Paul McCartney is alive... Or is he?

The earth is flat. The moon landing was faked. Elvis is alive. All of these conspiracy theories have been preached by some and mocked by others for decades. Most rational people don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but they are still fun to think about, right? There are even a few that may have the most logical person questioning everything they know, at least for a while. 

This blog series will examine several different theories, some more obscure, and some more outlandish than others. I will present a summary of the theory’s argument, and examine if it has any merit at all. I will do my best to wade through the puddles of conspiracy sites, online Q & A forums, and Buzzfeed lists, but I don't have room to examine every "personal account" and factoid out there. You as a reader may have to do a little leg work on your own to make a fully informed decision for yourself, and become a believer if you wish. With that housekeeping item taken care of, let’s have a look, shall we? We’ll get to the lizard people and Melania Trump’s doppelganger later, but first we will dive into a theory that may cause a different kind of "mania." I'll just rip this bandage off and tell you, Paul McCartney is dead. At least, that's what the conspiracy theorists say.

According to the theory, McCartney died in a car accident in 1966, and with the help of the British

Paul McCartney in 1964

Wikimedia commons 

government, the other Beatles hired a look-alike to take his place. Why did the government help in the cover-up, you ask? According to conspirators, they just knew the public would not be able to handle the premature death of a Beatle, and they were allegedly afraid of mass suicides. So, what people don't know won't hurt them, right?

Fortunately for conspiracy-minded fans, the other Beatles soon started feeling guilty, so they allegedly left several clues in songs and album art, perhaps in the hopes that listeners would start playing detective. The clues begin in 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Cover art of the

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album

upload.wikimedia.org

There are a few lyrics in different songs that specifically mention McCartney and death, but most of the arguments begin with, "Well, you have to listen to the song backwards..." I listened to the songs in question, and while sometimes I heard what I was supposed to hear, I would not have made the connection without the words on the screen telling me what the guilty Beatles were supposedly saying.

So here's the big question, if that isn't Paul McCartney, then who is it? The main theory here is that McCartney was replaced by a guy named Billy Shears, who supposedly won a Paul look-alike contest. Shears is mentioned in Sgt. Peppers, but there is controversy over whether or not he is a real person. There is a lot of unpacking that could be done here, but to keep it short, the Beatles said Billy Shears was what could be described as Ringo Starr's character for the album, since the whole album is supposed to be the Beatles singing as if they were another band.

Aside from Sgt. Pepper, another big clue that McCartney is dead is the Abbey Road cover. Notice anything strange? Theorists claim that John Lennon, dressed in white and leading the way, symbolizes a clergyman at a funeral. Ringo Starr is dressed in the black suit of a mourner. Coming in third is McCartney, and here's where it gets really interesting.

Cover art for Abbey Road album

upload.wikimedia.org

Not only is he the only one striding with his right leg instead of his left, while holding his cigarette in his non-dominant right hand; he is barefoot, alleged by some to represent a corpse. To top it all off, George Harrison, who brings up the rear, is dressed completely in denim, supposedly symbolizing a grave digger. Seems legit.

So, is there anything to this theory? Here's my countertheory: the Beatles are weird. February of 1967 was apparently the first mention of McCartney's death, after his car (sans Paul) was in an accident. Sgt. Pepper's was released in the U.K. in May of 1967. As a songwriter, John Lennon was known for his strange, yet creative lyrics, and he, along with McCartney, co-wrote almost the entire Sgt. Pepper's album. Also, we know the Beatles did drugs, just saying. Could the Beatles have heard the rumors and decided to play along? That seems more likely to me than a fifty-year-long cover-up. It would explain the weird symbolism and lyrics, and I would not put it past the Beatles to want to mess with their fans.

Paul McCartney in 2018 

Wikimedia Commons 

Where does this theory stand today? The rumors have been vehemently denied by the band members, and even joked about by McCartney himself. However, in 2009, Time magazine named "Paul is Dead" as one of the top ten most enduring conspiracy theories in the world. But, for most every "clue," a logical rebuttal can be made to explain it away. We may never know the truth, unless we find out when whoever is posing as Paul McCartney really dies. Until then, you will have to rely on blogs like these for investigative reporting.
TIME- Conspiracy Theories- Paul is Dead
YouTube.com- Vinyl Rewind - Did Paul McCartney really die in 1966?