In the June 4 issue of The New Yorker, in a profile on Paul McCartney, writer John Colapinto notes that one of the verses in the song "That Was Me" on Sir Paul's new album, Memory Almost Full, sounded like the 65-year-old singer expressing "amazement" at having been in the Beatles, a sentiment Macca cops to.
"How could I not be? Unless I just totally blocked it off. There were four people in the Beatles, and I was one of them. There were two people in the Lennon-McCartney songwriting team, and I was one of them. I mean, right there, that's enough for anyone's life. And there was one guy who wrote 'Yesterday,' and I was him. One guy who wrote 'Let It Be,' 'Fool on the Hill,' 'Lady Madonna'--and I was him, too. All of these thing's would be enough for anyone's life. So to be involved in all of them is pretty surprising. And you have to pinch yourself. That's what that song is about."
How awesome is that? These days, when celebrities are famous for two seconds and crack under the pressure, how cool is it to see a guy that is this in awe of his accomplishments, still so much in love with what he does and not at all beaten by the fame game. I certainly hope I can maintain that attitude when I'm his age.
Hell, I hope I can maintain that attitude now, at half his age. I am pretty knocked out by my ability to do what I've wanted to do, and remind myself as much as I can how lucky I have been. Because in this world, talent is often secondary to luck (and that is often secondary to "who you know," which is its own kind of luck). I've gotten to pursue some phenomenal goals, and more phenomenal is being at that stage where I have accomplished them.
The key is to never look back and see better times and be bitter. If the guy who has had to live up to being a Beatle all his life can keep it going, who am I to crumble? This alone is why when anyone gives him shit for being the thumbs-up goofball uncle that he often is these days, they will get a punch in the nose from me for messing with Macca. He's 65! And he's Paul McCartney! God bless him for turning into a funny old man. What would be better? A resentful recluse? You go, Paul!
Big up, also, to Matt Wagner, the living example of this attitude in comics, and the guy who told me to read this article in the first place. Matt is celebrating 25 years of Grendel, which is almost single-handedly responsible for me actually being in the comics biz, so how lucky again am I that he's the one telling me to read articles about ex-Beatles?
Current Soundtrack: Paul McCartney, Memory Almost Full
Current Mood: impressed
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All text (c) 2007 Jamie S. Rich
1 comment:
In a word, Wow.
What a beautiful post.
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