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Released in 2018

Who Cares

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on March 27, 2021

Album This song officially appears on the Egypt Station Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 2018

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

Related articles

“Who Cares” is a track from 2018 album “Egypt Station“.  From “Words Between The Tracks” YouTube series:

With “Who Cares”, I was thinking about a song where you actually are talking to the people who may listen to it. And in my case I was imagining young fans, or young people who might hear this, and who are going through some sort of problem where they’re being picked on, being put on.

These days it would be internet bullying, trolls and all that. In my school days, it would have just been bullies and people just generally picking on each other. So I know that has happened all over the world to millions of people.

So my thing was to kind of try and help, try and help, almost kind-of give some sort of advice.

So the song says, you know: “have you ever been fed up with being bullied? Has this ever happened when people have called you names, have done mean things? Has this ever happened to you? Well, who cares. And then in a twist at the end of that chorus is like “Who cares? I do”.

Paul McCartney

I was actually thinking about Taylor Swift and her relationship to her young fans and how it’s sort of a sisterly thing. And I was imagining talking to one of these young fans and saying, ‘Have you ever been bullied? Do you get bullied? Then I say, ‘Who cares about the idiots? Who cares about all this? Who cares about you? Well… I do.’

Paul McCartney, interview with BBC

On a Twitter Q&A in September 2018, Paul explained his goal on making a song about bullying:

You talk about a lot of social issues on the album, such as bullying and global warming. What was your goal or your reasoning for these songs? They’re great.

Oh thanks! They’re subjects that interest me & the nice thing about being a songwriter is you can sometimes make a difference with a song. If you don’t lay it on too thick and become preachy then I think it can influence people’s thoughts in a good way. That’s what I hope anyway!

Paul McCartney

On this album, yeah, there was a few [songs] that I’d written a couple of years ago, ‘Who Cares’ was a couple of years ago, but most of them were kind of recentish, you know.

Paul McCartney interviewed for Sodajerkerpodcast, 2018

In December 2018, a music video for “Who Cares“ was released. The video follows a story of a woman played by Emma Stone visiting a psychiatrist played by Paul McCartney. From paulmccartney.com, December 17, 2018:

‘Who Cares’, the newest single from Paul McCartney’s #1 charting Egypt Station (Capitol Records), has been reimagined as a musical short film starring Paul and Emma Stone. Shot on 65mm Kodak Film with Panavision Cameras, ‘Who Cares’ features a message of universal positivity rendered in vivid colorful detail, an viewable exclusively at Apple Music for 24 hours.

[…] To help the song’s positive message to inspire as many people as possible to stand up to bullying and negativity, Paul has joined forces with Creative Visions, a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of media and the arts to ignite positive social change. Creative Visions has partnered not only with Paul and ‘Who Cares’ producers Subtractive Inc., but also with Facebook, Enso, Artemis Rising Foundation and the Blue Chip Foundation to launch #WhoCaresIDo, a campaign inspired by the song and film. #WhoCaresIDo hopes to reach millions, first raising awareness and engagement regarding the issues addressed by the song and film, then providing them with tools to take action through a network of experts and partners, empowering people to treat others with support and kindness.

The #WhoCaresIDo campaign draws upon the power of the song and film, as well as Creative Visions’ efforts over the last 20 years through its global network of creative activists. Creative Visions is currently building a global coalition of nonprofit partners that will create an umbrella of #WhoCaresIDo organizations and resources to bring compassion to homes, communities and workplaces. “Millions of people around the world feel silenced, subjugated–bullied– and believe that no one cares,” says Creative Visions Founder Kathy Eldon.  “Our intention with this campaign is to put the power of the song to work and inspire us to show up and care–and let others know that we do care.”

My hope is that if there are kids being bullied—and there are… Maybe by listening to this song and watching this video, they might just think it’s not as bad… that it’s the kind of thing you can just stand up to and laugh off and get through.

Paul McCartney
From NEW VIDEO: ‘Who Cares’ Starring Paul & Emma Stone | PaulMcCartney.com
Each track of “Egypt Station” has been given individual artwork that was first published on Twitter on August 14, 2018

Lyrics

Did you ever get hurt

By the words people say

And the things that they do

When they're picking on you

Did you ever get sad

By the games that they play

When they're making you feel

Like a rusty old wheel

That's been left in the rain

Who cares what the idiots say

Who cares what the idiots do

Who cares about the pain in your heart

Who cares about you, I do

'cos you're worth much more

Of that you can be sure

No need to hide

The love you've got inside

Did you ever get lost

In the heart of a crowd

And the people around

Keep on pushing you down

Is it driving you mad

And you're screaming out loud

Are you wondering who's

Going to recognise you

You're a ghost in the dark

Who cares what the idiots say

Who cares what the idiots do

Who cares about the pain in your heart

Who cares about you

Who cares what the idiots say

Who cares what the idiots do

Who cares about the pain in your heart

Who cares about you, I do

You've been left in the rain

Variations

  • A Album version
  • A1 Full length
  • L1 Live At Grand Central Station

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Who Cares”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Who Cares”

Related film

  • Who Cares

    2018 • For Paul McCartney • Directed by Brantley Gutierrez

Videos

Album Egypt Station (Limited Orange & Blue LP)

Album Egypt Station - Traveller's Edition

Album Egypt Station - Traveller's Edition

Concert Sep 07, 2018 in New York

Live performances

“Who Cares” has been played in 39 concerts and 1 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “Who Cares” has been played

See all concerts where “Who Cares” has been played

Paul McCartney writing

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Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.

Patti daoud • 6 years ago

For the thousands worldwide that have always felt'less than' this song warms the soul

Andrey Michael • 3 years ago

Who cares should be written as "Who Cares". The 'cares' should be capitalized

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