Paul McCartney Addresses ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ Witchcraft Theory
Paul McCartney addressed the popular and very funny theory that his hit song “Wonderful Christmastime” is actually about witchcraft. The theory started on Twitter via Canadian actor Ryan George who…
Paul McCartney addressed the popular and very funny theory that his hit song "Wonderful Christmastime" is actually about witchcraft.
The theory started on Twitter via Canadian actor Ryan George who wrote, "Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime' is about friends practicing witchcraft but then someone walks in and they have to suddenly play it cool."
McCartney was asked about the theory in a special Q&A about the song on his official website. Sir Paul said when asked if the theory was true, "Oh yeah. Well, thank goodness they found me out. This is completely true and in actual fact I am the head wizard of a Liverpool coven. [Paul laughs] Either that… or it’s complete nonsense. And you know it’s the latter!"
Macca is then asked, "This theory may have come from people mishearing the lyrics. Could you confirm if the lyric is ‘the moon is right’ or ‘the mood is right’?" He responds, "It’s ‘the mood’! This is the mood; I’ve gathered together the witches and wizards... I’ve got ‘the mood’, which is what we in wizardry call it [laughs]. The thing is about this stuff, it’s so easy to convince half the people in the world. You do have to be a little bit careful! "
McCartney added, "No, it’s ‘the mood’. And you know what, I’m thinking about Liverpool Christmas parties, that’s really all I’m doing with that song. “The mood is right, let’s raise a glass, the spirit’s up” – you know, all the stuff you do at Christmas. Particularly with my old Liverpool family parties."
So, there you have it! "Wonderful Christmastime" isn't about witchcraft...or maybe that's what Sir Paul wants us to think! (Just kidding, of course.)
If Paul McCartney retired from music after the Beatles broke up, no one would blame him. How do you follow up nearly a decade of being in a band that changed music, changed culture, and maybe changed the world?
But McCartney clearly had a lot of fuel left in the tank. In the decades since, he's been a formidable force in music: he dominated radio in the '70s with Wings, he was ubiquitous on MTV in the early days of the cable channel and has collaborated with Kanye West and Rihanna, the surviving members of Nirvana, Diana Krall, David Gilmour, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello, among others. He's delivered classic theme songs for Cameron Crowe and James Bond, and besides recording scores of rock and pop albums, he's also composed classical music and done experimental electronic music under the name The Fireman.
He continues to record and release new music at a surprising pace, as if he still has something to prove. During the pandemic, he returned to true "solo" artist mode, recording all of the instruments by himself (with the exception of one song, "Slidin'," which was started during the sessions for the previous album). But whether he's recording all by himself, with his longtime backing band, or collaborating with other big-name artists, it's always been interesting to follow his career. You never know when he's going to release another classic. He's been craniing them out, after all, for over six decades.
It was tough to narrow it down, but here are the ones that we think are Paul's best post-Beatles songs.
51. “Find My Way” Paul McCartney - 'McCartney III' (2020)
MPL Communications49. “Calico Skies” - Paul McCartney - ‘Flaming Pie’ (1997)
MPL Communications48. “Temporary Secretary” Paul McCartney - 'McCartney II' (1980)
MPL Communications47. “Fuh You” - Paul McCartney - ‘Egypt Station’ (2018)
MPL Communications46. “I Lost My Little Girl” - Paul McCartney - ‘Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)’ (1991)
MPL Communications45. “It’s So Easy” - Paul McCartney - 'Rave On Buddy Holly' (2011)
Fantasy/Concord Music Group44. “Heal The Pain” - George Michael featuring Paul McCartney - ‘Twenty Five’ (2006)
Sony BMG43. “Flying To My Home” - Paul McCartney - B-side to “My Brave Face” (1989)
MPL Communications42. “Say Say Say (with Michael Jackson)” - Paul McCartney - 'Pipes Of Peace' (1983)
MPL Communications41. “With A Little Luck” - Wings - 'London Town' (1978)
MPL Communications40. “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” - Wings - ‘Band On The Run’ (1973)
MPL Communications39. “Helen Wheels” - Wings - ‘Band On The Run’ (1973)
MPL Communications38. “Silly Love Songs” - Wings - ‘Wings At The Speed Of Sound’ (1976)
MPL Communications37. “Bluebird” - Wings - ‘Band On The Run’ (1973)
MPL Communications36. “Wonderful Christmastime” - Paul McCartney - single (1979)
MPL Communications35. “Vanilla Sky” - Paul McCartney - ‘Vanilla Sky’ soundtrack (2001)
Reprise Records34. “Lonely Road” - Paul McCartney - ‘Driving Rain’ (2001)
MPL Communications33. This One” Paul McCartney - ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ (1989)
MPL Communications32. “Twenty Flight Rock” - Paul McCartney - ‘CHOBA B CCCP’ (1988, 1991 in the US)
MPL Communications31. “No More Lonely Nights” - Paul McCartney - ‘Give My Regards To Broad Street’ (1984)
MPL Communications30. “All Things Must Pass (live)” - Paul McCartney - 'The Concert For George' (2003)
Warner Bros.29. “Ebony and Ivory (with Stevie Wonder) - Paul McCartney - ‘Tug Of War’ (1982)
MPL Communications28. “Listen To What The Man Said” - Wings - ‘Venus And Mars’ (1975)
MPL Communications27. “Another Day” Paul McCartney - single (1971)
MPL Communications26.“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” Paul and LInda McCartney - ‘Ram’ (1971)
MPL Communications25. “My Valentine” - Paul McCartney - ‘Kisses On The Bottom’ (2012)
MPL Communications24. “Fine Line” - Paul McCartney - ‘Chaos And Creation In The Backyard’ (2005)
MPL Communications23. “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” - Paul McCartney - ‘Run Devil Run’ (1999)
MPL Communications22. “That Day Is Done (demo)” - Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello - ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ outtakes (1989, released in 2017)
MPL Communications21. “Four Five Seconds” Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney - single (2015)
Roc Nation20. “New” - Paul McCartney - ‘New’ (2013)
MPL Communications19. “Cut Me Some Slack” - Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear - ‘Sound City: Reel To Reel’ (2013)
Roswell/RCA18. “You Want Her Too (with Elvis Costello)” - Paul McCartney - Flowers In The Dirt (1989)
MPL Communications17. “Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight” - The Fireman - ‘Electric Arguments’ (2008)
MPL Communications16. “Veronica” - Elvis Costello (co-written by Paul McCartney) - ‘Spike’ (1989)
Warner Bros.15. “Something (live)” - Paul McCarntey and Eric Clapton - ‘The Concert For George’ (2003)
Warner Bros.14. “Here Today (live)” - Paul McCartney - ‘Back In The U.S.’ (2002)
MPL Communications13. “Dance Tonight” - Paul McCartney - ‘Memory Almost Full’ (2007)
MPL Communications12. “Try Not To Cry” - Paul McCartney - ‘Run Devil Run’ (1999)
MPL Communications11. “Let Me Roll It” - Wings - ‘Band On The Run’ (1973)
MPL Communications10. “Junior’s Farm” - Paul McCartney & Wings - single (1973)
MPL Communications9. “Take It Away” - Paul McCartney - ‘Tug Of War’ (1982)
MPL Communications8. “My Brave Face” - Paul McCartney - ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ (1989)
MPL Communications7. “That Would Be Something” - Paul McCartney - ‘McCartney’ (1970)
MPL Communications6. “Coming Up” - Paul McCartney - 'McCartney II' (1980)
MPL Communications5. “Every Night” - Paul McCartney - 'McCartney' (1970)
MPL Communications4. “Jet” - Wings - 'Band On The Run' (1973)
MPL Communications3. “Band On The Run” - Wings - 'Band On The Run' (1973)
MPL Communications2. “Maybe I’m Amazed (live)” - Wings - 'Wings Over America' (1976)
MPL Communications1. "Live And Let Die" - Paul McCartney and Wings - 'Live And Let Die (soundtrack)' (1973)
Capitol
