The 90 best phrases of Paul McCartney
We all know the great impact and revolution that The Beatles brought, not only to the world of rock and roll, but also to the philosophy of the young people of an entire generation. But, separately, each member of this iconic band also managed to leave their indelible mark on the musical career and on the admiration of many people.
One of the most acclaimed members has been Paul McCartney (the only member left alive). And with this selection of the best quotes, lyrics and reflections of him we will understand the way of seeing his life.
- We recommend you read: "The 80 best phrases of Kurt Cobain"
Great phrases by Paul McCartney
In this article we will show the best phrases of this bassist, both from his speeches and his songs, who also holds the title of ‘Sir’ thanks to Queen Elizabeth of England in 1997.
1. In the end, the love you receive equals the love you make.
Even in the case of love, what you give is what you receive. But not only that, but you get the love you think you deserve.
2. I'm always writing songs, and I have a lot that I want to record.
When you have a passion that becomes your way of life, it is impossible to stop.
3. Think globally, act locally.
Do what you want to do, but without hurting others.
4. There must be a better way to do the things we want, a way that doesn't spoil the sky, or the rain, or the earth.
Talking about the damage to the environment caused by technological progress.
5. I didn't get into music to get a job. I got into music to avoid a job and get a lot of girls.
A very simple and youthful reason to be famous for what you adored.
6. In real life, he who does not give up is a brave man.
It is not about being the best all the time, but about not giving up trying despite failures.
7. If you love your life, everyone will love you too.
The first step in accepting the love of others is loving yourself.
8. The problems were the same, we wanted peace on earth, love and tolerance between people around the world. We have learned that change is slow.
Positive changes are possible, you just need perseverance and patience.
9. I am always trying to make better music. I don't know if I have written my best song yet. That is the big question. That doesn't stop you from trying.
It often happens that singers feel some kind of dissatisfaction that motivates them to get the perfect song.
10. If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.
Many are unaware of the suffering farm animals go through.
11. You can judge a man's true character by the way he treats his animal companions.
Animals are our companions in nature's home, so we must respect them.
12. I am an eternal optimist. No matter how hard life gets, there is always a light somewhere. The sky may be cloudy, but just seeing a little blue makes me keep going.
An example that we can all follow in order to observe the world in a better way.
13. I don't know how many times in my life I have had to swear that I have not died.
Referencing the myth that he is an imposter of the real McCartney.
14. It is time to become a little boy to build a better kind of future. How about?
Why should we lose that spirit of goodness and joy as we grow up?
15. I used to think that anyone who did something weird was someone weird.
Every eccentric person is one who does not follow the rules of society.
16. I am alive and well and not caring about rumors of my death. But if he were dead, he would be the last to know.
Paul always makes fun of these conspiracy theories about his death and impersonation.
17. It is time to put an end to the cruel slaughter of whales and leave these magnificent creatures alone.
The slaughter of the whales is a problem that has not yet been solved.
18. The thing is, we really are the same person. We are four parts of one.
Referring to The Beatles is a unit.
19. One of my great pleasures is sitting down with a guitar or piano and trying to make a song.
A passion that is a hobby and a way of life. Just perfect.
20. Animation is not only for children, it is also for adults who take drugs.
Paul makes a reference here to hallucinations caused by psychotropic substances.
21. Very few people understood what the Beatles was about.
Many were only blinded by his revolutionary way of making music.
22. The only thing that I have not been able to cure is the fact of being left-handed. It is a difficult habit to change, I think I have to change my daily activities, even writing backwards.
A funny satire on his dominant side.
23. Yesterday, all my problems seemed so far away. Now it seems they are here to stay.
Fragment of one of his most famous songs, 'Yesterday'.
24. They tend to tell you, 'make room for the young' and you think... let them find their own place. If they are better than me, they will beat me.
It is not about making the way easier for others, but about guiding and supporting them for the effort they show.
25. The Beatles were always a great band. no more no less.
Paul has very high regard for the impact of his band on the world.
26. I think French girls are fabulous.
He apparently had a fascination for French women.
27. Love is all you need.
Love is a treasure that we sometimes forget to value properly.
28. It's like you're an astronaut and you've been on the moon, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?
This phrase is a reference to being on top and the feeling of being lost on what to do next.
29. Microphones are like people, if you yell at them, they freak out.
As a musician, you must respect your instruments.
30. I love listening to a choir. I love the humanity of seeing the faces of real people being devoted to a piece of music.
One of the magical effects of music is that it can bring people together no matter what else.
31. When I started, I was terrified of doing something wrong on stage. I learned that people don't care. In fact, they enjoy it.
We are all afraid at first, so it is necessary to silence it in order to succeed.
32. I think the only lonely place was the moon.
A phrase that makes us reflect that we are never really alone in this world.
33. Queen Elizabeth II is like a mother to everyone who comes close to her.
A beautiful phrase that shows the singer's esteem for the Queen.
34. It's also not uncommon for writers to look back. Because that is your source of resources.
Many writers use the past to draw inspiration from their stories.
35. None of us wanted to be the bass player. In our minds he was the fat guy who always played in the rear.
A very peculiar vision of the work that led him to fame.
36. I am very happy that most of our songs were about love, peace and understanding.
Showing pride in what they managed to do with their music.
37. I am not religious, but I am very spiritual.
We do not need to belong to a religion to believe and have faith.
38. The biggest tribute to Sgt Pepper's was that the album came out on a Friday and on Sunday we went to the Savile theater. Brian Epstein rented it out for rock concerts because there were no performances on Sundays. Jimi Hendrix started with "Sgt. Pepper's ". He had only had two days to learn it.
Can you imagine that exciting moment that you lived in the hands of a rock legend?
39. I still believe that love is all you need. I don't know of a better message than that.
Here, Paul lets us see his simplicity about what we really need in this life.
40. Nothing pleases me more than walking into a room and walking out with a piece of music.
We are all happy to accomplish something that we have wanted to do.
41. Why should she withdraw? Sit at home and watch TV? No, thanks. I'd rather be outside to play.
There is no end to stop doing what you love.
42. Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
Another phrase that shows us his amusement towards the rumors of his death.
43. One of my great memories of John is from when we were arguing. I disagreed and we insulted each other. We let it settle down for a second and then he lowered his glasses and said, "It's just me." And then he put his glasses back on.
A funny and sweet memory about the time you spent with one of his best friends.
44. Death is not death, it is only life jumping from a cliff of enormous height.
A way of seeing death as a natural step in life.
45. One day, when we discover the meaning of life, that somehow it will be contained within itself that happiness is sadness and sadness, happiness.
Our whole life is full of happy moments and sad moments. And so it should be.
46. For years people have said "oh, Paul sings love songs ...". Well, I know what they mean, but people have been making love songs forever. I like them, other people also like them and also a lot of other people love them.
We all love romantic songs, no matter what our favorite music genre is.
47. There were only four people who knew what the Beatles were.
Only they could know who they really were.
48. If you can play your stuff in a pub, you're a good band.
Pubs are usually the starting point for any band.
49. I don't work to be ordinary.
Never settle and less if you can continue to grow.
50. For me that was John. Those were the moments when I really saw him without the facade, the armor, that I loved too, like anyone else.
Speaking of the natural essence of John Lenon that he most appreciated and loved.
51. Suddenly I knew that someone doing something weird wasn't weird at all; all those people who claimed that doing something different was weird.
A phrase that leaves an important reflection: do not be afraid to be who you are.
52. We feel better about ourselves and the animals, knowing that we are not contributing to their pain.
It is useless to express our love for animals if we do not act to punish abuses towards them.
53. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic for the human race when I see them cooperating in such a way.
We can all get along if we find even one thing in common.
54. I don't take myself seriously. If we have a few giggles, I don't care.
It is always important to have fun above all else.
55. Putting two songs together, I've always liked that trick when it works.
Speaking of his satisfaction with making music.
56. I am the worst at facts about me or facts about the Beatles.
A reference to not having much to say about himself or his side in the band.
57. It was beautiful armor. But it was wonderful when you would lower the visor and you would see the John Lennon who was scared of revealing himself to the world.
We all have a raised wall that few can cross.
58. What I have to say is in the music; So if I have something to say, I write a song.
Every artist has something to say in his works.
59. The thing is, we really are one person. We are only the four parts of it.
Another reference to 'The Beatles' as a unit.
60. Within us there is the need to stop the terrible transience of time: music, paintings.
In works of art it is that we can stop time or make an eternal event.
61. I hate the idea of success stealing your private life.
There is nothing worse than losing our privacy.
62. Buy, buy, says the sign in the window; Why, why, says the garbage in the yard.
A critique of consumerism without utility.
63. At the end of the Beatles, I really broke up for the first time in my life. Until then, he really was some kind of cocky bastard.
The end of his band made him more humble, as for the first time he was lost.
64. The life of a Beatle is full of metaphors that he does not seek, he simply lives.
There are not always answers for everything and that's okay.
65. LSD opened my eyes. If we only use a tenth of our brain, imagine what we could achieve using the rest.
A very strange reflection on the benefits of LSD.
66. The imagination is exercised and, contrary to popular belief, it is more powerful in maturity than in youth.
There is no age limit to develop our creativity.
67. I think, especially in the old days, the spirit of the Beatles seemed to suggest something very hopeful and youthful.
It was that rebellious and liberal essence that all the young people loved.
68. I have not practiced how to be a singer without an instrument.
Many musicians are tied to their instruments forever.
69. I definitely admired John. We all admire John. He was older and he was very… the leader; he was the fastest, the smartest and all that sort of thing.
Without a doubt, he showed great respect and devotion to who they considered the leader of the band.
70. I do not intend to open the way to the new generations of musicians. If they are better than me, they will make their way on their own, they may work their way as the others have done.
We can help someone to develop his skill but not to hold him by the hand forever.
71. People are entitled to their own opinions and they will not always agree with yours. As an artist, you just have to keep working.
Everyone has an opinion, it is their right and that it is not the same as yours does not mean that you disrespect it.
72. But you know, as a child I would have thought of a vegetarian as a wimp.
No child likes the idea of being a vegetarian.
73. Someone told me “but The Beatles are anti-materialists”. That is a great myth. John and I used to literally sit down and say, "let's write a pool."
A critique of his pacifist inclination.
74. If politicians used LSD, there would be no more wars, or poverty or hunger.
A strange and interesting recommendation.
75. Music is like a psychiatrist. You can say things to your guitar that you wouldn't say to anyone else. And they will respond to you with things that people cannot tell you.
Speaking of music as a form of therapy.
76. Life is something mysterious and very miraculous. Every time I write a song, there is a little bit of magic where I say 'ooh, ooh, it's happening again'. I sit at the piano and say, 'oh, God, I don't know this one,' and suddenly there is a song.
Our whole life is a wonderful mystery.
77. I think the pop industry is still a young man's game.
Without a doubt, the faces of pop are always young.
78. My so-called career is somewhat casual.
The result of following a passion.
79. Someone like John would want to end the Beatles period and start the Yoko period. He would not like either of them to interfere with the other.
Paul refers here to John's decision to leave the band for love.
80. With writers there is nothing wrong with melancholy. It is an important color in writing.
In writing, melancholy is highly prized.
81. I can't deal with the press; I hate all those Beatles questions.
The press can be the worst enemy of artists.
82. I like the idea of people listening to my stuff, and if it's a commercial success, it's a good sign that it's being heard.
Another kind of satisfaction.
83. What I do is look for the positive side. I'm the only guy who sat down with John and wrote all those songs. It's me.
Always taking positivity first.
84. You have to believe in yourself... it's true, because that's something important in The Beatles.
To do something great, the first thing is to believe in yourself.
85. Looking back, I think I was always musical. My father was very musical, and I think my mother was musical.
A musical legacy from which he could not escape.
86. I cannot do without homeopathy. In fact, I never go anywhere without homeopathic remedies. I often make use of them.
Paul is a huge fan of homeopathic medicine.
87. We communists? We cannot be communists. We are the number one capitalists in the world. Imagine: Communists!
There is a misconception between communism and pacifism.
88. We believed in ourselves. We knew we were good.
Talked about the confidence the band felt about their talent.
89. The first time you make money, you buy all these things so that no one thinks you are mediocre, and so that people will see it. You hire a chauffeur and you find yourself in the back and think, I was happier when I had my own car!
It is common to make bad and superficial decisions when we have money, before discovering that they are not even necessary.
90. I am the eternal optimist. No matter how hard it is, there will always be light somewhere. The rest of the sky might be cloudy, but that little guy in blue pulls me through.
Without a doubt, Paul's best aptitude is optimism.
