Paul McCartney Says He Didn’t Experience Synaesthesia With Any Of The Beatles Songs

The Beatles bassist Paul McCartney joined an interview with PaulMcCartney.com and revealed that he didn’t have any moment of synaesthesia while listening to the band’s works. McCartney recalled when he experienced it as a child by sharing details about these moments.

Synaesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon that enables people to experience unrelated sensations while stimulating one sensory modality. The most known version of this sensation is hearing a sound and feeling its taste without eating anything. However, it’s a different and personal experience for people, and it has lots of types; sometimes, they can see colors in words or think that sounds and notes have colors for them.

In addition, there’s no doubt that artists who generally have a unique perspective on life and other people tend to come across this phenomenon. Worldwide known pianist Billy Joel, singer and producer Dev Hynes, Pharrell Williams, Duke Ellington, and many more were among the musicians that saw a sound or a letter in their lyrics as a color. Then, most people wondered whether it happened to McCartney or not.

Paul McCartney responded to the question, saying he didn’t experience synesthesia with The Beatles’ iconic songs or any other song. The bassist highlighted that music didn’t have a triggering effect on him, so McCartney didn’t see colors or shapes in notes or sounds like the other musicians.

McCartney said in his interview that:

“I don’t think so with music. In fact, I’ve never thought about that before. Ever since I was a kid, though, I’ve seen the days of the week as different colors. I don’t know if that’s the same thing, as it’s just a little mind game I play? When I was a kid, the days of the week corresponded to things that happened in my life. Monday was going back to school after the weekend, so that was black! Friday was the weekend arriving, so that was red and getting jollier.

Saturday was orange. Tuesday was the day my Auntie Jin and Auntie Milly used to come around and help in the house. After my mum died, there were just three boys in the house, and we were pretty hopeless at keeping it clean. So, it was very joyful to have the Aunties come over, so in my mind, Tuesday’s yellow. I don’t think it happens with songs so much; I usually think different stuff.”

Furthermore, The Beatles icon added that since childhood, he had seen the days as colors that changed from his moods or daily routines. Monday was black due to school, Tuesday was yellow thanks to his aunties that came to help them in the house, and orange was Friday’s color because he was closer to the weekend.