Sir Paul McCartney Releases First Album in 5 years ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’
By Brenessa Roach | June 4, 2026
On Friday, May 29, 2026, English musician and legend, Sir Paul McCartney released his first album in over 5 years, titled The Boys of Dungeon Lane. McCartney first gained global fame at just 18 years old as a member of The Beatles, where he played bass and keyboards while sharing songwriting and vocal duties with John Lennon.
Now 83 years old, McCartney has returned with a full-length album that offers a collection of rare and revealing glimpses into untold memories, alongside newly inspired love songs. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is a deeply reflective project, revisiting the years that shaped not only Paul’s life but also the foundations of modern popular culture.
His most introspective album to date, The Boys of Dungeon Lane takes listeners back to post-war Liverpool, exploring his childhood, the resilience of his parents, and his early adventures with George Harrison and John Lennon before the formation of The Beatles. The album draws its inspiration from Dungeon Lane in Liverpool, a street where Paul and George spent much of their youth.
“Days We Left Behind” was one of the album’s pre-release track and was the perfect glimpse into this project. The song reflects on the life Paul left behind before fame, recalling afternoons spent birdwatching along the River Mersey.
Speaking about “Days We Left Behind,” Paul said:
“This is very much a memory song for me. The album title, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, comes from a lyric in this track. I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I’m just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else? It’s just a lot of memories of Liverpool. It involves a bit in the middle about John and Forthlin Road which is the street I used to live in. Dungeon Lane is near there. I used to live in a place called Speke which is quite working class. We didn’t have much at all but it didn’t matter because all the people were great and you didn’t notice you didn’t have much.”
The origins of The Boys of Dungeon Lane date back five years, when Paul met producer Andrew Watt for a cup of tea and an exchange of ideas. While casually playing guitar during the meeting, McCartney stumbled upon a chord progression that he didn’t recognise. Driven by his curiosity and experimental nature, he continued changing notes until he created a three-chord sequence that Watt immediately suggested they record.
Across its 14 tracks, The Boys of Dungeon Lane tells a rich and personal story, with each song bringing its own unique sound. The album blends Wings-style rock, Beatles-esque harmonies, McCartney’s signature melodic storytelling, and piano-led ballads. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a new listener, this project offers something for everyone.
Tracklist:
As You Lie There
Lost Horizon
Days We Left Behind
Ripples in a Pond
Mountain Top
Down South
We Two
Come Inside
Never Know
Home to Us
Life Can Be Hard
First Star of the Night
Salesman Saint
Momma Gets By
Track #1: As You Lie There
“As You Lie There” is a track that came from that first session with Andrew Watt and was the very first song they worked on together in April 2021. Encouraged by Watt, Paul expanded the track and played the majority of the instruments himself, much in the spirit of his 1970 solo debut album, McCartney.
“As You Lie There” is a fun and energetic rock track that begins as a spoken-word piece before turning into a melodic rock arrangement that shifts tempo throughout. The guitar solo halfway through the song is what caught our attention as it adds another layer of energy and excitement. The lyrics also leave a lasting impression, particularly the lines, “Do I ever cross your mind as you lie there?” and “As you lie across the bed, am I there inside your head?” which capture the song’s reflective and questioning nature.
Track #2: Lost Horizon
“As You Lie There” is a track that came from that first session with Andrew Watt and was the very first song they worked on together in April 2021. Encouraged by Watt, Paul expanded the track and played the majority of the instruments himself, much in the spirit of his 1970 solo debut album, McCartney.
“As You Lie There” is a fun and energetic rock track that begins as a spoken-word piece before turning into a melodic rock arrangement that shifts tempo throughout. The guitar solo halfway through the song is what caught our attention as it adds another layer of energy and excitement. The lyrics also leave a lasting impression, particularly the lines, “Do I ever cross your mind as you lie there?” and “As you lie across the bed, am I there inside your head?” which capture the song’s reflective and questioning nature.
Track #3: Days We Left Behind
“Days We Left Behind” is a track from the album that was released on March 26, 2026, the same day the album announcement was officiallt revealed. The album title comes from a lyric in this song: “The Boys of Dungeon Lane.”
This is a reflective song for Paul, as he reminisces about the days he left behind in Liverpool. It’s one of our favourite tracks on the album because the lyrics are so sentimental, while the production is beautiful, featuring piano alongside Paul’s signature rock style.
Track #4: Ripples in a Pond
“Ripples in a Pond” is a different style for Paul McCartney. it’s a very upbeat, pop production song infused with rock elements. It is also a love song to his wife Nancy Shevell.
We think it’s a fun addition to the album and it’s amazing to hear Paul experimenting with a more pop-driven sound.
Track #5: Mountain Top
“Mountain Top” is a track that reminds us of The Beatles style because its produced with tape loops, something The Beatles famously incorporated into their classic songs like “Tomorrow Never Knows.” It also features synths that create a spacious, psychedelic atmosphere.
The track represents the perspective of a young girl tripping out while experiencing a music festival (Source: Billboard). With its warped synths, layered guitars, and driving drums, it leans heavily into a 70s psychedelic rock sound. It’s a track we can definitely see being on repeat this summer.
Track #6: Down South
“Down South” is a folky, acoustic guitar-driven track written as a tribute to George Harrison and John Lennon, featuring lyrics such as “It was a good way to get to know you before we learned ‘Twist & Shout,’”.
The song is nostalgic, recalling memories of Paul, George, and John hitchhiking and catching rides with lorry drivers to travel to Wales or southern England (down south) (Source: Billboard).
Track #7: We Two
“We Two” is a track that from the very first listen, feels like a Beatles song, and learning how it was made only reinforces that impression.
The song was recorded using a Studer four-track tape machine that Paul saved from the 1970s. It’s also the same tape machine used on many classic Beatles recordings, alongside instruments like the harmonium heard on “We Can Work It Out” and the spinet used on “Because” (Source: Billboard).
Overall, the song feels deeply emotional, as it evokes a sense of imagining what life might have been like if The Beatles were still around today.
Track #8: Come Inside
“Come Inside” is a rock-heavy track and, as Paul himself describes it, “it’s basically a rocker” (Source: Billboard). It’s an instantly catchy song that’s been stuck in our heads since the first listen.
Despite its heavy rock sound, the track incorporates minor and blues-influenced keys, creating a cool and unexpected blend. We also love the overall message, especially lyrics like “Open up your mind / open up your heart / nothing else is keeping us apart.”
Track #9: Never Know
“Never Know” is another track with a strong ‘70s folk-rock feel. It also features a clarinet, which adds a really nice, unexpected touch to the arrangement.
McCartney slightly shifts his vocal style on this song too, at moments almost sounding reminiscent of John Lennon. The crunchy guitar riff towards the end is one of our favourite highlights of the track.
Track #10: Home to Us (featuring Ringo Starr)
“Home to Us” is hands down our favourite track on the album, though we’re admittedly biased because it features The Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr. The song feels deeply emotional and nostalgic, paying tribute to their shared lives and legacy as The Beatles.
It began after Ringo recorded a drum track with Andrew Watt, with the song then being built around him specifically. Paul sings a line, followed by Ringo, marking their first-ever duet. Hearing Ringo’s voice is a beautiful touch, and the lyrics reflect how they came from nothing but built a shared life and identity, with “home” meaning their experiences together and their overall friendship. The track also features backing vocals from Chrissie Hynde and Sharleen Spiteri, which adds another special layer.
Overall, it feels like the most Beatles-sounding song on the album, with its tempo shifts, key changes, layered vocals, and of course Ringo Starr’s presence.
Track #11: Life Can Be Hard
“Life Can Be Hard” is a track that was first heard in the docu-series McCartney 3,2,1 in July 2021 during its early stages of development. It’s a song that Paul wrote during lockdown, reflecting a time when many people struggled, while others experienced it differently.
It’s also a gentle love song about Paul and his wife Nancy spending time during COVID with Nancy’s niece. Paul created a soft, gentle melody, and let the baby strum the strings, helping shape the song in a really tender and intimate way (Source: Billboard).
Track #12: First Star of the Night
“First Star of the Night” is such a sweet, calming song that feels like a warm hug from Paul. It was written on a day off during his tour in Costa Rica.
The lyrics are deeply reflective, offering a glimpse into Paul’s mindset and the way he finds meaning in simple moments. In particular, the line “The first star of the night is always a sort of special thing when you see it — it always gives me a bit of hope.” captures the song’s gentle sense of optimism and wonder.
Track #13: Salesman Saint
“Salesman Saint” opens with a beautiful trumpet-heavy intro that immediately sets the tone of the track. In the song, Paul reflects on his his father, James, the “salesman,” and his mother, Mary, the “saint” and nurse/midwife.
It tells the story of how they met during WWII and the resilience they showed while raising Paul and his brother Mike in the post-war years. The trumpet work is especially striking, adding emotional weight and paying subtle homage to wartime symbolism, where the instrument was used for communication and became a cultural emblem of resilience, hope, and mourning.
Track #14: Momma Gets By
“Momma Gets By” is the closing track on the album, and it’s a dramatic piano ballad layered with strings and a full orchestral arrangement. It feels almost theatrical, with Paul crafting a story-like narrative about a woman and a seemingly lazy man. He sings from the perspective of the son, though the story itself is fictional rather than autobiographical.
We love how cinematic and expressive this track sounds, making it a powerful way to close the album.
The Boys of Dungeon Lane is predicted to debut at #5 on the Billboard 200 with 67K first-week units (Source: Chartdata). It’s an incredibly beautiful project, five years in the making, and it’s exciting to see it finally released.
As longtime fans of The Beatles, we feel honoured to support this album rollout and to have the opportunity to review Sir Paul McCartney’s latest release.
The Boys of Dungeon Lane is available on all streaming platforms — listen here.
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“Salesman Saint” opens with a beautiful trumpet-heavy intro that immediately sets the tone of the track. In the song, Paul reflects on his his father, James, the “salesman,” and his mother, Mary, the “saint” and nurse/midwife.
It tells the story of how they met during WWII and the resilience they showed while raising Paul and his brother Mike in the post-war years. The trumpet work is especially striking, adding emotional weight and paying subtle homage to wartime symbolism, where the instrument was used for communication and became a cultural emblem of resilience, hope, and mourning.
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