Paul McCartney surprised fans today with the release of The Man on the Run, the newest entry in Audible’s popular Words + Music series.
Available now, The Man on the Riun offers an expanded look at the legendary Beatle’s career after he left the group, placing heavy focus on his time with Wings, in addition to other subjects, like how his relationship with Linda McCartney began and flourished.
The new audiobook grew out of Morgan Neville’s acclaimed documentary, Man on the Run, which premiered on Amazon Prime in late February. Fans can now hear expanded interviews that were conducted for the film, alongside specially selected musical performances.
“I don’t normally spend a lot of time looking back but I was flattered when Morgan said he was interested in this period,” McCartney said in a press release. “The first bit of Wings was quite hard work and not very rewarding, but eventually we got some songs under our belts that were hits. Morgan got me to think about stuff I hadn’t thought about for a long time. He was asking all the right questions and I was happy to be transported back.”
What to Expect From ‘The Man on the Run’
Neville and McCartney spent three years having conversations in different locations around the world. The filmmaker wanted their talks to be casual and not formal interviews, so that thoughts could flow freely in a way that would hopefully uncover previously untold stories.
One moment found them talking on Dec. 8, 2025, 45 years after the tragic death of McCartney’s bandmate and friend, John Lennon. The artist also digs deep into key transitional moments like his post-Beatles retreat to Scotland and his post-Wings years, when painting became a way to process Linda’s illness.
His relationship with Lennon is an additional thread of The Man on the Run, highlighting stories of their eventual reconnection during the bread strike and a performance of “Yesterday” with John’s original introduction.
The ‘Man in Black’ Helped McCartney Find a New Path Forward
Johnny Cash unknowingly helped the Beatles legend figure out what he might do next. “I was in bed with Linda one night, and we were just watching TV, and I saw Johnny came on with his band,” he recalls in The Man on the Run. “He’d put a new band together with with Carl Perkins, who was in it, and it was a couple of groovy people that Johnny had put together. And so I thought, well, that’s great. You know, he’s just put together a band. Maybe I could do that, maybe that’s what I should do and just start from scratch.”
The Cash anecdote is just one of many fascinating stories fans will hear in The Man on the Run, which is available now from Audible.
McCartney recently revealed his first live shows of 2026. He’ll play two special shows at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27th and March 28th. The concerts were announced earlier this week (Mar. 17) and quickly sold out.
READ MORE: Paul McCartney Announces 2026 Concerts
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Picking the best song doesn’t always mean checking the ‘Billboard’ charts. In fact, a scant four of Paul McCartney’s big hits are here.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
