Paul McCartney: Who is The Man?

13 September 2016

The Beatles and Wings' singer Sir Paul McCartney wants his fans to decide who "The Man" is.

Sir Paul McCartney

The 74-year-old musician insists there are "many answers" to who is referred to in Wings' track 'Listen To What The Man Said' and thinks his followers should choose for themselves who they ought to listen to as the mystery person's identity could have many forms.

Paul was asked in a monthly Q&A feature on his website by Brazilian fan Luiz Antonio: "'Listen To What The Man Said' is a wonderful song. Who is the man someone should listen to?"

In response, he said: "Thank you for your question, Luiz. There are many answers to 'Who is the man?' In one way, you could say the man would be as the expression - 'You're the man!'

"Another way to look at it is that every religion has a leader who they consider to be 'the man'. And his teachings are generally very positive.

"I like the idea that I leave it to the people to decide who, in their minds, is the man..."

Paul recently admitted his friendship and working relationship with late Beatles bandmate John Lennon is "irreplaceable".

He said: "I don't think it could be [replicated]. At some point, you have to realise, some things just can't be. John and me, we were kids growing up together, in the same environment with the same influences: He knows the records I know, I know the records he knows. You're writing your first little innocent songs together. Then you're writing something that gets recorded.

"Each year goes by, and you get the cooler clothes. Then you write the cooler song to go with the cooler clothes. We were on the same escalator - on the same step of the escalator, all the way. It's irreplaceable - that time, friendship and bonding."