Songs

A new documentary about Paul McCartney, his life after the breakup of The Beatles and the formation of his band Wings is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film was made by our guest, Morgan Neville. He also directed documentaries about Fred Rogers, Anthony Bourdain and Orson Welles, as well as many prominent musicians, and has won an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy. Morgan Neville spoke with FRESH AIR's Ann Marie Baldonado.

"Every now and then you bump up against a part that presses you to the wall of your ability," Hawke says of his Oscar-nominated stint as lyricist Lorenz Hart. Originally broadcast Nov. 13, 2025.

Gershwin wrote lyrics for enduring jazz standards, including "I Got Rhythm" and "Embraceable You". We talk with Michael Owen, author of Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words, and listen to some of his hits.

In November 2023, Byrne spoke about the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense and described the band's hit song "Burning Down the House" as a compilation of "non-sequiturs" with an emotional impact.

A new two-CD set features music inspired by Shakespeare as well as actors reading his work. Critic Lloyd Schwartz says any excuse to honor the master playwright is a good one.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new three-and-a-half-hour documentary about Bob Dylan called No Direction Home by director Martin Scorsese. It's available on a two-disc DVD and will be shown on PBS as part of the American Masters series.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews three new releases of live recordings by the late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: John Harbison's North and South; Peter Liberson's Neruda Songs; and Rilke Songs.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new albums of Handel arias by opera singers Renee Fleming and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (on the Universal and Avie labels).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews recordings by British singers soprano Margaret Tate (stage name Maggie Teyte), and tenor Heddle Nash. (on the British label, Pearl.)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a reissue by the late mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian: Luciano Berio's "Recital I for Cathy and Folk Songs." (RCA)