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.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw a woman walking in the sand
She'd be walking thirty miles en route to Bombay
To meet a brown-eyed, handsome man
Her destination was a brown-eyed, handsome man
Way back in history, three thousand years
In fact, ever since the world began
Over a brown-eyed, handsome man
A lot of trouble was a brown-eyed, handsome man
Well, the Venus de Milo was a beautiful lass
She had the world in the palm of her hand
She lost both her arms in a wrestling match
To win a brown-eyed, handsome man
She fought, and won herself a brown-eyed, handsome man
Well, a beautiful daughter couldn't make up her mind
Between a doctor and a lawyer man
Her mother told her daughter
Go out, and find yourself a brown-eyed, handsome man
Just like your daddy was, a brown-eyed, handsome man
Well, a two, three the count with nobody home
He hit a high-flyer into the stand
A-rounded third, he was a-heading for home
It was a brown-eyed, handsome man that won the game
It was a brown-eyed, handsome man
It was a brown-eyed, handsome man
The song Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Paul McCartney retells the story of a woman walking in the desert, heading to Bombay to meet a brown-eyed, handsome man. McCartney alludes to the fact that history has shown that women have always been attracted to brown-eyed, handsome men. The song highlights the story of Venus de Milo, a beautiful woman who lost both her arms in a wrestling match to win a brown-eyed, handsome man.
The song tells another story of a beautiful daughter who couldn't choose between a doctor and a lawyer. Her mother advised her to find herself a brown-eyed, handsome man. The song concludes with a baseball game where a brown-eyed, handsome man hits a high-flyer into the stand, rounding third to win the game. Overall, the lyrics of the song depict the allure and charm of brown-eyed, handsome men throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, flying across the desert in a TWA
While travelling across the dry desert on a TWA flight
I saw a woman walking in the sand
I spotted a lady strolling along the sandy terrain
She'd be walking thirty miles en route to Bombay
She was walking thirty miles towards Bombay on her journey
To meet a brown-eyed, handsome man
To rendezvous with a man who was brown-eyed and attractive
Her destination was a brown-eyed, handsome man
The ultimate goal of her travels was to meet the aforementioned attractive man
Way back in history, three thousand years
As far back in time as three millennia ago
In fact, ever since the world began
Since the inception of life on Earth
There's been a whole lotta good women shedding tears
Many good women have lamented and cried
Over a brown-eyed, handsome man
Because of an attractive man with brown eyes
A lot of trouble was a brown-eyed, handsome man
Having a brown-eyed, handsome man around could potentially cause a lot of issues
Well, the Venus de Milo was a beautiful lass
The famous statue of Venus de Milo represented a stunning woman
She had the world in the palm of her hand
She was incredibly influential and powerful
She lost both her arms in a wrestling match
Her arms were physically removed from her body during a wrestling bout
To win a brown-eyed, handsome man
The reason for her wrestling was to capture the heart of a good-looking man with brown eyes
She fought, and won herself a brown-eyed, handsome man
Despite her lost limbs, she was able to secure a relationship with the man she desired
Well, a beautiful daughter couldn't make up her mind
The pretty daughter was indecisive regarding a particular matter
Between a doctor and a lawyer man
She was choosing between two professions: a doctor and a lawyer
Her mother told her daughter
Her mother advised her
Go out, and find yourself a brown-eyed, handsome man
To seek out and pursue a man with brown eyes who is dashing
Just like your daddy was, a brown-eyed, handsome man
Similar to how her father was attractive and had brown eyes
Well, a two, three the count with nobody home
During a baseball game with a two-ball, three-strike count, and no men on base
He hit a high-flyer into the stand
He hit a ball that soared high into the stadium spectator area
A-rounded third, he was a-heading for home
Having rounded third base, he made a beeline for home plate
It was a brown-eyed, handsome man that won the game
The man who secured the victory for the team was the one who was attractive with brown eyes
It was a brown-eyed, handsome man
The game-winning hero was indeed a good-looking guy with brown eyes
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomc2376
the band from this album should have done a major tour in 2000. all out fun disc. 🎸🎶🥁
@joshuaconnelly2415
I love this song! Paul rocks!
@patrickhart6567
This is my new favorite video of all time (just beat on Tom Petty's 'You Got Lucky')....thanks, Paul!
@m7j23s53
Mine as well.
@davidmarshman3437
Brilliant Video and Brilliant Version of B.H.M.
@steveconn
Just a beautiful cover and concept from Paul.
@paullindamood1303
Another great feel good ditty from the master.
@steveconn
Chuck Berry cover.
@RandyR
Just seen for first time. Cool
@robinrasmussen1128
That was totally awesome love it