The Paul McCartney Lyric That Quietly Closed Out His Most Manic Album

Freed of the pressure of leading a band, Paul McCartney decided to let his experimental flag fly in his 1980 album McCartney II. That relaxed spirit made its way into the lyrics, which occasionally revel in their silliness.

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But for the least song on the album, McCartney went back to more traditional songwriting strengths: a pretty tune and heartfelt lyrics. “One Of These Days”, a prime deep cut from his catalog, emerged from that process.

“Days” of Wonder

Paul McCartney started to grow weary of fronting a band as the 70s ended. After all, they had been fulfilling that role for the better part of two decades. Barely a year had elapsed after The Beatles announced their break when McCartney started up Wings, who carried him through the majority of the 70s.

In 1980, Paul McCartney took the opportunity to record a DIY solo album. He played all the instruments on McCartney II, including synthesizers, which provided the dominant sound of the record. Aside from the ear-candy single “Coming Up”, much of the album was given over to offbeat tracks like “Temporary Secretary” and “Bogey Music”.

McCartney did go a more familiar route for the closing track. As he explained in an interview (as quoted by Beatles Bible), an unexpected visitor caused the change in direction.

“‘One Of These Days’ all happened when a Hare Krishna bloke came round to see me,” said McCartney. “He was a nice fellow, very sort of gentle. After he left, I went to the studio, and the vibe carried through a bit. I started writing something a bit more gentle that particular day. The song seemed right as a very simple thing, and it basically just says, ‘One of these days I’ll do what I’ve been meaning to do the rest of my life.’ I think it’s something a lot of people can identify with.”

Exploring the Lyrics of “One Of These Days”

The song finds McCartney planning a kind of idyllic escape, although the title makes it clear that there’s no definite date for this excursion. When might it happen?

“One of these days / When my feet are on the ground.” Those lines suggest he’s being carried along through life as if beyond his control.

He chases simple goals, yet the sad melody implies that remain elusive: “See what’s right, see what’s there / Breathe fresh air ever after.”

As always, McCartney, when cornered, knows he can rely on his music: “When a job takes too long / I’m gonna sing my song and see.”

Note that he doesn’t quite define his goals, aside from some vague descriptions: “It’s there, it’s round / It’s to be found.”

And yet it’s clear how important it is: “It’s all we ever wanted to be.” This ideal looms large in his mind and heart. He’ll keep after it, even if he might not locate it for a while, if he ever does.

“One Of These Days” contains one of those pillowy McCartney melodies that seems simple, at least until you realize no other writers are coming up with anything quite so pretty. The song proved that he could easily go into tender ballad mode when inspired. Even while making one of his wackiest records.

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