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.
Come Home
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I taught myself to believe every story I told.
It was fun hanging onto the moon, heading into the sun;
But it's been too long,
Now I want to come home.
Came so close to the edge of defeat,
It was fun shooting out at the stars, looking into the sun;
But it's been too long,
Now I want to come home.
Home, where there's nothing but sweet surrender,
To the memories from afar.
Home, to the place where the truth lies waiting,
We remember who we are.
For too long I was out on my own,
Everyday I spent trying to prove I could make it alone.
It was fun hanging onto the moon, heading into the sun;
But it's been too long,
Now I want to come home,
Home.
For so long I was out in the cold,
But I taught myself to believe every story I told.
It was fun hanging onto the moon, heading into the sun;
But it's been too long,
Now I want to come home.
Yeah, it's been too long,
And now I want to come home.
Been too long,
Now I want to come home.
"Come Home" is a song by Paul McCartney from his 2007 album, "Memory Almost Full." McCartney said that the song shows how he appreciates settling down after a long time of being solitary, and it's about the joy that comes with returning to a place where we feel loved and understood.
The song begins with McCartney admitting that he's been alone for far too long, and he's had to depend on his imagination to keep him company. He's been telling himself stories and believing them, finding fun in living in a world of his own creation. He goes on to talk about how close he came to giving up, but he managed to keep going by taking it easy and avoiding the tough parts. He also talks about how exciting it was shooting for the stars and chasing after his dreams but admits that now he's tired and wants to come home.
In the chorus, McCartney talks about how home is where he can be himself, where he doesn't have to put up a front or pretend to be someone he's not. It's the place where he can let down his guard and relax, surrounded by the people and memories that he loves.
In the final verse McCartney reflects on his independence, how he spent every day proving he could make it without anyone's help. He acknowledges that it was fun to aim for the impossible and explore the unknown, but now he's ready to return to a place of familiarity and surrender to the truth he's always known. He longs for the feeling of being home once again, surrounded by people who know and love him as he is.
Line by Line Meaning
For so long I was out in the cold,
I was isolated and alone for an extended period.
And I taught myself to believe every story I told.
I convinced myself of falsehoods and made-believe tales.
It was fun hanging onto the moon, heading into the sun;
I enjoyed chasing impossible dreams and daring adventures.
But it's been too long,
Now I want to come home.
However, I have realized that I have been gone for too long and I am ready to return home.
Came so close to the edge of defeat,
But I made my way in the shade keeping out of the heat.
I almost failed, but managed to find a way to avoid disaster through caution and cunning.
Home, where there's nothing but sweet surrender,
To the memories from afar.
Home is a haven of peace and nostalgia for distant memories.
Home, to the place where the truth lies waiting,
We remember who we are.
Returning home reminds us of who we truly are and helps us face the truth about ourselves.
For too long I was out on my own,
Everyday I spent trying to prove I could make it alone.
I was too independent for too long, constantly trying to prove that I can succeed on my own.
Yeah, it's been too long,
And now I want to come home.
I am certain now that it has been too long and I want to return home as soon as possible.
Been too long,
Now I want to come home.
I have been gone for too long and I desire to return home now.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ecompt
It's a disgrace that this was not nominated for an Oscar. Truly a beautiful piece of work.
Fall Spring
The song received a Golden Globe nomination.
newms69
No they only nominate Elton John songs. Please.
RenderEdgeMedia
I'm always amazed how Paul continues to create original melodies and chord progressions. His songs have a familiar feel to it, but you cannot "hear" other songs within this song. A real credit to his ability.
HectOrtiz
Such a beautiful and very underrated song. One of McCartney’s best actually.
Eric Iozzi
Agreed
The Social Media Scientist (MBE)
Not really.
vhf aozkxmsl
So true
Toyota Kawasaki
What makes you believe it's underrated? Did you travel the globe taking a survey from every citizen of the world?
nosferatu49
Paul is the GREATEST musician of History... We can be glad to be living during this period... In centuries, people will envy us because we were able to see him and to tell him we love him so much!!! Thank you Paul... YOU are the King of Music!! Chris