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.
Back In The U.S.S.R
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't get to bed last night
Oh, the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man, I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR, yeah
Gee, it's good to be back home
Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case
Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the US
Back in the US
Back in the USSR
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
Oh, come on
Hu hey hu, hey, ah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm back in the USSR
You don't know how lucky you are, boys
Back in the USSR
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
Oh, show me round your snow peaked
Mountain way down south
Take me to your daddy's farm
Let me hear your balalaika's ringing out
Come and keep your comrade warm
I'm back in the USSR
Hey, you don't know how lucky you are, boy
Back in the USSR
Oh, let me tell you honey
The song Back in the U.S.S.R. by Paul McCartney is a tribute to Chuck Berry's song "Back in the U.S.A." It is upbeat and catchy and has a strong rock and roll vibe. The lyrics are a commentary on the travel experiences of an American who has just flown into the Soviet Union.
The song opens with the singer having just landed at his destination after a dreadful flight from Miami Beach, BOAC. The paper bag on his knee is indicative of the poor state of the airplane, and the singer seems to be relieved to have made it to his destination. He joyfully sings that he is back in the U.S.S.R., and expresses how good it feels to be home.
In the following verses, he describes the allure of the women in Ukraine and Moscow, claiming they "knock him out" and make him "sing and shout." He is entranced by the beauty of these women and wishes to explore everything the Soviet Union has to offer. The song ends on a note of joy and celebration, as the singer revels in the "balalaikas ringing out" and the warmth of his comrades.
Overall, Back in the U.S.S.R. is a cheerful and celebratory song that, despite its political context, is more focused on the joys of travel and exploration than on any deeper message about the Soviet Union. It's a fun and catchy tribute to the country and its people.
Line by Line Meaning
Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC
I just got in from Miami Beach on British Overseas Airways Corporation and it was a long and tiring journey
Didn't get to bed last night
I was too tired to sleep the night before my flight
Oh, the way the paper bag was on my knee
The seating was so uncomfortable on the flight that I had to resort to using a paper bag as a makeshift cushion
Man, I had a dreadful flight
My flight was terrible and I'm glad it's over
I'm back in the USSR
I have returned to the Soviet Union, which is where I used to be before I went to Miami Beach
You don't know how lucky you are, boy
You have no idea how fortunate you are to be living in the Soviet Union. It's a great place to be.
Been away so long I hardly knew the place
I've been gone for so long that the Soviet Union feels like a foreign country to me
Gee, it's good to be back home
It's great to be back in the place where I grew up and where I feel comfortable
Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case
I'm too tired to unpack my bags right now, so I'll do it tomorrow instead
Honey disconnect the phone
I want to be left alone with my thoughts and not be interrupted by anyone calling on the phone
Back in the USSR, yeah
I'm really happy to be back in the Soviet Union
Back in the US
I'm back in the United States
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
I find the girls from Ukraine very attractive and they make my heart race
They leave the west behind
The Ukrainian girls are so beautiful that they make the women from the Western world pale in comparison
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
I also love the girls from Moscow, they make me so happy that I want to sing and shout with joy
That Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind
I can't stop thinking about Georgia, which is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, because I have a fond memory of it
Oh, come on
This is an exclamation in response to something exciting or interesting
Hu hey hu, hey, ah, yeah
This is a vocalization of excitement, similar to saying 'Yahoo!'
Yeah, yeah, yeah
This is an expression of enthusiasm
Hey, you don't know how lucky you are, boy
Once again, I want to emphasize that living in the Soviet Union is a privilege and you should appreciate it.
Oh, let me tell you honey
This is a phrase used to get the listener's attention before delivering an important message.
Back in the USSR
I'm still happy to be back in the Soviet Union, and I'll say it again!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Barbarian1244
Damn even Putin can't resist Paul McCartney.
@joseprieto
Did you not notice Mr. Gorbachev
@osamabinladen824
@@joseprieto Where
@joseprieto
@@osamabinladen824 I know I saw him, I think it was near Mr. Putin.
@derirrevomzombiehof4893
Hahahahahaha, drugs dont work, you did?
@Barbarian1244
@@derirrevomzombiehof4893 no fuck no man
@largervoid1708
This has to be the coolest thing ever: Sir Paul McCartney singing Back in the USSR is the Red Square in front of a large crowd of russians and Putin himself.... BEYOND EPIC....
@thomasfisher5742
AND mentions the UKRAINE....how prophetic lol
@Kerwin-os2xc
@@thomasfisher5742 Prophetic? Wdym. You say it as if Ukraine didn't exist before the war. Do you realize the Ukraine SSR was the second biggest SSR in the Soviet Union?
@thomasfisher5742
@@Kerwin-os2xc it was more the TIMELINE K....20 YEARS AGO WITH MR PUTIN IN THE CROWD