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.
All My Loving
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you
I'll pretend that I'm kissing
And hope that my dreams will come true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you
All my loving I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you
All my loving I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true
All my loving, all my loving ooh
All my loving I will send to you
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's "All My Loving" are a testament to the strength of long-distance relationships. The song's narrator is saying goodbye to their loved one, promising to remain loyal while they are away. The lyrics are filled with a sense of longing, as the singer expresses their desire to be close to the person they love, even when they are far away.
The recurring line, "All my loving I will send to you," is particularly poignant. McCartney is not just promising to write letters or stay in touch; he is promising to put all of his affection and energy into making the relationship work. His focus is entirely on the person he is leaving behind, and he is determined to keep their connection strong.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of fantasy and imagination as a way to cope with distance. When McCartney sings, "I'll pretend that I'm kissing / The lips I am missing / And hope that my dreams will come true," he is acknowledging that physical distance is difficult to handle. However, he is also reminding his love that his thoughts are still with them, even if his body is not.
Overall, "All My Loving" is a heartfelt love song that focuses on the difficulties and challenges of long-distance relationships. However, it is also an affirmation of the power of love and the importance of staying connected, no matter where you are.
Line by Line Meaning
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Let’s have the perfect moment by closing your eyes as I approach for a kiss
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Once we’re apart, I will long for you
Remember I'll always be true
I want you to know that I will never deceive you
And then while I'm away
Although I must go my separate way
I'll write home every day
I will make effort to keep you current on my experiences
And I'll send all my loving to you
Everything that I wish to share with you
I'll pretend that I'm kissing
As I imagine kissing you
The lips I am missing
I miss the touch of your lips
And hope that my dreams will come true
I dream of reuniting with you
All my loving I will send to you
I promise to love you and keep you satisfied
All my loving, darling I'll be true
I will remain faithful to you
All my loving, all my loving ooh
All of the love I have for you, ooh
All my loving I will send to you
I promise to love you and keep you satisfied
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ferdinand Wang
Grownups crying, teens singing along, elderly folks nodding, and children clapping... Only a Beatle could do that.
Todd Stamos
Yeah. Elvis pulled that off in the 70’s…
𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘍𝘰𝘹 [nWo]
Not a Beatle, THE Beatle.
wally post
Queen? Lol ...not even close.
Tim Murphy
Fuckin A!
dange160650
You have to be joking ???
Estrid Melissa
57 years later, Beatles' songs can still touch peoples' hearts.
Lily Bond
colasko: My best response is always “ You had to be there “. —— because The Beatles are indescribable. How does one describe “Magic” ?
colasko
Cool, I think the first material of bands are the best
This is my favorite Beatles song.
A friend of mine said she didn't get
what was so great about the Beatles,?
and I told her "oh yeah, just look at the crowds reaction... fainting and stuff.
Matthew Madden
The man who was shedding a tear is a perfect example of what real legends can do.