Sir Paul McCartney is uncomfortable but “thankful” for his icon status.

The former Beatle has enjoyed a career in the music industry spanning over five decades and is as popular as ever.

But in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, the 69-year-old revealed that he is just a simple man from England and doesn’t see himself as others do.

“That feels strange. You know, deep inside I’m still the boy from Liverpool,” he said of being called an icon.

“But if people value me this way I can’t just say, ‘British icon? No thanks! I don’t want to be an icon!’ Even if that’s true. I think about it this way: it’s their way of telling me that I did good. So I have to accept it and be thankful.”

And 55 years after meeting his legendary partner John Lennon and starting his musical career, Paul still gets excited about being on stage.

“What should I say? It doesn’t stop being fun for me!” he revealed. “Last year in my tour in South America the people were absolutely fascinated – that was the best thing I ever saw! When I go on stage and am welcomed that happily it’s really hard for me to just stop.”

Paul has no intention of giving up performing any time soon.

“I’ll keep on going as long as people want to see me. I always end every concert with the sentence: ‘See you next time,’ and I mean it,” he confirmed.