In another tribute, McCartney performs "Here Today," a song he wrote for John Lennon after his murder in 1980. "Because we're two guys, you don't always say intimate things. In fact, you hardly ever do. You work together... I had this idea it would be nice to say stuff that I really wanted to say to him but somehow put it in a song, so I did this thing called 'Here Today' and it was 'if you were here today, how would it be?...'"
Asked if it's difficult to sing these songs on tour, McCartney replies: "It's sometimes a little bit hard emotionally. You catch yourself and you hear what the lyric means and you suddenly identify with it and choke a bit. I know it's very emotional for the audience, but I like that.
"I'm no longer ashamed of being emotional. When I was 18, that was like the biggest crime a guy could commit. 'You cried?' Well, now it's like, 'Yeah and why not?' It's pretty sad stuff... losing a friend like John or losing (McCartney's first wife) Linda after all those years or George. So I'm comfortable (showing my emotions)."
Age has its benefits.
UPDATE
The Smoking Gun has some particulars regarding McCartney's comfort issues on tour:
- Paul McCartney is "very fond of flowers," won't travel in a stretch limousine with leather seats, and will not stand for backstage furniture made of any animal skin or print (even if it's of the artificial variety). Those are just a few of the unique provisions contained in the ex-Beatle's concert rider for his 2002 World Tour, excerpts from which you'll find on the following dozen pages. McCartney ... also provides promoters with an amusing list of plant demands, one that concludes with this underlined admonition: "No trees please! We want plants that are just as full on the bottom as the top such as palm, bamboo, peace lilies, etc. No tree trunks!" And, of course, the rider requires a pre-show sweep by some bomb-sniffing dogs and it contains the expected vegan salvo: "There will be no meat, or meat by-products allowed to be served in the dressing rooms, production offices, or areas within the 'backstage area.'"
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Article comments
1 - Kevin Moore
I was surprised to learn that this Friday's reunion between Paul and Ringo marks their first stage appearance since the break up. Following the band's dissolution, Ringo was a frequent "guest" on George and John records, and backed both of them on solo tours, most notably with George at the benefit for Bangladesh.
What's funny is that we should care so much about these issues. And I don't mean to be flippant, because I do care. Yet I can't help but find it amusing considering that they were simply four regular guys from Liverpool. Of course, they were four guys who all managed to touch our lives with their brilliant songwriting, humanity and wit, so our identification with them is inevitable; yet we do it in such exquisite detail, down to cataloguing their every breath in the recording studio and so on. Are we being silly with this focus on trivia, or is there something more to this diversion?
2 - RR Ryan
Supposedly, one of the main reasons Ringo never performed live with Paul was his aversion to playing the Beatles catalog. This was handled humorously in the film, Give My Regards To Broad Street. Ringo and Paul are rehearsing songs, but when they get to an old Beatles number, Ringo spends the entire song looking for a particular instrument, only to find it as Paul finishes. At least, that's the way I remember it. Regards-RR Ryan
3 - Jim Carruthers
For some weird reason, I though this article was about the Paulie Shore comeback.
4 - Arturo López
"Shit, that Paulie. I though Paulie the parrot"
Duh.
5 - Larry
Does anyone know or care that the Beatles' music was given to them by Satan, via Aleister Crowley? Satan could have used any 4 guys willing to pay the price. Kind of like he did with Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and so many others. Just do a little research and see if its true!