In addition to these supposed messages in " Back Off Boogaloo " , observers have viewed the song title as Starr 's rebuke to McCartney to abandon his legal stand against the Beatles and Apple Corps , which was placed in receivership in March 1971 after a High Court judge found in McCartney 's favour . Author Keith Badman writes that " Boogaloo " had " long been cited as Paul 's nickname " from his former bandmates Starr , Lennon and George Harrison . While acknowledging that in subsequent years Starr might have chosen to minimise any ill @-@ feeling towards McCartney , Rodriguez notes that the lyrics " just happened to fit perfectly into the ' us vs. Paul ' mindset " following the Beatles ' break @-@ up , to the extent that " Back Off Boogaloo " was " as damning as ' Early 1970 ' had been conciliatory " . When tailoring his 1970 composition " I 'm the Greatest " for Starr to record on the album Ringo ( 1973 ) , Lennon referenced the song title with the lines " Now I 'm only thirty @-@ two / And all I want to do is boogaloo " .