On PAUL McCARTNEY

February 9th
On PAUL McCARTNEY

The longer Paul McCartney lives, the odder it seems that he was ever in a band with John Lennon. If John Lennon hadn’t been killed, would he be playing the Super Bowl? Would he be making new albums that are increasingly irrelevant, like Bob Dylan? Or would he still be an important voice, speaking out against the establishment?
Has Paul McCartney changed as he got older, or has he always been the side of the Beatles that made beautiful, wonderful, music, but was willing to go with the flow and stay non-political? I watched Hard Day’s Night, and McCartney was the one who was witty in and in control. John Lennon appeared more like a jerk, who wanted to piss off squares. It was clear that he was anti-authority, but it came off as petulant, and McCartney wasn’t a sell-out, just funny.
I read a newspaper article about the economic downtown, about the Boomer generation (Note: two things I hate – 1) the term Zoomers – just get over the fact that you’re old, you can’t give yourself a nickname like that, it’s stupid – 2) Zoomer Magazine) and how they all of a sudden got real interested in finance during the stagflation period in the late 70s. This is also when the protests were ending, hippies disbanding for good, and John Lennon was assassinated.
And also, I was born. The Beatles are emblematic of the mixed legacy that we have received from the previous generation, the aging Baby Boomers. As elucidated in the Smashmouth song “Walking on the Sun,” it’s bizarre to hear stories of a generation that used to be about protest, Bob Dylan, peace, drugs and rock and roll, and is now about business, divorce, hovering parents and complaining about traffic. Did the people change, like Paul McCartney, or did the radicals fade away like John Lennon, leaving the moderates behind? Usually the answer to this kind of question is both.

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Ah, well, that’s all water under the bridge now. My generation is at its own 1970s now, and while we are more ironical, I’m sure this economic problem will affect us as a generation as well. Not me though! I’m not changing one bit! Fuck all the financiers and their stocks and bonds, all my money’s in a savings account. I’m selling laughs, and that’s always in season! I really hope I keep both of my jobs! Until then, I’m not gonna worry about it. That was my attitude in 1991 and that’s my attitude now. Like a wise man once said, ‘You can’t buy me looooove!’ Also, “All you need is love!” and “Help!” No wait, I mean, “I wanna hold your haaaaaand!” You can’t take away my hands! My holding hands! You know, Paul McCartney seems like a great guy. Shame about his second wife. Maybe should cut his hair. I know he’s heard that before. But now it symbolizes nothing. Maybe it symbolized nothing then too. Just four kids who didn’t wanna cut their hair.