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.
Calico Skies
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the moment I opened my eyes
And the morning when I first saw you
Gave me life under calico skies
I will hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life
Never failing to fight at your side
While the angels of love protect us
From the innermost secrets we hide
I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life
Long live all of us crazy soldiers
Who were born under calico skies
May we never be called to handle
All the weapons of war we despise
I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll hold you for the rest of my life
I'll hold you for as long as you like
I'll love you for the rest of my
For the rest of my life
The song Calico Skies by Paul McCartney seems to be a love song. McCartney starts by singing that it was written that he would love the person he's singing about from the moment he opened his eyes. He goes on to say that the morning he first saw this person gave him life under calico skies. Calico is a type of fabric that is printed with a colorful pattern, and the phrase "calico skies" could mean vibrant, colorful skies. McCartney is expressing how this person has brought color and life into his world.
The next verse talks about how McCartney will hold this person for as long as they like and for the rest of his life. He is always looking for ways to love this person and never failing to fight at their side. He believes that the "angels of love" are protecting them from the innermost secrets they hide. This line could be hinting at the fact that they have each other to confide in and are each other's safe haven from the outside world.
The final verse speaks to all the "crazy soldiers" who were born under calico skies. McCartney is suggesting that they should never have to handle the weapons of war they despise. He once again repeats that he will hold this person for as long as they like and love them for the rest of his life. The song as a whole is a beautiful expression of love, and how this person has changed McCartney's life for the better, giving him a new perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
It was written that I would love you
From the moment fate started, I was destined to care for you.
From the moment I opened my eyes
My longing for you began even before my birth.
And the morning when I first saw you
The first time I encountered you brought hope and joy into my life.
Gave me life under calico skies
Your presence filled my days with vibrant colors and happiness.
I will hold you for as long as you like
I'm always here for you, offering my embrace whenever you need and for as long as you want.
Always looking for ways to love you
I forever seek out opportunities to show how much I passionately care about you.
Never failing to fight at your side
I will always be your loyal companion, standing up for you and supporting you in every way I can.
While the angels of love protect us
We are safe under the caring watch of heavenly beings who safeguard our romance and wellbeing.
From the innermost secrets we hide
Even our deepest and darkest secrets that are concealed from everyone else are transparent to one another.
Long live all of us crazy soldiers
Let's celebrate our beautifully unique souls that were born and raised under unpredictable and ever-changing conditions.
Who were born under calico skies
We are the lucky ones who grew up under the colorful, speckled blankets of the sky.
May we never be called to handle
May we never be summoned to control or engage in violent and destructive acts.
All the weapons of war we despise
Let's avoid everything that advocates for warfare, which we abhor and detest.
I'll hold you for as long as you like
I will always be here to offer my infinite embrace for you, to hold you as much as you want and need.
I'll love you for the rest of my life
My love will remain unaltered for your infinite lifetime, always accepting and cherishing every facet of you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind