Beatles Song Namesake 'Penny Lane' Is 'In Danger Of Being Renamed'

"Penny Lane" is one of The Beatles (many) iconic songs, and its namesake may be "in danger of being renamed," due to possible slavery ties.

The Liverpool street is thought to be named after James Penny, a 17th century slave merchant who vocalized an opposition to abolition, and if that connection can be proven that immortalized road may need an update. As Black Lives Matter protests sweep the globe in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, racist statues have been removed internationally.

The International Slavery Museum addressed the possible connection in a statement via Twitter. “There is some debate about whether Penny Lane was named after James Penny, but the evidence is not conclusive," they admitted. "We encourage discussion on this topic, and openly talk about this with our visitors. As a museum, we must be responsive and reflect on new evidence, adapting our displays and interpretation accordingly."

"We are actively carrying out research on this particular question and will re-evaluate our display on Liverpool street names and change if required," they continued. "This is an extremely important subject to the museum and the city of Liverpool and we want to encourage the public to share evidence and research on this topic if they have any.”

See the statement below.

Liverpool’s Metro Mayor, Steve Rotherham, told Sky News (via NME) that “something needs to happen" if evidence surfaces that Penny Lane is indeed named after the infamous slave trader. "I would say that sign and that road may well be in danger of being renamed,” he said before lamenting over its effects. “Just imagine not having a Penny Lane and the Beatles’ song not being about somewhere."

“I don’t believe it is associated with James Penny,” he added.

Photo: Getty Images