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 Boys Bickering
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOIN' EV'RYDAY.
BIG BOYS BICKERING,
FUCKIN' IT UP FOR EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE.
GUESS WHILE THEY'RE BETTING ON THE TRACK,
THEY'RE TRYIN' TO WIN YOUR MONEY BACK.
ALL OF THE TAXES THAT YOU PAID,
BIG BOYS BICKERING,
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOIN' ALL THE DAY.
BIG BOYS BICKERING,
FUCKIN' IT UP IN EV'RY WAY, EV'RY WAY.
WE STAND HERE WAITING
UNDERNEATH THE TOWER BLOCK.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHO WILL LOSE?
WHICH WAY DO THE BIG BOYS CHOOSE?
WHICH OF US WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT GOES ON?
OO -
WHO WILL WIN, WHO WILL LOSE?
SO WHILE THEY ARGUE THROUGH THE NIGHT,
SHAKIN' THEIR STICKS OF DYNAMITE,
BABIES ARE DYING THROUGH THE DAY,
THEY WANNA BLOW US ALL AWAY.
BIG BOYS BICKERING,
AND SO THE GAME GOES ON AND ON.
BIG BOYS BICKERING,
FUCKING IT UP FOR EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE,
FOR EV'RYONE, FOR EV'RYONE, FOR EV'RYONE,
FOR EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE.
FUCKING IT UP FOR EV'RYONE,
(Fuckin' it up for ev'ryone)
FUCKING IT UP FOR EV'RYONE,
EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE,
EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RYONE.
The lyrics of Paul McCartney's song "Big Boys Bickering" express his frustration and disappointment with the way powerful people in society, especially politicians, waste their time and resources on useless arguments and power struggles that don't serve the common good. The chorus repeats the phrase "Big boys bickering" to emphasize the childish nature of their behavior and the harm it causes to "ev'ryone", which includes ordinary citizens who suffer the consequences of their decisions. The first verse suggests that some of these big boys are also involved in gambling and manipulating the system for their own benefit, at the expense of taxpayers who fund their lavish lifestyle. McCartney's use of the word "fuckin'" in the chorus adds a sense of urgency and indignation to his message, as if he's fed up with the nonsense and wants to call it out directly.
The second verse takes a more serious tone by highlighting the contrast between the triviality of the big boys' disputes and the real problems that affect people's lives, such as poverty, disease, and war. The juxtaposition of "shakin' their sticks of dynamite" and "babies are dying through the day" creates a powerful image of the danger and violence that the big boys' actions can lead to, as well as the vulnerability and innocence of the victims. The bridge section shifts the focus from the big boys to the listeners, as if to ask them to join the song as a chorus and stand up against the injustice and inequality in the world. The repetition of "who will win and who will lose?" echoes the uncertainty and unpredictability of life, as well as the hope that a better future is possible if enough people unite and resist the big boys' control.
Line by Line Meaning
BIG BOYS BICKERING, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOIN' EV'RYDAY.
The powerful men are constantly quarreling and fighting with each other.
BIG BOYS BICKERING, FUCKIN' IT UP FOR EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE.
Their constant fighting is causing harm to all of us.
GUESS WHILE THEY'RE BETTING ON THE TRACK, THEY'RE TRYIN' TO WIN YOUR MONEY BACK.
The same men are gambling away our money and then trying to make a profit by winning it back.
ALL OF THE TAXES THAT YOU PAID, WENT TO FUND THE MASQUERADE.
The taxes we pay are being used to fund their extravagant and meaningless activities.
BIG BOYS BICKERING, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOIN' ALL THE DAY.
Their quarreling consumes their entire day.
BIG BOYS BICKERING, FUCKIN' IT UP IN EV'RY WAY, EV'RY WAY.
Their behavior is causing harm and disruption in every aspect of our lives.
WE STAND HERE WAITING UNDERNEATH THE TOWER BLOCK.
We are just waiting for something to change while they continue to hold all the power.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHO WILL LOSE? WHICH WAY DO THE BIG BOYS CHOOSE?
We have no idea what goes on behind the scenes and which one of them will come out on top.
WHICH OF US WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT GOES ON?
The truth is hidden from all of us, and we will never know the full extent of their actions.
SO WHILE THEY ARGUE THROUGH THE NIGHT, SHAKIN' THEIR STICKS OF DYNAMITE,
While they continue to bicker, they are threatening our safety and security with their dangerous weapons.
BABIES ARE DYING THROUGH THE DAY, THEY WANNA BLOW US ALL AWAY.
Their actions have real consequences, and people are dying because of their power struggles.
BIG BOYS BICKERING, AND SO THE GAME GOES ON AND ON.
Their fighting is a never-ending cycle, and we are the ones paying the price for it.
FUCKING IT UP FOR EV'RYONE, (Fuckin' it up for ev'ryone) FUCKING IT UP FOR EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE, EV'RYONE, EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RY, EV'RYONE.
Their actions are negatively impacting every single one of us, and it seems like there's no end in sight.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JimMorrisonsWidow
I remember this : ) Only Paul McCartney can swear with class and intelligence. He's quite right. Good for you Paul : )
@dabreu
But the song was banned by American MTV
@brummelliana3584
he's like, a huge slut. But he's very sensual I must admit!
@vito9674
This song means as much today as it did then ! The TRUTH comes in many forms while the big boys are Fucking it up for EVERYONE ! Thank u for ALWAYS speaking TRUTH ! !
@krisnestoridis6298
One of the best songs Paul did in the 90s
@peppe7790
Dulce melodía Paul. Sweet song
@michaelcory2578
Such a great song! I wonder if he does this one at his concerts
@Sofie_G
Unfortunately not.
@PaulNose
he played it live in NYC in 1992 :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a5kBCucRLU
@reneedavies9231
And stuey regains his position