McCartney at 80

Last summer, Paul McCartney celebrated his 80th birthday. And he did it on the road. The guy is still touring, still selling out huge arenas, performing for throngs of adoring fans. He’s an icon in the music industry, a status well earned.

What crossed my mind, however, was how much of that career was front-loaded.

Yes, Paul had a handful of hits after the mid-1970s, but it’s fair to say he’d accomplished all of his landmark work by the time he’d reached the age of 34. Now he’s 80. So for well over half his life, he’s been living off approximately 13 years of work. Think about that.

All of his Beatles work. His biggest solo albums. All before he turned 34. Since 1980, he hasn’t had a single record go to #1 that wasn’t a duet with a major superstar of the time, like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Some albums have sold decently, sure, but as far as real hit power? It reached its peak with the Beatles in the 1960s and as a solo artist between 1973 and 1976.

They say mathematicians and scientists—Nobel Prize winners, notably—hit their stride and reach the top of their game in their 20s and 30s. After that, they’re mostly living off the glory days. For decades.

What about you? When do you think you hit your peak? Or have you not reached that point yet? And another question: Will we ever really know when we’ve rolled past our peak?

The other important question: How do we handle it?

Paul McCartney has nothing to apologize for. I’ve been to see his live show twice in my life, and it’s true the crowd erupts for the songs that came out in that 13-year window. Most of the newer material he performs is treated to a polite smattering of applause.

And to be sure, Paul is no dummy. He knows why we’re there. He puts out a new album roughly every two to four years, and often teams up with contemporary artists to maintain a fresh feel. (His tune with Beck, called Find My Way, is not only a great song, but has a remarkable video to complement it.)

But he’s well aware that people want Get Back. And they want Sgt. Pepper. And they most definitely want to sing the na-na-na-na-na-na-na chorus of Hey Jude. And, after more than half a century of belting them out, he gives every appearance that the old songs still bring him joy.

I suppose we all have a window of time where we’re at our peak. It’s depressing to think it may be only ten or fifteen years. For some, it may be much shorter than that. And there’s a good chance it involves things other than our creativity.

Maybe we only have a brief window where we’re truly in love. Or a short span of time when we experience optimal health. Perhaps some people only travel through ten or fifteen years with genuine curiosity about the world before falling into a life of routine.

Is our reservoir of these things finite? Like the commercials say, For a limited time only?

I spent a good part of the weekend thinking about this. My answer is yes. With a few exceptions, the supply runs out.

I know that’s not a position that sells Self-Help books, nor will it be well received by the toxic-positivity crowd. But before you howl with disagreement, let me clarify: It doesn’t mean our spirit runs out. Like Paul, we can keep “performing” with a big smile, we can continue to get up on that stage and play to our strengths.

We just need to milk everything we can out of those few years, and then, like classic rock performers, keep experimenting with new things while paying the bills with our tried-and-true skills.

So yes, you have a window where you’re at your peak, too. Don’t mope about it. Make the most of it. And let it be.

If this post resonates with you—and if you think your best years are still Here, There, and Everywhere—consider buying Dom a tea or a beer, right here.