Paul McCartney - She's Leaving Home (1967, 2003, 2021)

One of my favorite songs by Paul McCartney from the Sgt Pepper's album, released in 1967. In some ways it sounds a bit out of place from the other material on the LP ... almost
as though it should have appeared on Revolver (1966). That's probably because of the use of strings and vocals only, very reminiscent of "Eleanor Rigby" (which, as it turns out, WAS co-written by John Lennon). Anyways, found out the inspiration was an actual case involving a local girl, Melanie Coe, who won a lip-syncing contest three years earlier where she met the Beatles and her award was handed out to her by Paul.

The details of her case were only marginally followed in the song, but one point of contention for me is the "happy ending" for the runaway in the lyrics ("she is having fun"). Of course back then many young people did leave home to join hippie communities and often did find a happier existence, at least for a time. Otherwise, and we know this today
due to the very dire, troubled age we have lived in for some decades now, runaway stories usually end very badly ... and not necessarily the more obvious ones where someone ends
up dead.

This video follows three different girls leaving home in the wee hours of the morning, each one supplying key elements in the song lyrics. Paul appears briefly in the video as well as does the orchestra used for "A Day In The Life."

Escape (2000)
Runaway Girl (2012)
Scarlett And The Man (2014)