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.
3 Legs
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my horse upon the hill (when I walk the horse upon a hill)
Well when I walk, walk walk walk
On my horse upon the hill (when I walk the horse upon a hill)
And I lay me down
Will my lover love me still
A dog is here, (a dog is here), a dog is there (a dog is there)
But he can't run
Well when I thought, well I thought
When I thought you was my friend (when I thought I could call you my friend)
When I thought, when I thought
When I thought you was my friend (when I thought I could call you my friend)
But you let me down, put my heart around the bend
A fly flies in (a fly flies in), a fly flies out (a fly flies out)
Most flies they got three legs, but mine got one
Well when I fly when I fly when I fly,when I fly above the cloud
(When I fly above the man in the crowd)
Well when I fly when I fly when I fly,when I fly above the crowd
(When I fly above the man in the crowd)
You can knock me down with a feather, yes you could
But you know it's not allowed (but you know it's not allowed)
A dog is here, (a dog is here), a dog is there (a dog is there)
My dog he got three leg
But he can't run
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
The song "3 Legs" is a quirky track from Paul McCartney's 1971 album "Ram". The song's lyrics seem to have a nonsensical quality at first glance, but as with most of McCartney's work, there are deeper meanings behind the words.
The song opens with McCartney walking on a horse on a hill, and questioning whether his lover will still love him when he lies down. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for his unsteady relationship with his wife Linda at the time. He then goes on to talk about his three-legged dog, who can't run properly, and compares it to how some people are unable to fully function in life due to their limitations. McCartney then talks about a fly with only one leg, which is also a metaphor for not being able to live a complete life.
In the latter part of the song, McCartney talks about flying above the crowd and how he can be knocked down with a feather, but he knows it's not allowed. This could be interpreted as a commentary on fame and how he feels vulnerable to criticism despite his success. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, where McCartney emphasizes that his dog has three legs while comparing it to other dogs that have none.
Line by Line Meaning
Well when I walk, when I walk
On my horse upon the hill
When I take a walk, I lead my horse uphill
And I lay me down
Will my lover love me still
I wonder if my lover will still love me if I rest for a while
A dog is here, (a dog is here), a dog is there (a dog is there)
My dog he got three legs
But he can't run
Dogs are everywhere; mine has three legs but can't run
Well when I thought, well I thought
When I thought you was my friend
I believed you were my friend
But you let me down, put my heart around the bend
You betrayed me and broke my heart
A fly flies in (a fly flies in), a fly flies out (a fly flies out)
Most flies they got three legs, but mine got one
A fly enters and exits the scene; most have three legs, but this one has only one
Well when I fly when I fly when I fly,when I fly above the cloud
(When I fly above the man in the crowd)
As I soar through the clouds, I rise above the common people below
You can knock me down with a feather, yes you could
But you know it's not allowed
You could easily surprise or shock me, but you know it's not acceptable
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
My dog has three legs while yours has none
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
My dog has three legs while yours has none
My dog he got three leg
Your dog he got none
My dog has three legs while yours has none
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bernardoni97
I really appreciate how Paul and Linda lived at 70's, including photos (she was a great photographer), all the interviews and music. So down to earth! RAM is a masterpiece! <3
@carlosg5633
Love you Paul...from México City..
@sandrasilvinamagno2653
Dear sir , thanks for all You gave us. My name Sandra, I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I went to see You every time You came to Argentina. I want to thank You for your respect to your fans. Every time You appear in scene, it was the beginning of a magical night and a tour around our history through your músic.
I hope your'e ok. That your healthy. With all my inocent loving for all You gave me through all these years. Thank you for all
@paulmccartney3683
Hello Thanks for your comment and supports has brought this far. Keep supporting Please send me a mail
via.paulmccartney979@gmail.com
@paulmccartney3683
@Carlos G Thank you!!
@paulmccartney3683
@sandra silvina magno Hello Thanks for your comment and supports has brought this far. Keep supporting Please send me a mail
via.paulmccartney979@gmail.com
@velvitjonze
Linda’s contribution on RAM is just brilliant. I love all her vocal lines - especially on Long Haired Lady. She was cruelly underrated
@alphabetsoup1557
Linda's voice was an huge part of the sound of that album even though she was not a good singer.
@seltaeb3302
Not cruelly. She wasn't bothered & she's a strong & determined lady. Paul's never been the same since
@seltaeb3302
@alpha betsoup disagree. Go to Paul's Linda YouTube site & listen to HER songs.