Songfacts®:

• This song was originally issued on the Wild Life album under the name Wings. It is an official Wings release without the "Paul McCartney" in front. This song was written as a response to the musical and personal battle between McCartney and John Lennon after the Beatles breakup. Beginning with the McCartney album, John was offended by the song "Teddy Boy," which he felt contained personal references to him, as well as "Dear Boy" and "Too Many People" from Ram. John responded as well in his first recording as the Plastic Ono Band by specifically mentioning Paul's name in the song "I Found Out."
  
  Lennon then blasted Paul on "How Do You Sleep?" from his Imagine album, but Paul tried to make peace with the conciliatory "Dear Friend."
• Paul is quoted in the biography Band on the Run as saying each member of the Beatles was influenced by outside forces that would pit them against one another. He explained further that they never hated each other but paranoia and frustration would boil over, and as songwriters their only outlet was to express themselves in song. In this song Paul is attempting to tell John his true feelings.
  
  George Harrison also commented on the affairs in the Beatles breakup in songs such as "Isn't It a Pity," "Wah-Wah," and "Sue Me, Sue You Blues." >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Dick - Barboursville, WV, for above 2
• Speaking in a 2018 Q&A about Wild Life on PaulMccartney.com, Macca admitted he struggles to listen to "Dear Friend" when it gets played now. "I have to sort of choke it back," he said.
  
  McCartney added that he's telling Lennon it's time to make amends after all the disputes they had about The Beatles' breakup.
  
  Dear friend, throw the wine,
  I'm in love with a friend of mine.
  Really truly, young and newly wed.
  Are you a fool, or is it true?
  
  "That lyric: 'Really truly, young and newly wed.' Listening to that was like, 'Oh my God, it's true!,'" he said. "I'm trying to say to John, 'Look, you know, it's all cool. Have a glass of wine. Let's be cool.' And luckily we did get it back together, which was like a great source of joy because it would have been terrible if he'd been killed as things were at that point and I'd never got to straighten it out with him."