“An ego-satisfaction”: how money changed The Beatles
As ruddy-faced 20-somethings running riot in the streets of Liverpool, money was inevitably tight, and dreams of stardom were paper-thin. Before their career completely took off, the Fab Four had only ever experienced a modest, working-class way of living, one that certainly didn’t include first-class flights or sunning in the French Riviera. The Beatles went from playing half-empty local gigs to becoming international successes, and by the time the mid-1960s had come knocking, they were already multi-millionaires.
During an interview with the International Times in 1967, Paul McCartney was propositioned with the idea that the materialistic side of humanity had developed more so than anything else. Taped during an afternoon’s conversation at Paul’s house, he discussed spiritual matters, drugs, electronic music, and, more importantly, money and fame.
As a highly successful musician riding the initial wave of celebrity, he shared his thoughts as a wide-eyed 24-year-old, commenting: “The drag about this is that everybody has realised there aren’t such things as ghosts, there isn’t such a thing as God, and there is no such thing as a soul, and when you die you die. Which is great; it’s fine; it’s a brave thought, really. The only trouble is that you don’t have the bit that you did when you were a kid of innocently accepting things.”
McCartney made it clear that the 1960s was a time when sections of society should have made an effort to refrain from judgment, to not dismiss something that they don’t understand, and instead look on with curiosity. He said: “For instance, if a film comes on that’s superimposed and doesn’t seem to mean anything, immediately it’s weird or it’s strange or it’s a bit funny, to most people, and they tend to laugh at it. The immediate reaction would be a laugh. And that’s wrong. That’s the first mistake, and that’s the big mistake that everyone makes, to immediately discount anything that they don’t understand, they’re not sure of, and to say, ‘Well, of course, we’ll never know about that.’”
The musician recalled how lucky he was to have his childhood ambitions achieved, but expressed how these ambitions can sometimes peak too early, causing you to face an unfounded level of boredom. He soon felt that material wealth alone could not provide lasting meaning, causing fame to leave you, rather ominously, “standing on the plank”. Pondering further, he explained how money and fame can reach a metaphorical dead end, causing you to look over your shoulder and ask what’s next.
“We’ve all got the big house and big car and everything. So then, you stand on the plank, having reached the end of space, and you look across the wall, and there’s more space. And that’s it. You get your car and house and your fame and your worldwide ego-satisfaction, then you just look over the wall, and there’s a completely different scene there, that it really is and which is really the scene,” he said.
“And looking back, obviously, you can still see everybody in the world trying to do what you’ve just done, and that is what they believe life’s about. And they’re right because that is what life’s about for them.“
For John, George, and Ringo, the “scene on the other side of the wall” created a deeper search for other means of fulfilment. Perhaps most profoundly, George Harrison sought enlightenment through Eastern spirituality, forging a relationship with spiritual guide Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and exploring Indian music and meditation. John Lennon’s journey took on a fiercely political direction through various protests and acts of performance art that resonated across the globe, like the infamous “bed-ins” with Yoko Ono.
Meanwhile, Ringo Starr’s advocacy for peace and love became his personal mantra, a message that still defines him today. McCartney however never took it upon himself to go on a similar adventure. Instead, he continued to pour everything he had into other musical ventures, including a solo career and the band Wings alongside his wife, Linda.
In this telling interview, he also reflects on his time as an ‘anonymous’ member of the public fighting for his dream and how others are striving for the same with a naïve, rose-tinted vision. He added: “But I could tell a few people who are further down on the rung, trying to do exactly what I’ve just done… that’s completely the wrong way to do it because you’re not taking into account this scene on the other side of the wall. This is the bit you’ve also got to take into account. And then that bit will be easier; it’ll all be easier then.”
Rightly or wrongly, The Beatles entered different realms of “ego-satisfaction”, whether through wealth, spirituality, or activism, all encountering and battling the emptiness that such levels of fame can bring. Now with an alleged mammoth net worth of over $1billion, McCartney remains one of the wealthiest musicians in history, yet still acknowledges that no amount of fame or fortune can fill the spaces that only music, personal freedom, and a life purposefully lived can reach.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.