The 'Penny Lane' Lyrics So Many Beatles Fans Get Wrong
Over the years, Paul McCartney added the occasional odd lyric to his Beatles songs. In “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” a song his bandmates genuinely hated, Paul sang about the character Joan studying “pataphysical.” That was a reference to the work of French writer Alfred Jarry and pataphysics.
In “Penny Lane,” the classic song from Magical Mystery Tour, Paul sang about “finger pie.” He said that raunchy lyric was slipped in for the guys of Liverpool to enjoy. (A “four of fish” was apparently a reference to the local cuisine and its prices.)
Many listeners misheard the “finger pie” line (and would have missed the reference anyway). However, another line in “Penny Lane” ended up being misquoted countless times since the track’s 1967 release.
Source: cheatsheet.com
