Sir Paul McCartney surprised students at a Florida college.

The event where the 72-year-old Beatles frontman appeared was kept secret from the students until the last minute.

Paul said: ''Doing this for the students was such a special buzz for me. I hope it was for them too.''

The 'Live and Let Die' hitmaker spoke to around 100 students at the Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College in Winter Park about his songwriting skills and his fame as a member of legendary band The Beatles.

When asked whether lyrics or music come to him first, he explained, ''I tell students all the time, 'Look, I don't know how to do this.' Every time I approach a song, there's no rules.

''Sometimes the music comes first, sometimes the words - and if you're lucky, it all comes together.''

Speaking about his creative chemistry with John Lennon, he added: ''I'd say, 'It's getting better all the time,' and he'd say, 'It can't get much worse. I would have never thought of that.''

The students - who had to win tickets for the event through a lottery system - were treated to a performance of 'Blackbird'.

Rollins Acting President Craig M. McAllaster commended the event, saying: ''This was a wonderful event provided through the generosity of Sir Paul McCartney.

''He wanted it to be intimate and mostly for students. That's why they filled most of the seats. It's a wonderful thing to have someone of his stature and significance give us his time and talent to Rollins College.''