The Lyrical Genius of Sir Paul McCartney

By Harry Brown 11 December 2021

Image Courtesy of MPL Communications

In 1958, a 14-year-old Liverpudlian wrote his first-ever song, following the loss of his mother. Over 60 years later, that same Liverpudlian has over 500 songs, 21 UK number 1 singles and 25 UK number 1 albums to his name. Sir Paul McCartney has the definition of an illustrious career.

Despite rave reviews and prestige that accompanies Waterstones Book of the Year 2021, the £75 price tag attached to his new book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present is unaffordable to most students. However, an insight into the brilliant lyricism of the man is free and available to anyone who puts on a Beatles track.

Paul vs. John – Politicism

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McCartney has often been the victim of his bandmate John Lennon’s infectious personality and has been regarded as an inferior songwriter. Lennon had a keen interest in utilising the power of music for political means. Imagine and Give Peace a Chance are fan favourites for a reason.

However, contrary to belief, John Lennon doesn’t own the monopoly on politically-motivated music – not even within the Beatles. What differs between McCartney and Lennon’s use of political subject matter is that Paul approaches them poetically, whereas John’s method is more overt and transparent. In this way, McCartney can capture a certain feeling in his songs that John couldn’t.

Blackbird is a prime example of this. Written in response to the 1960s civil rights protests in America, McCartney, accompanied by a single guitar, sings: ‘Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take those broken wings and learn to fly’, the ‘black’ in ‘blackbird’ referring to the skin colour, and ‘bird’ signifying girl. This soft and metaphorical method of encouraging Americans to stand up for their rights is at odds with the opening chants of Lennon’s Power To The People.

Paul McCartney has maintained a poetic politicism in his songs throughout his career, which has allowed him to cover a breadth of topics spanning his seven-decade long music career. As recent as 2018, McCartney released Despite Repeated Warnings which tackles the current climate crisis - framing it within the narrative of a Captain in charge of a ship.

Storytelling

A true strength of his songwriting is his ability as a storyteller. Whether he is in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or a Band on the Run, McCartney is able to employ his musical talents to create a host of immersive imaginary situations. In Back in the USSR, inspired by Chuck Berry’s Back in the USA, McCartney jokes about the joys of the 1960s Soviet Union as ‘the Ukraine girls really knock me out’ and ‘Moscow girls make me sing and shout’ to a staccato bass and lively piano.

Much to his credit, Paul has the ability to sustain the personas incorporated into his songs for the entire length of the album. For example, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band includes a reprise of the title track towards the end of the album. He popularised the use of concept albums in the late 60s and 70s through doing this.

Love

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Musicians can’t help writing about the intense and complex emotion: love, and Paul McCartney is no exception. Love has always been a key theme amongst his work and his love songs comprise some of his best work. He sang of his and Linda’s budding romance in Two of Us as he recounts the small things he cherishes like ‘Sunday driving’ and ‘writing letters’.

Then, coinciding with their 1969 marriage, he sang of how he was ‘amazed at the way you love me all the time’. His love songs, like his political songs, have a very personal and intimate feel to them that make them not only a great listen, but an interesting read.

Conclusion

Image Courtesy of Mary McCartney

An ability to persist in the zeitgeist of pop culture is an underappreciated skill and an attribute that Paul McCarty has in spades. In any conversation concerning Bond themes, the opening lyrics ‘When you were young and your heart was open book’ to Live and Let Die are a key talking point.

Furthermore, the capacity that the chorus of Hey Jude has to transcend generations of fans with an assortment of backgrounds is poignant and not a feat that can be accomplished by every songwriter.

The music world is grateful for the contributions of Sir Paul McCartney. His lyrical genius is unmatched the songs discussed in this article are just a drop in the expansive body of water that is McCartney’s music. He might be turning 80 in June, but he’s not done yet!