Who Cares

Album: Egypt Station (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Who Cares" finds Paul McCartney dwelling on internet bullying. It originated when he was thinking about writing a song that actually talks to his younger listeners.

    Who cares what the idiots say
    Who cares what the idiots do
    Who cares about the pain in your heart?
    Who cares about you?
    I do


    McCartney explained in a YouTube video: "I was imagining young fans, or young people generally, who might be going through being picked on or being put down. These days it would be internet bullying, trolls and all that. I know it happens all over the world to millions of people so my thing was to try to give advice."
  • The song was inspired by Taylor Swift's close relationship with her young fans. "I was actually thinking about Taylor Swift and her relationship to her young fans and how it's sort of a sisterly thing," McCartney told the BBC. "And I was imagining talking to one of these young fans and saying, 'Have you ever been bullied? Do you get bullied?'"

    "Then I say, 'Who cares about the idiots? Who cares about all this? Who cares about you? Well… I do.'"
  • The anti-bullying video was shot on 65mm Kodak Film with Panavision Cameras - very old-school in the age of digital video. The clip features Actress Emma Stone of La La Land fame, while Paul McCartney plays her "behavioral hypnotist meteorologist." Co-directed by Macca's frequent tour photographer Brantley Gutierrez and veteran choreographer Ryan Heffington, the surreal clip sees the two stars being harassed by mime-like dancers.

    "My hope is that if there are kids being bullied, and there are, maybe by listening to this song and watching this video, they might just think it's not as bad," said McCartney of the mini film. "That it's the kind of thing you can just stand up to and laugh off and get through."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.