Idris Elba fawns over old man....

[timebug]

Telly must have been fucking grim that night, but to avoid footie/wimbledon/athletics/horse racing etc*, I watched an 'exclusive interview' where Idris Elba talked (fawned over) an old bloke who used to be Paul McCartney. Now Mr Macca is well famous for giving non-interviews,where he talks a lot, but says nothing. And if Idris could have crawled any further up the old blokes arse, I
cannot imagine what that would have been like.
And suddenly the song 'Blackbird' is all about the plight of black people being discriminated against? Time to get back to 'acting' for Mr Elba, and time to go and grow sheep on your farm,Macca. Jesus, my brain still hurts remembering this train crash!


* I am not a sports fan. Of ANY sport. So save the witty replies calling me names and saying 'but what about....' because I am not interested in sport. ANY sport. Nuff said.

[Thomas]

I agree that Paul McCartney is old, but, to be fair, he has gone on record (chortle) about the meaning of Blackbird -

In May 2002, following a show in Dallas, Texas, McCartney discussed the song with KCRW DJ Chris Douridas, saying:

I had been doing some [poetry readings] in the last year or so because I've got a poetry book out called Blackbird Singing, and when I would read "Blackbird", I would always try and think of some explanation to tell the people ... So, I was doing explanations, and I actually just remembered why I'd written "Blackbird", you know, that I'd been, I was in Scotland playing on my guitar, and I remembered this whole idea of "you were only waiting for this moment to arise" was about, you know, the black people's struggle in the southern states, and I was using the symbolism of a blackbird. It's not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it's a bit more symbolic.

In 2018, McCartney further elaborated on the song's meaning, explaining that "blackbird" should be interpreted as "black girl", in the context of the civil rights troubles in southern 1960s US.

Writing in the 1990s, Ian MacDonald dismissed the idea that "Blackbird" was intended as "a metaphor for the black civil rights struggle" [...] However, during an informal rehearsal at EMI Studios on 22 November 1968, before he and Donovan took part in a Mary Hopkin recording session, McCartney played "Blackbird", telling Donovan that he wrote it after having "read something in the paper about the riots" and that he meant the black "bird" to symbolise a black woman.

- which I didn't know about until today!

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Yup, that 1968 studio chat with Donovan proves that Blackbird was definitely written in support of the Civil Rights movement. He didn't just pluck that explanation out of his arse decades later.

[timebug]

Fair comments re 'Blackbird' but I had never come across that info before! Still found the interview tedious though. Too reverential on Elbas part and too smug by half on McCartneys. Still, each to their own.

[touchingcloth]

That program was on a few months back, maybe even pre-COVID. Do I misremember or did Idris whip a guitar out at some point?

[Glebe]

After the interview, McCartney put the kettle on and - "Boosh!" another box set binge!

[C_Larence]

That program was on a few months back, maybe even pre-COVID. Do I misremember or did Idris whip a guitar out at some point?

Was during covid (idris elba is one of the first public figures who caught it iirc) and yes he got a guitar out, played a few basic chords and asked Macca if he knew what they were without looking.

[touchingcloth]

Was during covid (idris elba is one of the first public figures who caught it iirc) and yes he got a guitar out, played a few basic chords and asked Macca if he knew what they were without looking.

God, that's right. Absolutely painful.

[gilbertharding]

That program was on a few months back, maybe even pre-COVID. Do I misremember or did Idris whip a guitar out at some point?

It was actually broadcast on the last Saturday night before Christmas, IIRC - straight after the Strictly final, which was delayed because the Prime Minister had just announced that everyone who might have been planning to travel or see their families would have to stay at home on their own.

I watched it right up until Idris got his guitar out.

Music Journalist twitter was agog.

Adam Buxton's recent podcast with Sir Thumbsaloft was proof that a nice interview with the man could have been well worthwhile.

[Mister Six]

Time to get back to 'acting' for Mr Elba

Ah, c'mon, he appears in some absolute shite, but when he's on form he's an excellent actor, no sarcastic quote marks needed.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

But what about ice hockey?