Sticking Out of My Back Pocket: Birdwatching

We’re returning to nature this month with a playlist that celebrates one of the longest-running threads in Paul’s songwriting: a love of birds that has been tucked into his music since the 'Early Days'.

This new edition of ‘Sticking Out of My Back Pocket’ takes flight from Paul’s childhood memories of birdwatching on the edge of Liverpool. As Paul recalled when we asked him in a previous ‘You Gave Me the Answer’.

Paul: Birdwatching started in Liverpool, my mum had the midwife’s house on the edge of Liverpool, where we lived. It was where Liverpool just stopped and then became deep countryside, so that was when I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of birdwatching. And now because I live part time on a farm, I’m able to see a lot of birds and I don’t need the Observer’s Book of Birds quite so much as I did back then.

From those childhood skylarks to the birds he sees on the farm today, this lifelong fascination has shaped songs across every era: from the timeless ‘Blackbird’ to ‘Single Pigeon’, the delicate ‘Jenny Wren’, McCartney III’s 'Long Tailed Winter Bird’, and even the namesake of Paul’s band, Wings.

Paul has also spoken about the symbolism behind these recurring feathered characters. As he explained:

Paul: That really happens because from an early age, I’ve loved birds. I grew up on a housing estate in Liverpool in very ordinary circumstances – but nearby where I lived there were woods and fields, so I used to get out there and always loved it when I saw birds, or their nests, etc. I think one of the most memorable sights was seeing a skylark rising into the sky and singing its sweet song. So, the answer is: I love birds! But, in my songs, they sometimes turn into symbolic characters. There you go!

This playlist brings together those moments; the deep cuts, the classics, and the tracks that reveal just how often birds have perched in Paul’s creative world. It’s a celebration of nature, memory, and the way a simple childhood hobby can soar through a lifetime of music.

Check out the latest edition of the ‘Sticking Out of My Back Pocket’ playlist on Spotify, and don’t forget to explore past editions for even more musical discoveries.