Queen’s Brian May talked about one of Queen’s inside jokes and explained the meaning behind it in an interview with NME.
Brian May has attended many interviews and has been active on his social media accounts for a while now. In those interviews and social media, he revealed numerous memories, opinions, and plans about himself, Freddie Mercury, and Queen. It is safe to say that each revelation has warmed the band’s fans’ hearts.
This time, May spoke about their inside joke, ‘Oh, it’s Paul McCartney for you. Tell him to fuck off.’ Although the joke may seem offensive, May said it originated from the god-like admiration they have for McCartney. In the interview, he revealed that the joke is funny because they thought McCartney or no other Beatle would ever notice them.
Here is the whole story:
“When people ask me who I’d like to work with, Paul McCartney is at the top of my list because the Beatles are still ‘The Bible’ to us. As struggling musicians, we had a joke whenever the phone went somebody would say ‘Oh, it’s Paul McCartney for you,’ and we’d say, ‘Tell him to fuck off!
Not any disrespect to Paul, just a bravado thing because he’s like the Pope. When we were rehearsing for the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, the phone went, and the message came back ‘It’s Paul McCartney for you.'”
He answered to whether or not he told him to fuck off, after all, saying:
“No, but it felt surreal. He was phoning to wish us luck and say he was sad he couldn’t appear with us at that show, as I’m sat on a chair looking at Robert Plant, Tony Iommi, Roger Daltrey, and Seal.”
The Beatles have been an inspiration for numerous musicians since their formation in 1960, including Queen as May said that they respect them like The Bible. Even the most legendary bands look up to The Beatles and, apparently, get excited when Paul McCartney calls.
