John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, has publicly apologized to Paul McCartney for insinuating he was a bad songwriter.

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While accepting an award on behalf of her late husband at London's Q Awards last month, Ono said her husband used to always ask why musicians cover McCartney's songs over his.

"I said, 'You're a good songwriter, it's not June with spoon that you write,'" she said.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Ono says: "I certainly did not mean to hurt Paul, and if I did, I am very sorry."

Ono, 72, said her comments looked much harsher in print and reporters blew them out of proportion to stoke the fires of her off-on fued with McCartney.

She even told the Independent late last month, "I think Paul's a great songwriter."

Ono and McCartney have been at odds since the 1960s after he blamed her for the breakup of the Beatles.