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.
8. Another Day
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wraps a towel around her as she's heading for the bedroom chair
It's just another day
Slipping into stockings, stepping into shoes
Dipping in the pocket of her raincoat
It's just another day
At the office where the papers grow she takes a break
Drinks another coffe and she finds it hard to stay awake
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
So sad, so sad
Sometimes she feels so sad
Alone in her apartment she'd dwell
Till the man of her dreams come to break the spell
Ah, stay, don't stand her up
And he comes and he stays but he leaves the next day
So sad
Sometimes she feels so sad
As she posts another letter to the sound of five
People gather 'round her and she finds it hard to stay alive
It's just another day
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
So sad, so sad
Sometimes she feels so sad
Alone in her apartment she'd dwell
Till the man of her dreams come to break the spell
Ah, stay, don't stand her up
And he comes and he stays but he leaves the next day
So sad
Sometimes she feels so sad
Every day she takes a morning bath she wets her hair
Wraps a towel around her as she's heading for the bedroom chair
It's just another day
Slipping into stockings, stepping into shoes
Dipping in the pocket of her raincoat
It's just another day
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
"Another Day" by Paul McCartney is a song about the mundane routines of day-to-day life, specifically focusing on a woman's daily routine. The song begins with the woman taking a morning bath and getting dressed for work. She heads to the office, where she labors over stacks of papers and drinks coffee to stay awake. Throughout the song, the chorus repeats the notion that it's just another day, emphasizing the monotony of the woman's life. Despite this, the woman holds out hope for a more exciting life and a romantic partner who will break her spell of loneliness. However, the man who comes to her leaves her feeling even sadder, emphasizing the emptiness of her existence.
The song also touches on humanity's constant search for something more than what we currently have. The woman in the song represents the masses of people who cling to routine but find themselves searching for a deeper meaning in their lives. McCartney emphasizes this universal struggle with the repeated line "So sad, so sad, sometimes she feels so sad."
Line by Line Meaning
Every day she takes a morning bath she wets her hair
The woman in the song starts her day by taking a bath and wetting her hair.
Wraps a towel around her as she's heading for the bedroom chair
She wraps a towel around her body as she heads towards her bedroom.
It's just another day
This is a day like any other day for the woman.
Slipping into stockings, stepping into shoes
After taking her bath and getting dressed, she puts on her stockings and shoes.
Dipping in the pocket of her raincoat
She reaches into the pocket of her raincoat to retrieve something.
It's just another day
Again, this day is no different than any other day for the woman.
At the office where the papers grow she takes a break
The woman takes a break from work at her office where there are plenty of papers to attend to.
Drinks another coffe and she finds it hard to stay awake
She drinks yet another cup of coffee, but she still struggles to stay alert.
It's just another day
Once again, this is just another mundane day for her.
So sad, so sad
The woman often feels unhappy and lonely.
Sometimes she feels so sad
Occasionally, the woman feels really depressed.
Alone in her apartment she'd dwell
When she is alone in her apartment, she is lost in thought.
Till the man of her dreams come to break the spell
She believes that the man of her dreams will free her from her spell of sadness.
Ah, stay, don't stand her up
She pleads with the man not to leave her standing alone.
And he comes and he stays but he leaves the next day
The man comes and stays with her for a bit, but his visit is always brief.
As she posts another letter to the sound of five
She sends another letter, accompanied by the sound of a clock striking five.
People gather 'round her and she finds it hard to stay alive
People surround her, making it hard for her to cope with her sadness.
It's just another day
Despite the overwhelming sadness and loneliness, it is still just another day for the woman.
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
The woman accepts her mundane life, continuing to do what she needs to do day in and day out.
Do do do do do do, it's just another day
The chorus line reinforces that this is just another day for the woman to get through, despite the emotional pain she feels.
So sad, so sad
Again, the woman is often overcome by her sadness.
Sometimes she feels so sad
Sometimes, she feels really down and has a hard time pulling herself back up.
Alone in her apartment she'd dwell
The woman often spends too much time alone in her apartment, lost in her own thoughts.
Till the man of her dreams come to break the spell
Despite lingering sadness, she believes that the right man will come and change her life for the better.
Ah, stay, don't stand her up
She begs the man not to leave her standing alone.
And he comes and he stays but he leaves the next day
The man of her dreams does come but always seems to leave her after spending only a short time with her.
So sad
The repetition of this one-line chorus amplifies the sadness that the woman feels every day.
Sometimes she feels so sad
The woman often feels really low and has trouble coping with life's difficulties.
Every day she takes a morning bath she wets her hair
The song comes full circle, repeating the first stanza to reinforce the idea that every day is the same for the woman, even though she struggles with a great deal of sadness.
Wraps a towel around her as she's heading for the bedroom chair
Similarly, she wraps herself in a towel as she heads to her bedroom, ready to start another day...just like always.
It's just another day
The last line of the song reminds the listener one more time that each day is like the one that came before, with very little change or hope of change for the future.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, NEIL INNES, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@billmay7364
Back in the Day.
1971.
I had a Paper Route.
After my Route I went into the Store
And bought my first 45.
My Mom worked in the record Dept.
Paul McCartney Another Day
Was the One.
Today at 64 years old.
Still Listening and Collecting Records.
Always liked this song.
Flip Side was OH Woman Oh Why.
Now that's a hidden jem.
I wish Another day was included
On RAM.
My Favorite McCartney Record.
@laurencemcdonald7469
That guy is so creative. Melodies and lyrics that others would dream of producing seem to flow effortlessly from him.
@jeffsnyder3161
I am so glad that Paul worked with Linda on these songs. Her voice was just lovely on all of their work.
@debbiesims138
I like listening to this because Linda sounds so good.
@Jhensy2012
She got so much crap thrown at her for years -- mostly because the world wanted to see Paul with the Beatles, not her -- but all these years later her harmony vocals sound great.
@swtbbyjms3806
I’ve heard her voice isolated from the other vocals. It wasn’t pleasant. With the magic of electrics, they made it beautiful.
But it never affected my thoughts. If she made Paul happy, I didn’t give a rats ass about all the critics.
@jeffsnyder3161
@@swtbbyjms3806 well here we are into opinions, and that is OK. I have heard her voice isolated right here on YT as well and ...... she is on pitch without autotune, and sounds very nice and sweet. To you it wasn't pleasant, and to me it is. :)
@petersonlafollette3521
Their voices blended well together. Paul's photos here capture
a sunny eyed soul- he had good reason to go south, but reached
deep musically to get a BIG second wind.
@garydunn5797
Linda doesn't get enough credit for her beautiful iconic vocal harmonies.
@carolfreitag6847
My favorite McCartney solo song!!! Lindas backing vocals are wonderful!!!
@AlienArt86
Yeah really one of his best solo songs...