Why Paul McCartney Uses Metaphors to Address Social Issues — ‘I Sometimes Think That’s Stronger’
Paul McCartney isn’t afraid to address social issues in his music. Several songs from his time with The Beatles and his solo career were dedicated to issues, including war and racial injustice. McCartney often keeps his message subtle, disguising his thoughts in metaphors, which he believes is sometimes ‘stronger.’
Paul McCartney often doesn’t know if he’s writing a protest song
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Paul McCartney discussed how he addresses political or social topics in his songs. The former Beatle has written songs like “Blackbird” and “Looking for Changes” that were “veiled” references to things like the civil rights movement in the U.S. and animal rights. However, he said it’s easier for him to address these issues when he doesn’t know he’s doing it.
“I think I don’t know I’m doing it. I think that’s one of the things,” McCartney explained. “If I consciously am outraged by something in politics, or just in the world, some of the terrible things you hear about, it’s not that easy for me to just sit down and write something about Yemen, or something. Even though I’m outraged by the situation there, it’s not easy for me. But it is easier for me to write a veiled version of it.”
Paul McCartney believes using metaphors to address social issues is often stronger
McCartney likes to keep his messages more subtle by using metaphors that capture the song’s theme. These metaphors don’t avoid the topic, but they make the songs more accessible. The former Beatle shared that many kids like “Blackbird,” even though they don’t fully understand the track’s message
“If I’m thinking about civil rights, and I’m thinking about the black women being abused as they go into the school, then to me, I prefer to see it as the image of a blackbird, and then I talk about broken wings. So, I use metaphors so that, on the one hand, if you’re a little kid…a lot of little kids say to me that ‘Blackbird’ is their favorite song. So, if you’re a little kid, they don’t know about civil rights. They’re seeing a blackbird and the freedom, and they’re feeling the idea of just escaping barriers and stuff. They just like it as a little song…It’s not hiding it, it’s just using a metaphor. I sometimes think that’s stronger.”
McCartney shares one song that he believes was too direct
Sometimes Paul McCartney has gotten too direct about specific issues, and he believes these songs aren’t as successful as the ones that used metaphors. One song he mentions is “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” from his 1971 album Wild Life. McCartney said it wasn’t “one of his best songs” because its message was too overt.
“My biggest protest song really would be ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish.’ Now there are no metaphors there. That is just dead straight after bloody Sunday, and I felt I had to write it, but I didn’t really think it was a very successful song,” McCartney admitted. “It actually got to No. 1 in Ireland, but, for me, as a song, I wouldn’t say it was one of my best songs.”
