Paul McCartney Had a ‘Full Circle’ Moment with 1 Classic Beatles Song
The Beatles were not afraid to express their political views, especially Paul McCartney and John Lennon. They often expressed their opinions through their music in subtle and direct ways. One class Beatles song, written by McCartney, led to the bassist having a full circle moment years after the band disbanded.
Paul McCartney wrote ‘Blackbird’ in support of the U.S. civil rights movement
In an interview with Barnes & Noble’s James Daunt, Paul McCartney shared the origin behind the Beatles’ song “Blackbird.” The singer-songwriter said he wrote the song after watching the Little Rock nine footage.
“It was in the era of civil rights, and I was watching the Little Rock episode where the kids were being booed and shouted at and as the black kids as they were going into the school,” McCartney shared. “And so this idea of ‘Blackbird’ became black girl in my mind.”
The Little Rock Nine were nine black students attending school after the Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court case declared segregated schools illegal. After Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus initially prevented the students from entering the school, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the Federal Guard to ensure the students could attend classes. Footage from the event showed the students entering the school amidst a crowd of hecklers and harassers.
McCartney met two members of the Little Rock Nine at his concert
Paul McCartney often explains the significance of “Blackbird” when performing it in concert. In 2016, he had a “full circle” moment when he met Elizabeth Eckford and Thelma Mothershed Wair, two members of the Little Rock Nine. McCartney was performing in Arkansas and chatted with the two women following the performance.
“When I perform it in concert, I tell that story, and…a lot of people in my audience don’t necessarily know where it came from. So then I’ll say, ‘Yeah, it was to do with that.’ So, it makes it a little bit more significant for them, particularly if we’re playing in Alabama. We did play in Arkansas, we played in Little Rock, and the two ladies who you see in the black-and-white footage, very courageously going through that crowd to get their education, they showed up at the concert. So, it was a real full-circle moment. I was able to talk to them and explain how my song had come about from seeing them in that footage.”
Paul McCartney is proud of how optimistic many of The Beatles’ songs were
The Beatles wrote many uplifting tunes, and McCartney is proud of their impact. He wanted his music to give people hope, and he is happy that he was able to raise people’s moods during times of trouble. In an interview with GQ, the “Band on the Run” singer detailed his pride in The Beatles’ output.
“One of the nice things about music is you know a lot of the people listening to you are going to take seriously what you’re saying in the song. So, I’m very proud that The Beatles’ output is always really pretty positive,” McCartney elaborated. “There’s hardly anything in there that says ‘Screw your parents.’ It’s always pretty. ‘Hey Jude,’ ‘Let it Be,’ ‘Blackbird.’ It’s hopefully a good message. I particularly like that.
