10 Inspiring Quotes from Paul McCartney, the Musical Genius Who Changed Pop Culture Forever

There's a place in everyone's heart for The Beatles, the British band that reshaped not only music but pop culture forever. From "Eleanor Rigby" to "Let It Be," the hundreds of songs that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr produced have had a lasting effect on history and modern culture. And McCartney's solo career has been just as impressive.
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While some of the band members' stories ended in tragedy and others fizzled out, McCartney continued to stay in the public eye as both a musician and a public figure. Beyond creating his own musical career outside the group, McCartney made considerable non-musical contributions to society, too. From being knighted and receiving the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to becoming an honorary NYPD detective for his investigative efforts after 9/11, McCartney has impacted the world through music as well as charity.
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With 18 Grammy awards (not to mention 78 nominations), the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize, a Kennedy Center Honors and a Legion of Honors from former French president Francois Hollande, McCartney's list of both musical and non-musical awards goes on.
To learn more from the world-renowned musician, public figure and humanitarian, check out these 10 quotes from Paul McCartney.
On being yourself

On criticism

On passion

"Why would I retire? Sit at home and watch TV? No thanks. I'd rather be out playing." -- Paul McCartney
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On creativity

On perseverance

On hard work

On mindset

"I am the eternal optimist. No matter how rough it gets, there's always light somewhere. The rest of the sky may be cloudy, but that little bit of blue draws me on." -- Paul McCartney
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On making mistakes

"When we first started out, I was terrified of doing anything wrong onstage. I got to learn, though, that people don't mind. In fact, they kind of like it." -- Paul McCartney
On being unique

On motivation
