In the song "Let It Be", who was Mother Mary?

In the song “Let It Be,” Mother Mary was Paul McCartney’s mother, Mary Patricia McCartney. McCartney said the song began after he dreamed about his mother, who had died from cancer in 1956 when he was 14. In the dream, she comforted him during a stressful period and reassured him that everything would be all right.

The song was written in 1968, while The Beatles were experiencing intense personal and creative tension. McCartney developed the melody at the piano, and the group recorded the song during the sessions that eventually produced the Let It Be album. The single was released in 1970, shortly before The Beatles’ breakup became public.

Many listeners interpret “Mother Mary” as the Virgin Mary because of the religious wording and McCartney’s Catholic upbringing. That interpretation is understandable, and McCartney has said listeners may take the lyric as they wish. However, his documented inspiration was his own mother, Mary Patricia McCartney. She was a nurse and midwife in Liverpool, and her memory gave the song its deeply personal emotional core.