McCartney closes out the anniversary episode how he did a surprise show in New York earlier this week
Paul McCartney closed out Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary show by performing a medley of the final three songs on the Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road.
McCartney began on piano with “Golden Slumbers,” singing about getting “back homeward”–a fitting conclusion to a show that began with Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter performing “Homeward Bound,” which Simon and George Harrison played on SNL in 1976.
As is the case on Abbey Road, “Golden Slumbers” segued into “Carry That Weight,” and then “The End,” with McCartney hopping up from the bench during the drum solo and picking up his electric guitar.
After a solo of his own, McCartney sang the final lines of the song–“And in the end / The love you take /
Is equal to the love you make”–and then thanked those in the studio audience.
Sunday marked McCartney’s fifth time as SNL musical guest, having had the role most recently in 2012.
McCartney was in New York earlier this week for a couple pop-up shows at the Bowery Ballroom. There, his band’s encore was the same as his SNL setlist: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.”