In 1981, just after John Lennon died, Paul and Linda invited Carl Perkins to stay with them in Montserrat. Paul wanted Carl’s help recording a song called ‘Get It’ for his new album, Tug Of War. Carl spent eight days with them, and George and Ringo had been there to help out as well. It was a great time between old friends who had shared such a legendary musical past.
The night before he left, a song came to Carl that summed up his warm feelings about the visit, and he couldn’t get it out of his mind. It was so strong that Carl didn’t even write it down, which was strange for him. He usually always wrote his songs down immediately.
In the morning, Carl Perkins sang the song, which he named My Old Friend, for Linda and Paul, saying it was his gift for having him as a guest. Half way through the song, after singing “if we never meet again this side of life, in a little while, over yonder, where there’s peace and quiet, my old friend, won’t you think about me every now and then?” tears streamed down Paul’s face and he stood up and stepped outside.
“Paul was crying, tears were rolling down his pretty cheeks, and Linda said, “Carl, thank you so much.” I said, “Linda, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She said, “But he’s crying, and he needed to. He hasn’t been able to really break down since that happened to John.” And she put her arm around me and said, “But how did you know?” I said, “Know what?” She said, “There’s two people in the world that know what John Lennon said to Paul, the last thing he said to him. But now there’s three, and one of them’s you, you know it.” I said, “Girl, you’re freaking me out! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She said that the last words that John Lennon said to Paul in the hallway of the Dakota building were, he patted him on the shoulder and said, ‘Think about me every now and then, old friend.’”
Carl had no doubt that the song was from John Lennon, as a gift to Paul.
Tags: Carl Perkins, Paul
Very moving story, thanks for sharing it.
George was in Montserrat?
Wow, that was such a beautiful and moving story, thanks for sharing it with all of us. : ) <3
This is one of my favorite stories ever.
I never get tired of hearing this. The love you take is indeed equal to the love you make.
Yes agree, incredible story. Thanks for posting this again….
Go, Cat!!!
Great story. Anyone know where (in print) this was first reported? I’ve read it several places online, but no one seems to be able to find the actual source.
George, In Montserrat? But, What George? Harrison? Martin? George Martin was there. It was the producer and owner of the recording studios but George Harrison never was in Montserrat with Paul. Ringo was but Harrison wasn’t
Cheers!
Not sure of this source, but i’ve seen Carl tell this exact same story on video.
What a great story
)))
What a truly lovely story. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Pardon?, The last words John said to Paul in the hallway of the Dakota building was “Think about me every now and then, old friend” ???…
I’ve always read that john stamped the door of his apartment on paul’s noses after saying to him “You cannot appear here when you want, without warning!” It is written in all books about John and Paul and the visits Paul brought to John in New York. I think everybody ( Paul, Linda, Carl ) were smoked at that reunion. 
i’d read it before too, but it’s so beautiful i will never get tired of reading about it. thanks for sharing! xx
Never get tired of reading this. Beautiful story.
It is a beautiful story because it is not true. The relationship between John and Paul in those days wasn’t beautiful. I think this is Paul’s version. I mean these last years we are hearing stories telling by Paul that never happened in that way. And the thing began with Anthology. I say they aren’t true because John told those stories too but in a absolutely different way so one of the two lies. Who? Paul? John? Both? We’ll never know the truth.
What a powerful and emotional story.
@followme: you are 100% wrong, on all counts.
It was Carl Perkins who told this story, not Paul. I have seen the video where carl relates the story in his own words as above.
@followme, on the last day of his life, John Lennon referred to Paul McCartney as his brother and reaffirmed his love for him. Yes, John sometimes shot off his mouth in anger, but underneath it all I believe he had a very kind heart, and it puzzles and saddens me when people cherry-pick the negative or angry remarks as if they were the last word on him.
I’d had the impression that the “think about me every now and then” conversation had happened over the phone, not at the Dakota, but to me it doesn’t seem a significant enough detail to get hung up on.
Stephanie:
I’m 100% wrong and in all acounts? Sorry, I think you haven’t read what I wrote. I just say what thousand of books about The Beatles and John and Paul say about their relationship. Are all of them 100% wrong? Wow, You are very brave on having affirmed it. I can neither affirm nor admit anything about that because and the most important thing I wasn’t there. So if you were there I can admit your “you are 100% wrong, on all counts” but if your arguments to say that are based only on what Carl says in a video…mmmm I think you are in the same position as I am, aren’t you? So, You are 100% wrong in all acounts, too !
Anyway, someone must told the story to Carl. Who? Paul? John? A fortune teller? You, perhaps?
And now to Aeolian Cadence:
Your opinion is based on what you have read in newspapers, books…like mine so I believe the better thing we all can do is to see, to listen and to be quiet if we have not been present or have been witnesses of all that situation. If Carl, Linda and Paul were trippin’ with that…That’s nice! I’m still trippin’ hearing to Paul saying “and now we’re going to play a Wings song…….Eat at Home!
Probably, in the future, we’ll hear him sayin “and now we’re going to play a Wings song…..Put It There! 
and someone in a blog or in a forum will say “Oh, what a beautiful story. I never get tired of hearing this. It’s a truly lovely story.” 
and all will be trippin’ all our life long.
Be happy!
The bond between them was stonger than blood…
it was EXPERIENCE!
And, what an experience to turn the world upside-down so many times in so few years. And now, John has been gone for longer than they knew each other. So, how do you get through a day of being Paul or Ringo? So much experience…so much to cope with…You can’t go anywhere without being reminded of them. So, even if he doesn’t want to, Paul has to think of John every day…that’s heavy. It’s pretty inspirational to know that all four of them considered the Beatles to be something that you could leave in the past. BUT, to think that they could do that to each other…IMPOSSIBLE…
(Right, Paul?)
Personally, I believe what I want to believe. But there is no dispute that John & Paul had a very close relationship during both their lifetimes. I, too, have read numerous books and have followed the relationship closely. I think it is relevant to the music and the construct of the band. I also think in the latter years Paul would tend to romanticize the early days much more so than say George (example: George’s humorous quip in the Anthology about Hendrix and the invention of feedback or the number of souls at Shea in 1965) Certainly, John was much more acerbic on his views of the group (“We were just a band, a very big band, that’s all”) especially in the early Rolling Stone interviews. Even as late as 1980 and the Playboy interview he still held a stoic position on his song writing and his relationship with Paul. That relationship was built on many platforms, competition, binding friendship, shared fortune and the band integrity, to name a few. That John loved Paul and vice versa, no one disputes.
And in many of the books that I have read, there was that night before the Jacksonville concert while they waited out a hurricane (can’t remember the name) where they shared their inter-most fears and losses, their mothers’ early demises. This, I think, was the strongest glue that bound them on a very personal and deeply introspective level. A level the average fan or even closest friends (George, Ringo and Brian included) could not fathom or reach. Now, that being said, did John say “Think about me every now and then”. I believe it is possible. It was probably said over the phone and most likely not during their last meeting. But, Paul wants to remember it that way. I think it makes for a very beautiful story as well. But, is it a fact? We will not and can never know. To me it doesn’t matter, because the truth of their friendship and love for one another is as true as my love for my own brother. We have our differences, but we love one another just the same. Lastly, could Carl have channeled John during that session with Paul and Linda? I think it is entirely possible. Stranger things have happened. And as we all know, the Beatles have and will have one strange ride for a long time to come. It is for the fans and scholars to come to decipher truth from fiction.
C3BlueNote:
“But, is it a fact? We will not and can never know. To me it doesn’t matter, because the truth of their friendship and love for one another is as true as my love for my own brother.”
OK. That’s your opinion but John and Paul weren’t brothers. Good friends, perhaps but never brothers. The love between brothers can’t never be compared with the fondness or love (or whatever you want to call it) between friends.
You said:
“It is for the fans and scholars to come to decipher truth from fiction.”
This is the best thing I’ve read about this absurd contentious. Congratulations. You said what I’d have wanted to say but I’ll never find the words. Thank you.
“The love between brothers can’t never be compared with the fondness or love (or whatever you want to call it) between friends.”
Depends on the brothers, doesn’ it? I have one sister who I am extremely close to, and I have other sisters who I rarely see and having nothing in common with. I have friends who I am closer with than those sisters. So yes, sometimes the bond between friends — especially when it’s a creative bond, as John and Paul’s bond was — is far far stronger than a familial bond.
And Follow Me: You’re saying Carl Perkins is lying? Because he’s telling you what HE experienced. You’re saying that when Paul started crying in front of Carl Perkins, Paul was faking it? And you’re saying Linda was in on the scam? You live in a pretty cynical world. So I guess Paul and Linda had some code, right? So when Carl Perkins sang a certain lyric — one that Paul had no idea what it would be in advance — that that was Paul’s cue to start crying, leave the room, and Linda would plant the lie? … Okaaaay.
Look, we all know that people connected to the Beatles change their stories. Look at how dramatically Yoko has changed her story? In the 1990s and as recently as 2002, she adamantly denied that Paul had played ANY role in getting her and John back together. She all but accused Paul of lying about that. Then, a year or so ago, Yoko gives a long interview to the London Times where she credits Paul with selflessly intervening to bring Yoko and John back together.
HUH?
She was either lying earlier on or she’s lying now. Clearly. But this Carl Perkins story doesn’t strike me as a lie at all. And if you think it’s a like you must think Paul staged the tears to put one over on Carl. But Paul is not that good of an actor, as well know.
Louise:
“And Follow Me: You’re saying Carl Perkins is lying?…And you’re saying Linda was in on the scam?…You live in a pretty cynical world”
Wow! Are you sure we are reading the same blog and the same article? Those are your words. Not mine. So when you put in my lips and in my hand words I’ve never said or written YOU are who live in a…pretty?
… cynical world because you are twisting my words and trying to confuse the people, don’t you? 
Come on! Use real arguments. Don’t use dirty games.
Another thing:
“Look, we all know that people connected to the Beatles change their stories. Look at how dramatically Yoko has changed her story? In the 1990s and as recently as 2002, she adamantly denied that Paul had played ANY role in getting her and John back together. She all but accused Paul of lying about that. Then, a year or so ago, Yoko gives a long interview to the London Times where she credits Paul with selflessly intervening to bring Yoko and John back together.”
So?…What do you mean with this story? Because I see that you are telling the same thing I did but with different actors, don’t you? You are tellin so: that people are changing the story day by day…year by year…decade by decade…and in the end PUT IT HERE will turn into a Wings song or that John and Yoko went to all concerts Paul gave in New York with Wings. and Do you know who was the guest star…GEORGE HARRISON singing My Sweet Lord all together with The Chiffons!
Be happy everybody and don’t let the smoke gets in your eyes
P.S: And your argumentation about the love between brothers and friends…I see that you say a friend can be like a brother so that friend can be the children of your parents so the parents of your friends can be your parents, as well. so you can have two fathers and two mothers and all they can live in your house all together because your relationship is so strong. The problem I see is: Where will they sleep? The parents of your friend/brother will sleep with your parents? Your friend/brother will sleep with you? the brother of your friend (that is your brother too) will sleep with your sister that is his sister too? Oh,oh, oh my god. Stop, stop, stop.
You know what? I think you’re mixing so easily the term BROTHER and the term friend.
All is so beautiful when you live in your house and your friend/brother lives in his. The problems come when you realize that the only thing you have jointly is the music. That’s all. Music. You want to be a doctor. He wants to be model. You want to have your own apartment. He wants to live in a rented one. You want to travel. He wants just to watch football match on tv. You want to be with all your friends at the parties. He just want to be alone. You want to be married. He want to be single. and on and on and on and on and in the end…MUSIC. Just music. That’s all. You realize that the only thing you were talking about all those years long were that: MUSIC. And you realize too that you were talking about the rest with…YOUR BROTHER. A friend like a brother? No, I don’t think so. I must say: A BROTHER LIKE A FRIEND. 
All the best for you all.
So what I’ve heard is that the “old friend” comment happened over the phone. I definitely remember Paul saying that he had a phone conversation with John shortly before he died and that he’s always been grateful that that conversation was a happy one. That seems to make sense, especially since it’s highly unlikely that this sort of thing would have been fabricated. Why would Paul have started to spontaneously cry? What incentive would he have had to do that? What incentive would Linda have had to participate in that? There’s just no reason for them to have made it up. Paul does tend to rewrite Beatles history a bit, but he just doesn’t seem to have a reason to have engineered something like this.
Please don’t say that “Paul does tend to rewrite history a bit” when there is a good example given in this VERY thread about how Yoko also rewrites Beatles history. And I could give you plenty of examples where John rewrote Beatles history (for example, telling Jann Wenner in 1970 that he and Paul stopped writing together very early on, and then John waiting 10 years to admit in a 1980 interview that he had lied about that back in 1970).
It’s unbelievably unfair that this accusation gets tossed repeatedly at Paul alone, when every single one of the Beatles, as well as others connected to them like Yoko, also proved perfectly willing to rewrite Beatles history. Accuse all of them of that, not just Paul.
@follow me: why are you here?
This Blog is not a platform for extended irrational personal rants….
Most of the fans here share mutual respect, a love of the Beatles and their musical legacy, and a sense of fun. Thats what makes this Blog respected and loved by so many.
If that isn’t you, then please go away…….
@stephanie, personally I don’t mind the rants because I have enjoyed reading some of the responses. : )
@Lee, please don’t get upset if someone points out Paul’s revisionist tendencies. (I mean, especially if it’s done in the context of a defense of Paul.) Few people would deny that all the others did it too; I think it’s a given, really. (Plus, as someone who loves Paul, I don’t look forward to the inevitable chorus of “Paul fans are so thin-skinned.”)
So, yes, they all have changed the way they view and tell certain incidents. Time has a way of changing one’s perspective. And these guys have had a lot to process — so much insanity in such a compressed time. Does it bother me that they haven’t all been 100 percent consistent in their recollections? Maybe it should, but it doesn’t, because there are certain central threads that seem to remain consistent.
I agree with everyone who has said that even if you want to quibble about a couple of the particulars, the core of the story — that Carl Perkins said something that triggered a powerful reaction from Paul — isn’t in dispute, and that it seems wildly implausible that Linda would have made up the story about John on the spot.
…and in the end, the love we take is equal to the love we make.