# Paul McCartney wrote an anthem after 9/11. He now won’t play it live because the message has been “hijacked”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/paul-mccartney-wrote-an-anthem-after-9-11-he-now-wont-play-it-live-because-the-message-has-been-hijacked/
- Published: 2026-11-05T16:23:26+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T21:58:09+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/song-paul-mccartney-refuses-to-perform-anymore/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- McCartney wrote “Freedom” after the 9/11 attacks.
- The song premiered at a New York benefit concert.
- He stopped performing it after its message was hijacked.

## Summary

Paul McCartney wrote “Freedom” after witnessing the 11 September attacks in New York, intending it as an uplifting song for Americans. Its message later became associated with a more forceful form of patriotism, and McCartney has said he no longer performs it live because that meaning was “hijacked”.

He first performed the song at the Concert for New York City on 20 October 2001, a benefit that raised $35 million. McCartney insisted it be added to his already completed album *Driving Rain* as an unlisted final track. The article links his later reluctance to perform it to the way patriotic feeling was used to support the US government’s wars and discourage dissent.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.