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.
Footprints
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can he see me sitting here? his mind is somewhere else.
His friend have flown away, he's left out in the cold.
He won't sit by my fire, he says he likes it in the snow.
Where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow.
It's getting dark outside, the old hand's going home,
Where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow...
White blanket, hiding the traces of tears she didn't see,
Oh white blanket covers the memory
Of all that used to be. all that used to be.
But his heart keeps aching in the same old way,
He can't help feeling that she might come back someday.
It's beautiful outside, a magpie looks for food.
The old hand throws a crumb,
Do you think he's found a friend?
Where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow...
White blanket, hiding the traces of paths he didn't take
Oh white blanket covers the memory
Of moves he didn't make
Oh white blanket, hiding the traces of tears she didn't see
Snow white blanket simply covers the memory
Of all that used to be.
But his heart keeps aching in the same old way
He can't help feeling that she might come back someday.
In Paul McCartney's song "Footprints," the lyrics paint a vivid picture of an old man who prefers to be alone and in the snow. He is isolated from society and seems to be preoccupied with remembering a past love. The snow represents a form of isolation and a new beginning, as no footprints are left in the snow, and it symbolizes a fresh slate and a possible revival of his relationship.
The line "his mind is somewhere else" suggests that the man is not fully present in the moment, and his thoughts are elsewhere, possibly lingering on his lost love. The references to the "white blanket" and the "traces of tears she didn't see" imply that he is still holding onto the memories of his past relationship, which is reflected in the song's melancholic tone.
The chorus' repetition of "where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow" highlights the man's desire for solitude and the comfort he finds in being alone. The song suggests that he is resigned to his current state of loneliness, but there is still a glimmer of hope that his lost love may return.
Line by Line Meaning
It's beautiful outside, an old hand gathers wood,
The singer is enjoying the beauty outside while observing an old man gathering wood.
Can he see me sitting here? his mind is somewhere else.
The singer wonders if the old man sees them and suspects his thoughts are elsewhere.
His friend have flown away, he's left out in the cold.
The old man's friends have left him behind to face the harsh realities of life alone.
He won't sit by my fire, he says he likes it in the snow.
The old man prefers to endure the cold and loneliness of life rather than seeking warmth and companionship.
Where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow.
The old man prefers to be alone in isolated places where no one else has ever been.
It's getting dark outside, the old hand's going home,
The day is ending and the old man is returning to his dwelling.
Has he someone waiting there? or is he living on his own?
The singer wonders if the old man has someone waiting for him at home or if he is living alone.
White blanket, hiding the traces of tears she didn't see,
The snow is covering up any evidence of the sadness and sorrow he felt but never revealed to his lover.
Oh white blanket covers the memory
The snow is a metaphor for time which has made him forget his past and replaced those memories with something new.
Of all that used to be. all that used to be.
All the things that he once cherished or loved passionately have now become mere memories.
But his heart keeps aching in the same old way,
Despite the passage of time, his emotions and feelings remain unchanged and his heart continues to ache.
He can't help feeling that she might come back someday.
He still harbors hope that his lost love might return to him someday.
It's beautiful outside, a magpie looks for food.
Another bird is searching for food in the beautiful outside surroundings.
The old hand throws a crumb,
The old man throws a small piece of food.
Do you think he's found a friend?
The singer ponders if the old man has finally found companionship.
Where footprints never go, he likes it in the snow...
The old man still prefers to be alone and isolated where nobody else has ever been.
White blanket, hiding the traces of paths he didn't take
The snow obscures any indication of decisions he could have made differently in his life.
Of moves he didn't make
The snow erases any memory of actions he could have taken in his life.
Snow white blanket simply covers the memory
The snow is a symbol of how time has hidden, buried or erased memories.
But his heart keeps aching in the same old way
Despite the passing of time, his emotions remain the same and he continues to feel pain in his heart.
He can't help feeling that she might come back someday.
He still hasn't given up hope that his long-lost love might return to him someday.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEWART MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind