1 Paul McCartney Song Was Inspired by COVID-19
Many of The Beatles‘ songs deal with timeless subjects, like love, sex, and peace. The members of the band still knew how to be topical, such as when Paul McCartney wrote a song inspired by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The tune appeared on an album that hit No. 1 in the United Kingdom but not the United States.
Paul McCartney’s coronavirus-inspired song is a collaboration with 1990s rock star Beck
During a 2020 interview with Uncut, Paul was asked about his song “Find My Way,” which deals with anxiety. “That was written at the beginning of lockdown,” he said. “It was a very scary time.” The tune came out in December 2020, when the pandemic was at its height.
“Other scares we’ve had — SARS, avian flu — they seemed to happen to other people,” Paul continued. “But this was happening to everyone, people you knew, everyone in the world. Some of my friends, some people I knew were close to going under with it.” The tune’s origins are fascinating, considering its instrumental is fun and funky — even soothing in places. “Find My Way” is a collaboration between Paul and 1990s rock music icon Beck, and it sounds much more like a Beck song than a typical Paul song.
The ‘Silly Love Songs’ singer has insecurities unrelated to the pandemic
In the same interview, Paul discussed his own insecurities. “I wish I knew I was Paul McCartney, it would be so much easier,” he said. “Look, you can achieve a lot of fame, but you’re still the same person inside.
“Hopefully, you grow and learn things — but we’re all a bit fragile inside,” he added. “Everyone has this ‘Should I? Shouldn’t I?’ Even the biggest braggarts, guys who you would think would never worry about a thing, when you get to know them a bit more, you realize they’re just like the rest of us. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It’s life, isn’t it?” Paul’s timeless wisdom is part of the reason why his music continues to resonate.
How Paul McCartney’s ‘Find My Way’ performed on the pop charts
“Find My Way” was the debut single from Paul’s album McCartney III, which is a sequel to his albums McCartney and McCartney II. That song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or even the Bubbling Under Hot 100. On the other hand, McCartney III reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. In the modern era, Paul and other 1960s stars seem to have an easier time selling new albums than selling new singles.
According to The Official Charts Company, “Find My Way” did not chart in the United Kingdom. None of Paul’s songs have charted there since his Rihanna/Kanye West collaboration “FourFiveSeconds” from 2015. McCartney III climbed to No. 1 in the U.K. for a single week and stayed on the chart for three weeks.
“Find My Way” wasn’t a hit but it showed that Paul can work contemporary issues into his work.
