There’s a quiet intimacy to “When Winter Comes” that makes it feel less like a polished studio track and more like a glimpse into Paul McCartney’s private notebook. Written and recorded in the early 1990s with George Martin, but released decades later on McCartney III (2020), it carries the kind of timeless simplicity that has always been at the heart of Paul’s best songs.
Built around nothing more than his acoustic guitar and voice, the song is stripped to its essence. Yet within its modest frame, McCartney paints a vivid picture of rural life — mending fences, caring for animals, preparing for the cold months ahead. At first, these details may seem small, almost ordinary, but in his hands they become symbolic. They speak to responsibility, love, and the rituals of care that sustain life, whether on a farm, in a family, or in the heart.
McCartney’s voice, softened by age but rich with warmth, adds an extra layer of poignancy. He doesn’t sing with the fire of youth here; he sings with the gentleness of someone who has lived long enough to see the seasons turn many times. The effect is deeply moving: the song feels like a letter from an older friend reminding you that life’s beauty lies not in grandeur, but in the small, sustaining acts of love.
The title itself, “When Winter Comes,” resonates beyond its literal meaning. Winter becomes a metaphor — for hardship, for aging, for the inevitable passing of time. Yet Paul doesn’t approach it with fear. Instead, he meets it with quiet strength, preparing, caring, and finding peace in the knowledge that love and duty can carry us through the coldest seasons.
What makes the song remarkable is its humility. There are no soaring choruses, no elaborate production — just one man, his guitar, and a handful of truths. And perhaps that is why it feels so powerful: it distills McCartney’s lifelong gift for melody and storytelling into its purest form.
In the end, “When Winter Comes” is more than just a late-career track. It is Paul McCartney, at 78, giving us a parting gift of wisdom: a reminder that love is found not only in passion and romance, but in care, in presence, and in the simple acts that keep life moving forward.
Paul McCartney – When Winter Comes