Is Paul McCartney of the opinion that The Beatles completely altered the world?

Please take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of Sir Paul McCartney for a brief period. Imagine being a young boy from a suburban area of Liverpool who had aspirations of being a musician, and then waking up one morning many decades later to be recognized as one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century. An individual who, via the medium of music, altered the world as we know it. Even before one remembers that we are all our own harshest critics, it must be a difficult thing to take in. As a result, the fact that Macca, who is 82 years old, appears to have his head still screwed on straight is somewhat of a miracle; yet, is his humble and thumbs-up demeanor an act?

The fact that he is known for being the “safe” Beatle and having a reputation for being head-bobbing and family-friendly is something that we are already aware of. The person who is responsible for the ‘Obla-Di-Obla-Da’ in the Fab Four and the ‘Frog Chorus’ at the same time. Because he is quite eager to let people know that he also penned “Helter Skelter” and “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road,” let’s not get it twisted; this is a man who is really concerned about leaving a legacy. As a matter of fact, it is possible that he is likewise concerned with the opinions of other people to an excessive degree; nevertheless, where does one begin and where does the other end?

The question was posed to McCartney in a manner that was pretty straightforward during an interview that took place with Waterstones around the release of his lyric collection. Are you pleased with the way the world has evolved, given that you are vocalists who are documenting a world that is changing? McCartney was immediately taken aback, as would be the case according to the responses of anyone who is asked that question. In the midst of a knowing glance directed toward James Daunt, who is conducting the interview, he begins with the phrase “Loaded question,” and then pauses for a time to consider his response.

Surprisingly, his first thought is in reference to his vegetarianism. When he says that he is “very delighted to see that that is catching on,” he is discussing his feelings. The news is not all positive, however. Especially coming from a generation that, as he put it, “hoped that as we’d get more and more civilized, that kind of thing would lessen,” the continuous presence of wars and atrocities is a significant source of disappointment. When he makes reference to the fact that “whenever someone like Greta Thunberg comes along, we make fun of her,” he settles into a fair position of praising the positive while acknowledging how much more progress needs to be done.

Now comes the most important question. The question that Daunt poses is, “Today, will the talented kid in Liverpool find that space to… establish themselves as the creative force that you have been?” The conversation concludes with McCartney discussing the way that he, John, George, and Ringo paved the way for more than half a century ago. “It is not as easy because the field is very much more crowded now than it was for us,” he says, “but then there was no reason why we should have become famous either.” He is referring to the fact that the field is considerably more crowded than it was for us.

To some extent, he is correct. It wasn’t until they came along that the Beatles were able to do what they had been doing in the background. You should never forget that when they became international celebrities, many people in their orbit believed that their Scouse accents would need to be subtitled at best or overtly dubbed at worst for films and interviews. This is something that you should never forget. That stardom might come to anyone, regardless of their background, and that it is the permanent legacy of The Beatles to McCartney, and it is tough to dispute with him on this point.

Ed Sheeran is the person he cites as the best illustration of this phenomenon in the 21st century. According to Paul McCartney, “devices and YouTube and things like that that we didn’t have” are directly responsible for the fact that the approach is different in a practical sense. However, according to Sheeran, popularity “didn’t happen to him through anything other than his own talent.” As a result, I am confident that you will concur that this is an incredible legacy for a single pop group to have.