It’s been sixty years since the debut of The Beatles’ first album, and fans still have questions regarding the opening track, “I Saw Her Standing There.”
You know the lyric:
Well she was just seventeen
You know what I mean
Today’s listeners continue to quirk an eyebrow at this line. So the sixty-year-old question prevails: What DID he mean?
I had the luxury of speaking with living legend and one of the Beatles’ primary songwriters Sir Paul McCartney for his perspective.
LR: Thank you for finding the time to speak with me today, Sir Paul McCartney. I am a very big fan. My Abbey Road poster hung in my room all through college—
PM: Let’s get right to it, then. I know why I’m here.
LR: Of course. As a lifelong fan, there are a million questions I’d like to ask. But the one question readers are dying to know is: What did you mean?
PM: Right, well, I’ve been dodging this question for quite some time, yeah? But times have changed, you know, and I’m finally ready to speak out. [McCartney takes a deep breath.] So the thing about writing this tune is, there was this girl, you know? She was seventeen. And when a girl is seventeen, you know, it’s like she’s been alive for seventeen years, nothing more, nothing less. So this girl’s dancing in this nice dress and just the loveliest shoes, and she’s like, “Right, I’m seventeen, then. Da da da da.” And, you know, as a bloke, when I see something like that, I’m gonna be like, yeah. You know what I mean?
LR: I do. This has been illuminating. Thank you for your time.
PM: Thank you. It feels good to finally put it all out there.