McCartney To Score Animated Film Based On Children's Book

Paul McCartney will record a score for an animated film based on the children's story Macca co-wrote, High in the Clouds. According to Variety, the film will be produced by former New Line Cinema founders Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne and directed by The Lion King's Rob Minkoff. "Paul [McCartney] said he would commit to a score of original songs as part of it," Lynne said. "Bob and I had never focused on animation in our career, but that got our attention."

High in the Clouds tells the story of a squirrel's quest to find an animal sanctuary, Variety writes. The film will be McCartney's first heavy involvement in an animated project since 1968's Beatles cartoon Yellow Submarine, and his first time composing music for a movie since 1967's The Family Way. McCartney does have a long history of contributing songs to films, however, penning the hit "Live and Let Die" for the James Bond film of the same name and the title track of 2001's Vanilla Sky soundtrack. In both cases, McCartney was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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