Paul McCartney Would Be Glad to Exchange Stories with Fans, but No Autographs or Selfies, Please (“It Always Struck Me As a Bit Strange”)

If you should happen to find yourself in the presence of Sir Paul McCartney, feel free to engage the Beatles legend with pleasantries … but don’t expect an autograph or blurry cell phone photo to put up on your Instagram page.

In a new piece with Reader’s Digest, Macca addressed the phenomenon of the autograph, something fans behold as special treasures, proof of a personal encounter with their heroes, as not really his cup of tea:

“It always struck me as a bit strange,” he said, via Louder Sound. “‘Here, can I write your name down on the back of this till receipt please?’ Why? We both know who I am.”

While as music fans, we cherish autographs and/or photos with our favorite artists, it’s hard to argue with McCartney’s stance here. The concept of writing your name on a piece of paper does seem pretty objectively strange, if you think about it. And imagining strangers demanding you to do just that — scribble your signature on anything they may have on their person – probably gets pretty old after a while.

The Louder Sound piece also highlights McCartney’s take on the selfie, noting that he’d much rather spend brief encounters with fans having a conversation, connecting on a personal level:

“What you’ve usually got is a ropey photo with a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable. Let’s chat, let’s exchange stories.”

So yeah, the next time you find yourself face-to-face with Paul McCartney (imagine that!), now you know what not to do.

The same goes for Paul’s pal, Ringo Starr, by the way. Back in 2008, he issued a video message to fans “warning you with peace and love” to cease sending any fan mail, promising that it would not be signed. No more!