Paul McCartney: Gives Peace a Chance

Give Peace A Chance, sang Paul McCartney as he quoted old pal John Lennon in a live performance for the ages on Saturday Night Live. After starting off with a Wings-themed night, in his third SNL performance stint of the night, Paul McCartney finally turned his sights on The Beatles. After performing Wings classics Jet and Band On The Run during his traditional two Saturday Night Live sets, McCartney returned for a rare third set at the end of the show to perform the Beatles classic A Day In The Life, on which he sang both his vocals and that of the late John Lennon. Although he didn’t say it, the performance was easily attributable as a tribute to Lennon, whose murder took place thirty years ago this week. But then McCartney went into full-on tribute mode as he and his band performed Lennon’s song Give Peace A Chance, including bringing the audience in to sing the refrain.

McCartney’s performance of Wings songs early in the night made promotional sense, as Band On The Run saw its re-release earlier this year. But the Give Peace A Chance performance, a song which so clearly defined Lennon’s solo career, was unmistakable in its message. It’s not the first time McCartney has performed the song, as he’s performed the same Day-Peace medley in concert in the past – including on a live DVD release – but the timing and magnitude of tonight’s performance of the song were both new territory.
In the closing credits roll, McCartney then returned to the stage to perform the late Beatles classic “Get Back” after host Paul Rudd had done the usual thank-yous. “This won’t be topped,” Rudd quipped. Here’s more on the McCartney-Rudd episode of Saturday Night Live.