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.
Angry
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Especially When You Made A Mess Of Every Chance You Had To Success.
Look At You... Just Look At You.
I Said I'm Angry Just Looking At You.
I'm Sick And Tired Of Sitting Back Listening To All Of Your Clap-Trap
If You Could Get Me To Take The Rap I Guarantee
You'd Leave Me With A Backslap.
Ven If You Kick Me Off The Edge Of The World,
You're Still Going To Hear Me Say...
When The Hell Gives You The Right To Tell Me What To Do With My Life?
Especially When You Made A Mess Of Every Chance You Have To Success.
Look At You. Oh Look At You.
I Said I'm Angry Just Looking At You.
Shouting Down Again Mahama. Shouting Down Again.
Shouting Down Agaun Mahama. Shouting Down Again.
I Can't Begin To Tell You All The Reasons Why You're Making Me Crazy.
I've Got So Many Answers Like You're Stupid, Like You're Crooked, Like You're Lazy.
Hit Me With Your Left, Hit Me With Your Right.
Hit Me From The Top To The Toe.
Even When You Chew Me Up And Spit Me Out,
I'm Still Going To Want To Know.
Lyrics By Mickjagger43
The lyrics of Paul McCartney's song "Angry" express a sense of frustration towards a person who has failed to be successful in their own life and yet still tries to dictate to the singer how they should live their life. The opening line, "What the hell gives the right to tell me what to do with my life?" conveys the singer's indignation towards the other person's attempts at control. The second line, "Especially when you made a mess of every chance you had to success," points out the hypocrisy of the person's behavior. The singer is exasperated by the other person's failures and their audacity to give advice.
The chorus repeats the same questions and highlights the contrast between the two people. The singer encourages the other person to look at themselves and their failures. The lines "I'm sick and tired of sitting back listening to all of your clap-trap / If you could get me to take the rap I guarantee you'd leave me with a backslap" suggest that the other person is trying to manipulate the singer into taking the blame for something. However, the singer is not willing to be a scapegoat and resist such attempts.
The song ends with a repeated phrase "Shouting down again Mahama" which is unclear in its meaning but adds to the sense of anger and frustration expressed throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
What The Hell Gives The Right To Tell Me What To Do With My Life?
Why do you think you have the authority to dictate how I should live my life?
Especially When You Made A Mess Of Every Chance You Had To Success.
You specifically have no credibility to tell me what to do since you have failed to succeed in your own endeavors.
Look At You... Just Look At You.
You are a pitiful sight and your appearance further highlights your lack of success.
I Said I'm Angry Just Looking At You.
Your very existence infuriates me and just seeing you angers me.
I'm Sick And Tired Of Sitting Back Listening To All Of Your Clap-Trap
I am fed up with having to endure your nonsensical ramblings and criticisms.
If You Could Get Me To Take The Rap I Guarantee You'd Leave Me With A Backslap.
You would gladly throw me under the bus to save yourself, and ultimately would only reward me with a slap on the back.
Push Me To The Left, Push Me To The Right Try To Take Me Out Of The Way
You attempt to control and manipulate me in every direction, hoping to remove me from your path.
Ven If You Kick Me Off The Edge Of The World, You're Still Going To Hear Me Say...
Even if you were to completely eliminate me from existence, I would still resist and speak out against you.
Shouting Down Again Mahama. Shouting Down Again.
The repetition of this phrase implies a continued frustration and anger towards someone named Mahama.
I Can't Begin To Tell You All The Reasons Why You're Making Me Crazy.
There are countless reasons why your actions and words are driving me insane.
I've Got So Many Answers Like You're Stupid, Like You're Crooked, Like You're Lazy.
The singer lists several possible reasons for their anger towards this person, including their perceived lack of intelligence, their unscrupulous behavior, and their laziness.
Hit Me With Your Left, Hit Me With Your Right. Hit Me From The Top To The Toe.
The artist challenges this person to attack them physically in any way possible.
Even When You Chew Me Up And Spit Me Out, I'm Still Going To Want To Know.
Even if this person were to destroy the singer, they would still find a way to seek answers and satisfaction in the situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEWART MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jesse2d
This song has Phil Collins on drums and Pete Townsend on guitar.
Shpater
Thank you for the info
Rita Couch Cooper
I grew up with the Beatles but I i had not heard this song. It's referenced in Phil Collins book "Not Dead Yet". His reference "a little self-conscious and barely committed". Definitely not typical McCartney!!
MichaelHansenFUN
this song is NOT about Heather Mills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!