The Paul McCartney Lyric That Offered Parental Advice
Balancing work and family life can prove difficult for folks in just about any occupation. Now imagine trying to do it when you’re a famous rock star, facing constant travel and professional obligations to sustain your career. The Beatles’ own Macca always seemed to handle those pressures with grace. Understandably, his kids would occasionally find their way into the songs he wrote. “Waterfalls”, a song Paul McCartney released in 1980, gives out some charming fatherly advice in the lyrics.
When Paul McCartney started making the album that would become McCartney II, he did it in part because he needed a break from Wings. The band he started in the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup had undergone many lineup changes and had come to a bit of a creative crossroads at the end of the decade.
As a result, McCartney wanted to switch things up with a solo album that wasn’t afraid to get a little experimental. He initially planned that the album would have nothing but freshly-written material. But he knew enough not to be so rigid about those guidelines.
After writing a bunch of new songs, McCartney decided to go against his earlier edict. He dusted off a song that he had worked on with Wings. The dreamy ballad, entitled “Waterfalls”, featured a chorus that seemed like one attached to a love song.
When you dig deeper into the lyrics, however, you’ll find several lines in the verses of “Waterfalls” that seem like parental advice. As McCartney explained in the book The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present, his kids were at ages where such words were warranted:
Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia
