“That assassination still haunts me!” — Paul McCartney moves all of Manchester to tears in a heartbreaking tribute to John Lennon

During his Got Back tour stop in Manchester in late 2024, Paul McCartney brought thousands of fans to absolute silence when he began to perform “Here Today” — a song he wrote after the sudden death of John Lennon in 1980. Under soft lighting and a hushed atmosphere, Paul quietly spoke: “That assassination still haunts me!” — a sentence that pierced the heart and opened the most emotional moment of the night.

“Here Today” may not be one of Paul’s commercial hits, but it stands as one of the most personal and emotionally charged pieces in his solo career. He wrote the song as an imaginary conversation with his closest friend and former Beatles bandmate. Within each lyric and gentle note lies a deep regret, sorrow, and longing for things left unsaid and moments that can never be relived.

As Paul sat down at the piano, the entire crowd fell into an almost sacred silence. There were no screams, no flashes — only the quiet breath of music among memories. He began to sing, “If you were here today… but as for me, I still remember how it was before.” His voice, no longer as sharp as it once was, carried something far more powerful: vulnerability. Every tremble in his voice felt like a wound reopening, and the audience could feel every word as if it were their own.

Tears rolled down countless faces in Manchester that night. Some fans hugged each other as they cried, while others simply stared at Paul, feeling as though they too were facing a loss they had never quite healed from. On social media, the video of his performance spread rapidly, gaining millions of views and heartfelt comments: “I cried like a child,” “This is the most beautiful friendship I’ve ever witnessed,” and “It felt like John was right there on that stage.”

This performance was more than just a tribute — it was a living testimony of a friendship that transcended fame, decades, and even death. Though John Lennon has been gone for nearly 45 years, for Paul McCartney — and for fans of The Beatles — that bond remains alive in every melody. “Here Today” isn’t just a song. It’s a quiet promise that no matter how much time passes, true love and memory never fade.