Dustin Hoffman’s anecdote inspires McCartney song decades ago

Hoffman, 89, details the encounter in his recently released memoir, *Look at Me*. The story recounts a chance meeting in 1973, when both men were in Jamaica – Hoffman filming *Papillon* and McCartney exploring the island’s reggae scene.

Hoffman initially admitted to not being a devoted Beatles fan at the time, preferring jazz. “I was flattered, of course, but to tell you the truth I wasn’t a big Beatles fan at that point. I was into jazz and considered myself to be above pop music […] I’ve since seen the error of my ways,” he wrote.

He invited McCartney to lunch, during which Hoffman briefly excused himself. Upon his return, McCartney had disappeared, only to be found entertaining the staff with a guitar performance. “He was a troubadour out of the 16th century who would play his guitar at the drop of a hat for anyone who wanted to listen,” Hoffman recalled.

The two men then shared a joint, during which Hoffman recounted stories about Pablo Picasso, who had died that year. “I told all this to Paul McCartney, quite stoned on ganja, while he sat there listening to me silently, holding his guitar,” Hoffman said.

McCartney then surprised Hoffman by immediately composing a song based on Hoffman’s ramblings. “It was like a little miracle,” Hoffman recalled, describing lyrics including, “Three o’clock in the morning/ I’m getting ready for bed/ It came without a warning/ But I’ll be waiting for you, baby/ I’ll be waiting for you there/ So drink to me, drink to my health/ You know I can’t drink anymore.”

These lyrics would later become part of the 1973 song “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)” by Paul McCartney and Wings.

In his memoir, Hoffman also discusses the challenges of filming *The Graduate* and a separate incident where he was held at gunpoint.