A self-taught musician, McCartney is proficient on bass, guitar, keyboards, and drums. He is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing (mainly playing with a plectrum), his versatile and wide tenor vocal range (spanning over four octaves), and his eclecticism (exploring styles ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical and electronica). McCartney began his career as a member of the Quarrymen in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Starting with the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he gradually became the Beatles' de facto leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. His Beatles songs "And I Love Her" (1964), "Yesterday" (1965), "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and "Blackbird" (1968) rank among the most covered songs in history.
In 1970, McCartney debuted as a solo artist with the album McCartney. Throughout the 1970s, he led Wings, one of the most successful bands of the decade, with more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums. McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980. Since 1989, he has toured consistently as a solo artist. In 1993, he formed the music duo the Fireman with Youth of Killing Joke. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009, had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His honours include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.
Best known for primarily using a plectrum or pick, McCartney occasionally plays fingerstyle. He was strongly influenced by Motown artists, in particular James Jamerson, whom McCartney called a hero for his melodic style. He was also influenced by Brian Wilson, as he commented: "because he went to very unusual places". Another favourite bassist of his is Stanley Clarke. McCartney's skill as a bass player has been acknowledged by bassists including Sting, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC.
During McCartney's early years with the Beatles, he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass, although from 1965, he favoured his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. While typically using Vox amplifiers, by 1967, he had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he used a Wal 5-String, which he said made him play more thick-sounding basslines, in contrast to the much lighter Höfner, which inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style. He changed back to the Höfner around 1990 for that reason. He uses Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers while performing live.
McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and again as a solo artist in 1999. In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records recognised McCartney as the "most honored composer and performer in music", with 60 gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of the Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the "most successful song writer", he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978. In 2009, Guinness World Records again recognised McCartney as the "most successful songwriter" having written or co-written 188 charted records in the United Kingdom, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 made it to number one.
McCartney has written, or co-written, 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: twenty with the Beatles; seven solo or with Wings; one as a co-writer of "A World Without Love", a number-one single for Peter and Gordon; one as a co-writer on Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"; one as a co-writer on Stars on 45's "Medley"; one as a co-writer with Michael Jackson on "Say Say Say"; and one as writer on "Ebony and Ivory" performed with Stevie Wonder. As of 2009, he has 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States as a solo artist plus another 10 million with Wings.
Credited with more number ones in the UK than any other artist, McCartney has participated in twenty-four chart topping singles: seventeen with the Beatles, one solo, and one each with Wings, Stevie Wonder, Ferry Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and "The Christians et al." He is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Wonder), trio ("Mull of Kintyre", Wings), quartet ("She Loves You", the Beatles), quintet ("Get Back", the Beatles with Billy Preston) and as part of a musical ensemble for charity (Ferry Aid).
"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,200 recorded versions, and according to the BBC, "the track is the only one by a UK writer to have been aired more than seven million times on American TV and radio and is third in the all-time list ... [and] is the most played song by a British writer [last] century in the US". His 1968 Beatles composition "Hey Jude" achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks, which is longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest single released by the band and, at seven minutes eleven seconds, was at that time the longest number one. "Hey Jude" is the best-selling Beatles single, achieving sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In July 2005, McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history. Available within forty-five minutes of its recording, hours later it had achieved number one on the UK Official Download Chart.
In December 2020, the release of his album McCartney III and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
2. Listen To What The Man Said
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can hear the people say
That love is blind
Well, I don't know but I say love is kind
Do do do, do do do do do
Do do do, do do do do do
Leaves behind a tragic world
But he won't mind, he's in love
And he says love is fine
Do do do, do do do do do
Do do do, do do do do do
Oh yes, indeed we know
That people will find a way to go
No matter what the man said
And love is fine for all we know
For all we know, our love will grow
That's what the man said
So won't you listen to what the man said
He said
Ah, take it away
Oh yes, indeed we know
That people will find a way to go
No matter what the man said
And love is fine for all we know
For all we know, our love will grow
That's what the man said
So won't you listen to what the man said
He said
Oh yes, indeed we know
That people will find a way to go
No matter what the man said
And love is fine for all we know
For all we know, our love will grow
That's what the man said
So won't you listen to what the man said
He said
The wonder of it all baby
The wonder of it all baby
The wonder of it all baby, yeah yeah yeah
The lyrics of Paul McCartney & Wings's song "Listen to What the Man Said" are about the power of love and how people will always find a way to pursue it, regardless of what others may say. McCartney acknowledges that people often say that love is blind, but he disagrees and states that love is kind. The song tells the story of a soldier who leaves behind a tragic world to be with the woman he loves. The soldier is unafraid of the future because he believes that love will prevail. McCartney reinforces this idea with the chorus, which proclaims that people will always find a way to go, despite what the man said, and that love is fine, and for all we know, our love will grow.
The song reflects McCartney's belief in the power of love, and his desire to spread that message. He believes that people should be free to pursue love and that love has the power to transform lives. McCartney's use of catchy melodies and upbeat rhythms highlights the optimism and positivity of the song's message. Overall, the lyrics suggest that we should trust in love and believe that it will lead us to a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Any time, any day
Love can come at any time or any day.
You can hear the people say
People talk about love all the time.
That love is blind
Some people believe that love blinds you to reality.
Well, I don't know but I say love is kind
On the other hand, I think love is gentle and compassionate.
Soldier boy kisses girl
This line refers to a romantic encounter between a soldier and a girl.
Leaves behind a tragic world
The soldier is leaving a world of tragedy, perhaps going to war.
But he won't mind, he's in love
Despite the tragedy, the soldier is happy because he's in love.
And he says love is fine
The soldier believes that love is great and everything is going to be okay.
Oh yes, indeed we know
We all know or understand this already.
That people will find a way to go
People will always find a way to continue living or loving despite the circumstances.
No matter what the man said
Regardless of what people or society may say about love, it persists.
And love is fine for all we know
We can't be sure of everything, but we can be sure that love is good for us.
For all we know, our love will grow
There is still a lot to be discovered about love, and our love will continue to grow and change over time.
That's what the man said
The man suggests that we should cherish love and allow it to flourish.
So won't you listen to what the man said
We should listen to this advice and follow it.
The wonder of it all baby
Love is truly wondrous and amazing.
The wonder of it all baby
We can't help but marvel at the beauty and power of love.
The wonder of it all baby, yeah yeah yeah
The beauty and power of love is truly something worth celebrating.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffhintz7733
Summer 1975 was awesome! It was a great time to be a 10-year-old kid, hanging out at the public neighborhood pool every day, fishing, camping, biking... just plain blissful times to be enjoyed with little a care in the world! Life was still simple then too, times will never again be like that. This song was definitely a top hit then, and brings the great memories flooding back!
@overseas_demogod
I was around 6 years old, Bismarck, ND. I missed the first day of school following the garbage truck around the neighborhood. They had a radio on the back of the truck and it just drew me in. No amber alert, just a mother out to gather her wayward child.
@jeffhintz7733
Yes, the Dakotas were and probably still are more laid-back and care-free places to live; I lived in Rapid City, SD for several years and just loved it-- the way life is SUPPOSED to be!
@samkane3099
Wish I was a teenager in 70s America, seems like everyone just hung out with eachother all day and made the most of every day
@Johnnywhamo
Indeed, I was 11 in 75 and this was my exact life as well. This era of Wings reminds me of Summer Camp and I LOVED summer camp.
@mikechrisman2076
I was 13
@louisrios5546
In the studio, saxophonist Tom Scott listened to the song for the first time and started playing along to get familiar with it. And that was the take they used. Amazing.
@joaorobertosousa1811
Thank you.
@stevehenry9826
Ya great Sax solo!!
@brianbiechele1908
Nice info. I like it.