Distractions | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

‘Distractions’ is the fourth song on Paul McCartney’s eighth solo album Flowers In The Dirt. See more…

The meaning of this song is more straightforward than some of my others. I like this idea that in life, generally, we’re always distracted from what we mean to do. This song is saying that life is what happens on your way to doing other things; it’s always in transit. I couched it, as I often do, in romantic terms: ‘What is this thing in life/That persuades me to spend/Time away from you?’ But I think it’s very true, not just romantically but with millions of things. Even when you meditate, as I do, other things are pushing their way into your head. You’re lucky if you ever get round to your mantra. Your head is just swirling with butterflies and, ‘Oh, what a good idea; I’ll do that,’ and it’s very hard to just be still and let a mantra simply roll around in your head. I think that’s the value of meditation. My mind is so active that it’s good to attempt to shut out all those little things that get in your way, trying to trip you up. Otherwise, as TS Eliot wrote, you end up being ‘distracted from distraction by distraction.’