Interview for paulmccartney.com

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Jane asks: I know you watch a lot of American football, and you’ve been to the Superbowl a few times! How did you get into American football?  

Paul: Well, being married to Linda meant I was in America quite a bit. We spent a lot of time there with her family and American Football was always on the television. I would watch it with everyone but not really know what was going on! 

Then Linda gave me a big clue. She said, ‘See that guy there? When the two teams line up against each other, there’s a guy who receives the ball. Keep an eye on him, he’s called the quarterback, and he’s going to pass it to someone. All the action comes from him.’ So, once I had that clue, I found it much easier to follow. 

I watched a lot of it and grew to really like it, because it’s quite a complicated and strategic game – and obviously very athletic. In Britain we used to laugh at it, saying, ‘They wear all those pads and protective gear. We don’t, we’ve got rugby, a proper sport!’. But I got over all that, and found I really liked it. So yeah, I’m a big fan of football, American-style.

PaulMcCartney.com: We noticed that there was a sweepstakes going round amongst the crew on last year’s Got Back tour, which coincided with the NFL season. Do you ever take part in that?

Paul: Yeah! Some of the crew bring a form around and you tick off who you think is going to win. I won once and everyone hated me! They said, ‘Oh god, oh no!’ Because of course there’s money involved and I’m their boss. But I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll give the winnings to charity’. It was only that one time. But, believe me, it was a thrill!!

Joan: I’m curious, when it’s just you and Nancy at home together with a break from all your responsibilities and commitments, what do you do together to relax? What are your shared interests?

Paul: We chat and catch up with each other. We eat lunch or dinner. Well, any meal really, as we love cooking. Sometimes we will watch something on TV together, and I always read before bed, usually a biography, while Nancy finishes watching a series. We’re pretty much like any other normal couple!

Alex asks: My partner and I have recently been discussing the albums and songs that have soundtracked our lives. Are there any albums that take you back to certain periods in your life? And does performing your own music evoke similar memories?

Paul: Yeah, definitely. My favourite albums by other people tend to be: Music from Big Pink by The Band, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, and Harvest by Neil Young. They are the three classics that I love to listen to, and they all remind me of certain times in my life. When I perform my own songs, the great thing is that they often bring back memories of recording them. That can often entail memories of John and George in the studio – sweet memories!

Sean asks: After 60+ years of playing guitar, how do you take care of your fingertips? 

Paul: To tell you the truth, I don’t! When I’m touring and playing guitar constantly, my fingertips develop callouses. Then when I have time off they go a bit softer, but will harden up again when recording. I suppose I’ve got used to it, but I don’t actually do anything to them to achieve that result!  

Daisy asks: With so much AI out there now how do you deal with the misinformation or AI created content that is supposedly you? How can we be sure what might be official?

Paul: How do I know if this question isn’t even AI generated? Ha! Seriously though, there’s so much of it about and it can be hard to know what is real. I think most people can still tell the difference but some of it is getting pretty clever.

Friends are often telling me they’ve seen pictures of me doing things which I haven’t done. Or read things I’ve said that I’ve not said. Or there are songs appearing with me apparently on them. Some of it is really wild! 

I always say that it’s best to check my website and my own social media accounts to see if it’s official, as that’s where we share news about what I’m up to. If it’s not there then the chances are that it’s fake news! 

Going further

• https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/you-gave-me-the-answer-how-do-you-and-nancy-spend-your-days-off-at-home
• https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/you-gave-me-the-answer-what-albums-have-soundtracked-your-life
• https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/you-gave-me-the-answer-as-a-guitarist-how-do-you-take-care-of-your-fingertips
• https://www.paulmccartney.com/news/you-gave-me-the-answer-how-do-you-deal-with-misinformation-and-ai-content