Paul McCartney says he and Beyoncé FaceTimed about her version of “Blackbird”

Anyone who thinks Paul McCartney isn’t happy that Beyoncé has covered The Beatles classic “Blackbird” on her album Cowboy Carter would be very wrong.

“I am so happy with @beyonce’s version of my song ‘Blackbird,’” McCartney shares on Instagram. “I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place.”

He adds, “I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!”

Bey’s version of the song, retitled “Blackbiird,” includes acoustic guitar and foot tapping by McCartney, taken from the original backing track he recorded back in 1968 for the Beatles’ self-titled album aka The White Album.

McCartney also reveals in his post that he had a FaceTime conversation with Bey about the song, noting, “[S]he thanked me for writing it and letting her do it.” He says, “I told her the pleasure was all mine and I thought she had done a killer version of the song.”

McCartney also shared his feelings about the song still being so relevant today.

“When I saw the footage on the television in the early 60s of the black girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can’t believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now,” he continues. “Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.”