Sir Paul McCartney says he’s still writing songs with the same rule‑dodging, wide‑eyed mischief he had as a teenager.
The Beatles legend spoke in conversation with comedian Rob Brydon at London’s Roundhouse in Camden on Wednesday (10.06.26), where he admitted he’s never been one to follow the rules when it concerns songwriting.
He declared: “I don’t want to know any rules because that’s the fun of it.”
The 83-year-old musician – whose timeless classics include Let it Be, Lady Madonna and Love Me Do – also admitted he isn’t built for doom and gloom, revealing he struggles to pen anything bleak.
He said: “I have a hard time doing down songs.
“If I’ve got a down song, I’ll suddenly try and lift it, give it a happy ending or something.”
McCartney also got nostalgic about the moment he first connected with late bandmate John Lennon.
He admitted: “I look back and I just think, ‘wow’.”
The Yesterday hitmaker recalled how they were just two Liverpool kids who both secretly loved writing songs.
Macca said: “He was the first person I’d met who ever said that.”
The icon was speaking to promote his latest solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which sees him go down memory lane, and went on to reminisce about his early adventures with late drummer George Harrison.
He revealed that the track Down South was inspired by the hitchhiking trips they took long before The Beatles became a phenomenon.
He described Harrison as a “very erudite, smart guy, very spiritual, very beautiful guy,” adding: “We had some great times together… This really gave The Beatles its strength.”
Now, with decades of distance, McCartney says he can finally enjoy the band’s legacy without pretending to play it cool.
He said: “I can look back on it now like I’m a major fan.
“When you’re doing it, you’ve got to be a bit modest. But once it’s all done, you don’t have to be modest at all! So I do enjoy looking back on those memories.”