Paul McCartney: A Lunch Pail Guy
Macca shows us how to just do the thing.
Disclaimer: I’m a Paul guy. Still, I think anybody can learn from his songwriting habits.
Like a lot of people, I’m a huge Beatles fan. And, like a lot of people, loved Get Back, Peter Jackson’s recent documentary series. Get Back is never-before-seen footage that chronicles the writing sessions of the Beatles’ last record, Let It Be. It’s pretty awesome. My biggest takeaway? Paul McCartney’s ability to just do the work.
The Beatles were working in what could be described as the anti-creative space - a huge film lot with bad acoustics and harsh lighting filled with other people. Distractions were everywhere. It’s easy to see how the space could be inconducive to writing songs, let alone Beatles-quality songs.
Despite the environment, Paul would consistently be at the piano or thumping around on bass, finding his way through a melody line or chord change. I could not believe I was watching him work through a verse of “The Long and Winding Road”. These are truly timeless songs. You’d think they were written in the garden of a bucolic estate in Surrey, or by candlelight in the library of a St. John’s Wood victorian townhome. And maybe that’s where some were started, but he was not precious about where and when he finished them.
He just did it. It actually didn’t look any different from the way that I do it (read: I am basically Paul McCartney), which surprised me. There is no secret. It’s just about starting and finishing.
To me, watching him work reinforced the idea that you see from “solopreneurs” and personal development gurus all over Twitter - there’s no such thing as a perfect time. If he can write arguably some of the best songs of his 60+ year career in an environment filled with distraction and tension, you can start whatever work you feel compelled to do. Just start. Or just finish.
In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield labels the force that pushes us all to procrastinate. He calls it “Resistance.” McCartney’s lunch pail guy style is a perfect example of how to overcome resistance - stop thinking about it and just do it. Don’t give yourself an excuse.
The older I get, the more invested I am in cultivating discipline. The discipline to do the things I know will leave me fulfilled. When I’m productive, I’m happier. I don’t view productivity as exclusively tied to outputs, it’s really more about putting in that butt-in-seat time. Watching Paul McCartney do his thing motivates me to do mine, and maybe it will motivate you to do yours too.
Paul McCartney is incredible. This isn’t news. My favorite of his non-Beatles stuff is RAM, released in 1971. It’s a record he did with his wife, Linda. At that time, they were living on a farm in Scotland, relatively broke actually - a lot of his Beatles money was held up in legal proceedings. If you’re unfamiliar, definitely check it out. The record is organic, earthy and full of levity and joy. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, another cornerstone of McCartney’s work that probably deserves its own post.
I remember I’d listen to it everyday after school during Fall of freshman year. As soon as the intro of “Too Many People” kicks in, I’m brought back to the kitchen of my parents’ house - windows open, leaves falling, soft sunlight streaming in - with an afterschool quesadilla in my hand.
“Piss off caaaAAAaaAAkkkEeee… Oooh Ooh Oh OOh OOOoohhh”
Favorite tracks:
Dear Boy
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
The Backseat Of My Car
It’s one of my favorites of all time. Let me know what you think of it.