Celebrating Sir Paul: Freedom
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86575)
United States
June 8, 2026 10:45am CST
Before I head out for some fun I’ll say happy birthday to Boz Scaggs! He turns 82 today. (Side note: his new album, Detour, is some fine jazz singing.) I’ll also remind you that it’s only ten days until Sir Paul turns 84. I love them both, but this month is devoted to celebrating McCartney’s birthday. Today’s song might tell you why it truly is a celebration.
Freedom (Paul)
This is my right, a right given by God
Well, please excuse Paul if he sounds like an American in this song. Something you may or may not know: Sir Paul was in an airplane in New York City on 9/11. He could have been one of the victims of that awful day. As it is, he watched it from his seat on the plane at JFK Airport. (A side note: his late wife Linda’s mother was also killed in a plane crash. She was on American Airlines flight 1 that crashed shortly after takeoff from JFK Airport in 1962.)
Since he had a literal front-row seat to the tragedy, he took pen in hand and wrote this song. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it echos the sentiments that every freedom-loving person in the world felt in the aftermath of 9/11, all without the “we’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way” Toby Keith approach.
May we all remember that this is our God-given right.
Freedom
Written by Paul McCartney
Recorded by Paul McCartney
From Driving Rain (Paul), 2001
We will fight for the right:
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8 people like this
8 responses
@AliCanary (4387)
•
9h
Goodness, I didn't know about this. I'll never forget that terrible day.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8h
He didn’t mention it a lot. John Hiatt wrote a song about being in NYC to promote an album the day it happened, and all he could do was write a song about it, not talk about it.
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4387)
•
6h
@FourWalls it is very hard to talk about. Took a while for me to be able to do it without choking up, and there's still no guarantee I won't if I let myself think about it too much.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8h
It’s funny how people who scream for freedom usually mean “freedom for me but not for thee.” Sadly the same with most other things.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
11h
This is a yes, and not a memorable song for me but heard it before,
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8h
That’s okay, I’m making progress that people have heard it! 
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
16h
But for some reason I just laughed at the Toby Keith line. 
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8h
I’m glad, it was intended to make people laugh.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (33873)
•
16h
I know this is off topic
And maybe given the link to 9/11 I should refrain
But why am I thinking Beastie Boys
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86575)
• United States
8h
Well, you have to fight for all your rights…and partying is one of them.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (33873)
•
8h
@FourWalls
Yes indeed
Partying is not common place here now.
Changed days
2 people like this
