Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have officially released their first-ever vocal duet together. Released today, May 8, “Home to Us” arrives as the second preview of McCartney’s upcoming solo album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, a deeply autobiographical project that revisits his early years in Liverpool long before Beatlemania transformed popular culture forever.
Built around a drum track recorded by Starr, the song also features backing vocals from Chrissie Hynde and Sharleen Spiteri, marking a rare cross-generational collaboration anchored by two surviving Beatles. The release follows the warm reception surrounding lead single “Days We Left Behind,” while anticipation for the album intensified earlier this week after McCartney hosted 50 fans inside Abbey Road’s Studio Two for an intimate advance listening session.
Speaking about the origins of “Home to Us,” McCartney revealed the duet developed organically during sessions with producer Andrew Watt. “Ringo went round to the studio and drummed a bit. I said to Andrew, we should make a track and send it to him. So this song is done totally with Ringo in mind,” he explained in an official press release. The track draws directly from Starr’s childhood in Liverpool’s Dingle district and the hardships both musicians experienced growing up in post-war England.
“In writing the song I’m talking about where we came from,” McCartney said. “In common with a lot of people, you come from nothing and you build yourself up. Ringo was from the Dingle, and that was well hard. He said he used to get mugged coming home, because he worked. Even though it was crazy, it was home to us.”
What began as a guest appearance gradually evolved into something historic. McCartney initially believed Starr only wanted to contribute a few lines to the chorus after receiving an early vocal take back. “I rang him and he said he thought I only wanted him to sing one or two lines,” Paul recalled. “I said I’d love to hear him sing the whole thing. So we took my first line, Ringo’s second line, and then we had a duet. We’d never done that before.”
The recording carries symbolic weight beyond simple nostalgia. Although McCartney and Starr have collaborated numerous times over the decades — including live performances and studio contributions on each other’s records — they had never officially shared a full duet vocal on a released track. That distinction gives “Home to Us” unusual emotional resonance, particularly as The Boys of Dungeon Lane positions itself as one of McCartney’s most reflective projects in years.
According to the official press release, the album explores childhood memories, family resilience, and McCartney’s earliest friendships with John Lennon and George Harrison before global fame arrived. Sonically, the record reportedly mirrors the spirit of 1970’s McCartney, with Paul playing most instruments himself across the sessions.
Photo: Universal Music
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