Paul McCartney Wrote ‘Another Day’ Because He’s a ‘Voyeur’

TL;DR:

• Paul McCartney discussed “Another Day” with a famous producer.
• He said he wrote the song because he’s a “voyeur.”
• The song became a hit in the United States but John Lennon was not a fan of the song.

Paul McCartney‘s “Another Day” portrays a day in the life of a character. Paul once said he wrote the song because he’s a voyeur. Subsequently, John Lennon criticized the song.

Paul McCartney compared himself to The Beatles’ producer, George Martin

During a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul said he’s observant. “Well, I definitely am an observer,” he said. “I sometimes embarrass people because they say, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t think you noticed that.’ ‘Yeah, I did.'” 

Paul compared himself to George Martin, the musician who produced most of The Beatles’ songs and some of Wings’ material. “Funnily enough, just slightly tangential, George Martin was in the Fleet Air Arm, and he was on a plane, but he didn’t fly the plane — he was called the observer,” Paul recalled.

Paul McCartney’s ‘Another Day’ is about ‘observing a woman,’ not being with her

Producer Rick Rubin told Paul his song “Another Day” was a very observant portrayal of a character. “Well, I suppose, basically it’s because I’m a voyeur,” he said. “I’d get arrested for it these days. No, I just like that. I like noticing stuff.” 

Paul said his voyeuristic tendencies extend beyond music. “I’ve done a little series of photographs which are called ‘Indentations,'” he revealed. “That all sparked from watching a woman when she undressed — the bra strap would leave an indentation on her skin. 

“I think it’s the same thing, observing a woman rather than just being with her, thinking, ‘Oh, I love that,'” he added. “Drinking a cup of coffee, going to the office with her papers, all that — following her through her day.”

How ‘Another Day’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Another Day” became a big hit in the United States. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 12 weeks. It appeared on the compilation album Wingspan: Hits and History. The compilation reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks.

The Official Charts Company says “Another Day” hit No. 2 in the United Kingdom and stayed on the chart for 12 weeks. On the other hand, Wingspan: Hits and History reached No. 5 in the U.K. and remained on the chart for seven weeks.

“Another Day” also impacted pop culture. According to the book Conversations with McCartney, John Lennon disliked the song. That’s why he called Paul “Just another day” in his famous diss track “How Do You Sleep?” from the album Imagine. Former Beatles manager Allen Klein suggested John use that line.

“Another Day” might not be as famous as some of Paul’s other post-Beatles songs but it shows off the singer’s voyeuristic side.