The Beatles member offered an unexpected reaction to the "Paul Is Dead" conspiracy theory that claimed Paul McCartney died before the band's disbandment.
Prior to The Beatles' split in 1970, the band was surrounded by bizarre conspiracy theories which some fans thought to be true. One of the infamous rumors was "Paul Is Dead," suggesting that McCartney died and was replaced with a lookalike instead.
How The Beatles Reacted to "Paul Is Dead" Theory
Instead of dismissing the claims, Ringo Starr revealed that The Beatles member added fuel to the conspiracy theory by adding confusing details to their songs to make fans think of them as "clues."
He told Vulture that John Lennon used to play lyrics backward on a tape and let their fans react after listening to it.
"So we'd just do something silly at the end of a track, and it'd be all over the newspapers and on the radio," the drummer said. "They're actually singing, 'Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.' It just made us all laugh. All of those interesting things we said were not that interesting."
Instead of killing the fire, The Beatles reportedly laughed at the "Paul Is Dead" theory while McCartney, on the other hand, became paranoid over them.
On his website, McCartney recalled receiving calls from people who wanted to check if he was still alive, though he disclosed that they still did not believe him after he responded. With that, he thought he would never be able to convince everyone and prove he was still alive.
How "Paul Is Dead" Conspiracy Theory Started
The "Paul Is Dead" theory claimed McCartney died after getting involved in a traffic accident along the M1 motorway in 1966, according to Gadfly Online. Drake Times-Delphic's editor Tim Harper also penned the article "Is Beatles Paul McCartney Dead?" in 1969, which explored the details surrounding the conspiracy theory, adding that the band itself hinted at McCartney's death.
Among the alleged hint was "Revolution 9" lyrics when played backward, with fans hearing the car crash and a voice saying, "Turn me on, dead man." The other clue was reportedly found in "Strawberry Fields Forever," where Lennon said, "I buried Paul."
The Beatles' press officer Derek Taylor soon addressed the rumors, but it did not take the global media to get the news and publish stories related to it.
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