Stephen Colbert’s finale was touching in many ways, and featuring Paul McCartney was one of the most poignant aspects.

THE COLBERT FINALE

I have not been a devoted viewer of The Colbert Show, but I see it on occasion. I like him very much and respect his devotion to truth through humor. As a deliverer of truths, he has been canceled—as most everyone now knows.

His finale was quite good. More than anything, it felt melancholy. Not that it was not funny—it certainly was—but beneath the humor lingered the feeling of something ending.

It reminded me how many traditions in our culture and media landscape seem to be quietly disappearing, slowly sucked into the black (and green) hole of oblivion.

And Paul McCartney, for me, somehow represents the bookends of that culture. The Beatles embarked upon their musical journey at the very theater where Colbert concluded his: the Ed Sullivan Theater.

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THE BEATLES 2026

Paul McCartney’s dharma has always seemed to be playing music—more specifically, playing with the Beatles. He lives in the modern world, certainly, but his deepest journeys often appear to be trips down memory lane through the most meaningful moments of his life.

And why wouldn’t they be? He created some of the greatest music on earth with his closest friends, beginning in Liverpool and eventually embraced by the world for all eternity.

Paul’s connection to his Hofner bass parallels his connection to the Beatles themselves. Through all the years, the conflicts, the petty grievances, and the staggering cultural changes, he still clings lovingly to the moments when the music flowed naturally between them and life seemed illuminated by possibility.

The fact that Paul played “Hello, Goodbye” during Colbert’s finale felt especially touching to me. First, it is a song the Beatles rarely performed live because of its complex production. But beyond that, it served as a strangely perfect farewell for an influential show concluding its run.

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SAYING GOODBYE TO TRADITIONS

As we watch many of our cultural traditions disappear, as dependability and truthfulness seem to evaporate before our eyes, I think back to the first time I saw the Beatles on television at the Ed Sullivan Theater. The band made emotionally direct music, wrote intelligent lyrics, gave thoughtful interviews, and ultimately left behind a body of work rooted in sincerity, craftsmanship, and humanity.

Thank goodness for Paul McCartney’s enduring dharma to continue playing his (their) music and to avoid falsities. In an era increasingly dominated by branding, spectacle, and performance-for-performance’s-sake, McCartney still projects gratitude, warmth, humor, and genuine love for music itself. No wonder he remains nostalgic about the past, as I often am.

I remain grateful to Sir Paul after all these years, never wavering. As he has aged, he continues cranking out the music, the bass lines, organizing bands, and contributing positively to world culture. It must feel deeply gratifying for him, at this stage of life, to watch the remarkable musicians on Colbert perform one of my favorite Beatles songs with such vigor and precision.

Here it is: