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.
Beware My Love
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know my heart can stay with my love
It's understood
It's in the hands of my love
And my love does it good
Whoa oh-oh, whoa oh-oh
My love does it good
And when the cupboards bare
I'll still find something there with my love
It's understood
It's everywhere with my love
And my love does it good
Whoa oh-oh, whoa oh-oh
My love does it good
Oh, I love, oh, my love
Only my love holds the other key to me
Oh, my love, oh, my love
Only my love does it good to me
Whoa oh-oh, whoa oh-oh
My love does it good
Don't ever ask me why
I never say goodbye to my love
It's understood
It's everywhere with my love
My love does it good, oh
Whoa oh-oh, whoa oh-oh
My love does it good
Oh, I love, oh, my love
Only my love does it good to me
Whoa oh-oh, whoa oh oh
In Paul McCartney's song Beware My Love, the singer warns the listener to be cautious of a certain person who will "bowl you over" and "wear you out." The singer is unsure of who this person is, but feels it is important to warn the listener nonetheless. The repeated refrain of "Beware my love" adds a sense of urgency and foreboding to the song.
The lyrics raise questions about the nature of love and relationships: Can love be dangerous? Is it possible to overlook warning signs when in love? The singer seems to be conflicted, as he doesn't believe that this person is really right for the listener, but is also hesitant to definitively say so. The departure of the singer is indicated as he says, "But I have to leave / And when I'm gone / I'll leave my message / In my song."
The song has a driving rock beat, with slick guitar riffs and a prominent bassline. McCartney's signature vocal style is on full display, showcasing his range from tender crooning to gritty rock shouting. The chorus is a standout moment, with the repetition of "Beware my love" building to a frenzied climax.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't say I've found out
I don't have all the answers
I can't tell you
I'm unable to explain it to you
What it's all about
The meaning of everything is unclear
Don't know who does
I don't know who has the answers
Tell you to
But I'll try to give you warning
Beware my love
My love is dangerous
Oh, oh, oh
It's serious
No, no, no
Don't ignore my warning
I must be wrong, baby, yeah
But I hope I am mistaken
But I don't believe
I have my doubts
That he's the one
He may not be the one for you
But you insist
But you believe he is
I must be wrong
I could be mistaken
I have to leave
I need to go away
And when I'm gone
But I'll leave a message for you
I'll leave my message
My warning will be in my song
Beware, my love
My love can be dangerous
Well, he'll bowl you over
He'll overwhelm you
Before you're much older
Before you know it
Hey, he'll sweep you up
He'll charm you
Under his carpet
Until you're under his spell
You'd be in luck
You'd be fortunate
If you could stop it
If you had the ability to avoid it
Come on, now
I'm urging you
Well, he'll wear you out
He'll exhaust you
And in a minute
In no time at all
You'll hear a shout
You'll hear his temper
And then you'll be in it
You'll be in his dangerous world
So, so now beware my love
So please be careful
'Cause he'll take you under
Because he'll take advantage of you
The sound of his thunder
His temper will be explosive
Yeah!
It's a serious situation
I don't know
I'm not certain
If I can stand it anymore
If I can continue to see you with him
'Cause I'm just gonna say to you
Because I need to advise you
My love, that you better be there
You need to be careful
Beware my love
I'm warning you
Beware my love
He may not be what he appears
Beware my love
Don't be complacent
Beware my love
Please take my warning
Beware my love
It's not just any warning
Beware my love
It's an urgent warning
Lyrics © ABRAMUS
Written by: Armando Macedo, James Paul Mccartney, Linda Mccartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind