The Beatles - Songs Inspired by Newspaper Articles

“Mean Mr. Mustard” is a track from Abbey Road that John Lennon wrote during The Beatles’ trip to India. Lennon said the track was inspired by a newspaper article about a man who stored his money anywhere to prevent others from forcing him to spend it. It’s not a song that Lennon liked; he called it a “piece of garbage” in a 1980 interview with David Sheff. “She’s Leaving Home” appeared on 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The song is based on a Daily Mail article about a girl named Melanie Coe who ran away from home. Her parents believed she was kidnapped and called the paper to get the word out. McCartney read the article and wrote a song with this story in mind. Another Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper’s, “A Day in the Life” is based on two articles that comprise the three verses. The first two verses are based on an article about the death of Guinness heir Tara Browne. Browne, a close friend of Lennon and McCartney’s, died in a car crash on Dec. 18, 1966. While Lennon confirmed thi