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.
Big Barn Bed
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's that coming round that bend
Who's that coming round that corner, will it
Will it be my friend
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Who you gonna creep on next?
Sleeping on a willow sleeping on a pillow
Leaping armadillo, yes
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed etc.
Will it be my friend
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Who you gonna weep on? who you gonna sleep on?
Who's you gonna creep on next?
Weeping on a willow sleeping on a pillow
leaping armadillo, yes
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed etc.
The song "Big Barn Bed" by Paul McCartney And Wings is a catchy and playful tune with lyrics that invite the listener to imagine a whimsical world where they can sleep soundly in a big barn bed. The repeated line "keep on sleeping in a big barn bed" serves as the chorus and creates a sense of comfort and security amidst the playful imagery of leaping armadillos and weeping willows.
The opening lines of the song invite curiosity as McCartney sings, "Who's that coming round that corner? Who's that coming round that bend?" The listener is left wondering who is approaching and what they will bring. This sense of anticipation is reinforced by the repetition of the question "will it be my friend?" This line suggests a desire for connection and companionship, echoing the theme of comfort and security found throughout the song.
The verses of the song continue the playful imagery and invitation to sleep in a big barn bed, with lines like "who you gonna weep on? who you gonna sleep on? who you gonna creep on next?" The alliterative repetition in these lines creates a sense of rhythm and fun. The use of animals like armadillos and willows creates a playful and imaginative atmosphere that encourages the listener to get lost in the song and its world.
Overall, "Big Barn Bed" is a lively and entertaining song that evokes a sense of childlike wonder and playfulness. Its lyrics create a world where the listener can feel safe and secure in a big barn bed while enjoying the company of leaping armadillos and weeping willows.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's that coming round that corner
Who is approaching from the turn?
Who's that coming round that bend
Who is approaching around the bend?
Who's that coming round that corner, will it
Who is approaching from the turn, will it be someone I know?
Will it be my friend
Could it be someone I am familiar with?
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Continue to lay down and rest in a large agricultural shelter
Who you gonna weep on? who you gonna sleep on?
Who will you turn to when experiencing strong emotions or need to rest?
Who you gonna creep on next?
Who will be the next person you sneak around or deceive?
Sleeping on a willow sleeping on a pillow
Resting on either a natural or man-made cushion
Leaping armadillo, yes
A reference to a jumping armadillo, possibly indicating unexpected or unusual movements
Will it be my friend
Could the approaching person be someone I know and trust?
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed
Stay in the large agricultural shelter and rest
Who's you gonna creep on next?
Who is the next person you plan to deceive or sneak around?
Weeping on a willow sleeping on a pillow
Crying or shedding tears while resting on a cushion
Keep on sleeping in a big barn bed etc.
Continue to rest in the large agricultural shelter
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind