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.
Broadcast
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We may win or we may lose;
We may even have to cut and run for it.
Well, it won't be the first time I've run
And it won't be the first time I've been caught.
It's the game that matters.
Brother, I am proud to know you.
This is one of the greatest moments I have ever experienced.
To breathe the rather inferior atmosphere in this station
Here along with our little friend.
I guess we should all go home and treasure the memory of his face
As the whitest thing in our museum of recollection.
And, perhaps, this good woman will also go home
And wash the face of our little brother here.
I'm inspired with a new faith in mankind.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to present to you
A sure enough saint only one a halo to be transferred.
Stand right on.
The Broadcast by Paul McCartney & Wings is a song that reflects an atmosphere of optimism, courage, and brotherhood. The lyrics suggest that there is a chance to make a significant impact by taking action, even if it comes with risks. McCartney acknowledges that the situation may not be easy or straightforward, and that there might be setbacks, but the game is what's important. He expresses his admiration for his colleagues and is pleased to have shared this moment of unity with them. McCartney refers to the atmosphere in the station being inferior, but he is delighted to be in the company of his friends, who are of greater value.
The second half of the song is a monologue, delivered in a reflective and almost poetic tone. McCartney talks about the power of human memory and the importance of remembering moments of beauty and love. He comments that he has been moved by the spirit of brotherhood that he experienced during the broadcast, and that it has given him a renewed sense of faith in mankind. He concludes by introducing a saint, perhaps metaphorical, who only needs a halo. The saint could represent the common man, who, in McCartney's eyes, can attain greatness through selflessness and courage.
Line by Line Meaning
We're got a chance and we'll take it;
We have an opportunity, and we are willing to seize it.
We may win or we may lose;
Our venture may be successful, or it may not.
We may even have to cut and run for it.
We might have to escape to avoid being caught.
Well, it won't be the first time I've run
I have previous experience with escaping.
And it won't be the first time I've been caught.
I have been caught before.
It's the game that matters.
What matters is the challenge we face.
Brother, I am proud to know you.
I am pleased to call you my sibling (or friend).
This is one of the greatest moments I have ever experienced.
This moment is incredibly significant to me.
I think I sense the situation when we can all esteem it, and honour,
I believe we can all appreciate and respect the circumstances.
To breathe the rather inferior atmosphere in this station.
To inhale the less-than-ideal air in this location.
Here along with our little friend.
Here, in the company of our small companion.
I guess we should all go home and treasure the memory of his face
We must all cherish the memory of our friend's countenance.
As the whitest thing in our museum of recollection.
As the most treasured memory in our collection.
And, perhaps, this good woman will also go home
Additionally, this kind lady may retreat to her dwelling.
And wash the face of our little brother here.
And cleanse our young sibling's countenance.
I'm inspired with a new faith in mankind.
I am newly hopeful and optimistic about humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to present to you
Everyone, I would like to introduce to you
A sure enough saint only one a halo to be transferred.
A truly virtuous person who deserves to be revered.
Stand right on.
Continue on in your endeavors with steadfastness.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind