband, Joseph Melville See Jr., and the things he hadn’t seen in her. […]

Paul’s former partner John Lennon, however, thought that the song was about him. Certain lines such as “She was just the cutest thing around” could have referred to Paul as being the cute Beatle. Paul may have changed the gender to conceal his identity and John mentioned in subsequent interviews that the Ram album had subtle allusions to himself and Yoko Ono. Since then, however, Paul has said that the song wasn’t about Lennon.

Dear Boy was my attempt at an autobiography about myself and how lucky I was to have Linda. I never realized how lucky I was to have her until I began writing the song.

Paul McCartney, 1971

Dear Boy wasn’t getting at John, Dear Boy was actually a song to Linda’s ex-husband: ‘I guess you never knew what you had missed.’ I never told him that, which was lucky, because he’s since committed suicide. And it was a comment about him, ’cause I did think, ‘Gosh, you know, she’s so amazing, I suppose you didn’t get it.’

Paul McCartney, in MOJO interview, 2001

From The Beatles Bible:

At the memorial service for Linda McCartney, held on 8 June 1998 at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, a number of songs were performed. The Brodsky Quartet played a series of songs written by Paul for his wife: they were Golden Earth Girl, Dear Boy, Calico Skies and My Love.

From mixing engineering Eirik Wangberg:

How did you achieve the sort of “4 dimensional” Paul and Linda angelical harmonies?

It was quite a challenge for me to do these things. But, when it works it’s really lots of fun – especially if the arranger (Paul) knows his job. As Paul really knew what he was doing (laughs), the harmonies and voice tracks (there were many ones) did not step on each other or kill each other in the mix. As you may already know, Paul is here inspired by the Beach Boys vocal arrangements, whom I also have recorded. Elton John calls these harmonies the best he’s ever heard!

Engineer Eirik Wangberg, interviewed by Claudio Dirani, 2005

Lyrics

I guess you never knew Dear Boy

What you had found,

I guess you never knew Dear Boy

That she was just the cutest thing around,

I guess you never knew what you had found, Dear Boy.

I guess you never saw Dear Boy

That love was endless,

And leave you when you love too long, Dear Boy

And never give it all away

I guess you never give it all away Dear Boy

I stepped in, my heart was dumb

And now for my love came through, and brought me down,

Can't be on hang about.

Dear Boy, how much you missed,

Dear Boy.

I hope you never know, Dear Boy,

How much you missed;

And even when you fall in love, Dear Boy,

It won't be half as good as this.

Hope you never know how much you missed, Dear boy.

How much you missed Dear Boy.

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Dear Boy”

Bootlegs

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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