The youngest sons of John Lennon and Paul McCartney have released a new song : NPR

Last week, James McCartney (left), the son of the Beatle Paul McCartney, released a new song called “Primrose Hill” which he co-wrote with Sean Ono Lennon, John Lennon’s son.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

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Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

Last week, James McCartney (left), the son of the Beatle Paul McCartney, released a new song called “Primrose Hill” which he co-wrote with Sean Ono Lennon, John Lennon’s son.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

When two musicians with famous fathers co-create a song, it’s bound to attract attention. This goes double when the names attached to the song are Lennon and McCartney.

“Primrose Hill” is a gently nostalgic ditty by James McCartney, with credit to Sean Ono Lennon. They are the youngest descendants of one of the most famous songwriting duos in history.

“Primrose Hill” is by James McCartney. They are the youngest child of one of the most famous songwriting duos in history.

In a photo McCartney posted on Instagram, the two musicians look strikingly like their famous Beatles fathers. Lennon was born in 1975, five years before his father’s murder, and has carved out a respectable, if uneven, career as a musician since the 1990s, performing with his mother, Yoko Ono, as well as with groups such as Cibo Matto. (Earlier this year, his new album Asterims has been described as “a mix of genre-free instrumental music” by rolling stone review.)

James McCartney, whose mother was the late Linda McCartney, two years younger. He began his recording career making contributions to music through his parents in the late 1990s, but did not begin releasing his own recordings until a decade later.. On Instagram, he said the song was inspired by an idyllic childhood memory.

“I had a vision when I was a child in Scotland, on a beautiful summer day,” he enthused. “As I let go, I saw my true love and savior in my mind. Primrose Hill is all about getting the ball rolling with me and finding that person.”

Paul McCartney promoted the song on his Facebook page, sending “lots of love to Sean Ono Lennon”. Those who might be reflexively cynical about nepo-baby collaborations won’t be shocked to learn that the song didn’t do particularly well on Spotify. It was streamed less than 40,000 times within five days of its release. But while no one will mistake James McCartney for his father with this single, the song shares his affable spirit. It’s a recognizable tribute to a legendary lineage, and perhaps no more than what it’s meant to be: a sweet, unassuming little thing.