- I tried to write a song about the Beatles' relationship problems and called it 'The Long and Winding Road'—mostly because every road to their studio felt longer than the actual drive.
- Paul McCartney said he imagined 'The Long and Winding Road' being done by Ray Charles, which makes sense if the Beatles were feeling especially dramatic.
- The Beatles had a song that was a literal metaphor for their breakup—very on the nose, but at least it matched the mood.
- When the Beatles' recording project stalled, they handed it to a producer who added an orchestra and a choir—turning a breakup song into a full-blown opera.
- 'The Long and Winding Road' was originally a sparse piano ballad, then it got extra orchestral drama—like adding a whole extra wedding to a breakup party.