Paul McCartney surprised tiny Rollins College last week with an impromptu appearance at the Florida school, where he talked about his songwriting secrets.
Sir Paul's event was not officially announced until the day of, Oct. 23, and demand for student tickets was so high the school had to implement a lottery system, according to Rolling Stone.
Over the course of the night's talk, McCartney played "Blackbird" and shared several stories from the glory days.
"I'd say, 'It's getting better all the time,' and he'd say, 'It can't get much worse,'" McCartney said, referring to John Lennon and the tune "Getting Better." "I would have never thought of that."
McCartney admitted he does not use a set process to write songs.
"I tell students all the time, 'Look, I don't know how to do this,'" he said before mentioning that 'Yesterday' came to him in his sleep. "Every time I approach a song, there's no rules. Sometimes the music comes first, sometimes the words —and, if you're lucky, it all comes together."
He also talked about being a 1960s craze in the States.
"At the beginning of the Beatles," he said, "you've got to remember, we were a boy band. ... It was all really fan-oriented. It's not a bad thing, but after a while you felt like you wanted to move on."
Rollins President Craig M. McAllaster was obviously happy with the night.
"This was a wonderful event provided through the generosity of Sir Paul McCartney," he said. "He wanted it to be intimate and mostly for students. That's why they filled most of the seats. It's a wonderful thing to have someone of his stature and significance give his time and talent to Rollins College."
And the students loved it, too.
"When I found out Sir Paul McCartney was coming here, I cried," Shantell Mitchell,18, said. "My mom and I have a very strong love for him. Plus, my dad is 79, so I'm pretty well-versed in the age of music he grew up in."
