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.
Fuh You
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talking 'bout yourself, try to tell the truth
I can stay up half the night, trying to crack your code
I can stay up half the night, but I'd rather hit the road
On the night that I met you, I was on the town
On the night that I met you
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
You make me wanna go out and steal
I just wanna fuh you, I just wanna fuh you
Come on, baby, now, help me work it out
I won't let you down so you don't need to shout
I can stay up half the night, playing with your head
I can stay up half the night, but I'd rather go to bed
On the night that I met you, I was on the town
On the night that I met you
I just wanna know how you feel
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
You make me wanna go out and steal
I just wanna fuh you, I just wanna fuh you
And everyday, in every way
And everyday, in every way
I just wanna know how you feel
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
You make me wanna go out and steal
I just wanna fuh you, I just wanna fuh you
I just wanna know how you feel
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
You make me wanna go out and steal
I just wanna fuh you
The underlying theme of "Fuh You" by Paul McCartney appears to be a desire to connect with someone in a deep, meaningful way. Through the verses, the singer expresses a curiosity about the person they're addressing, asking them to share their true selves. They're willing to invest time and effort into getting to know the individual they're interested in, staying up half the night to "crack [their] code" and "play with [their] head." Ultimately, however, the singer admits that they would rather "hit the road" than continue a fruitless pursuit.
The chorus of the song is relatively straightforward, with the repeated phrase "I just wanna fuh you" serving as the centerpiece. The meaning of this phrase is left up to interpretation, as it's not clear exactly what "fuh" is supposed to represent. Some listeners may interpret it as a veiled reference to sex, while others may see it as a more general expression of desire or attraction. Regardless of the interpretation, the phrase serves as a sort of mantra throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's intense attraction to the person they're addressing.
Overall, "Fuh You" is a fun, catchy song with an upbeat tempo and an easy-to-sing-along chorus. While the lyrics may not be particularly deep or profound, they're certainly catchy and memorable, and the song as a whole is an enjoyable addition to Paul McCartney's extensive discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on, baby, now, let me look at you
Paul is asking his love interest to let him admire and gaze at her beauty
Talking 'bout yourself, try to tell the truth
Paul wants his love interest to open up and be honest about herself
I can stay up half the night, trying to crack your code
Paul is willing to spend time and effort to understand his love interest and decipher her personality
I can stay up half the night, but I'd rather hit the road
Paul is not interested in wasting his time if his love interest is not reciprocating his interest
I just wanna know how you feel
Paul is interested in understanding his love interest emotionally
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
Paul wants to love his love interest's true self and be proud of who she is
You make me wanna go out and steal
Paul's love for his partner is so intense that he is willing to do anything for her
I just wanna fuh you, I just wanna fuh you
Paul's love for his partner is expressed in the refrain 'fuh you'
Come on, baby, now, help me work it out
Paul is requesting his love interest's cooperation to overcome any issues they may face in their relationship
I won't let you down so you don't need to shout
Paul is assuring his partner that he will not let her down and she does not need to be angry or frustrated with him
I can stay up half the night, playing with your head
Paul is willing to spend time psychologically teasing and understanding his partner to make her happy
I can stay up half the night, but I'd rather go to bed
Paul will invest time in his relationship, but also knows when it’s time to rest
And everyday, in every way
Paul is committed to loving his partner every day, in every way
I just wanna know how you feel
Paul wants to be emotionally connected with his partner
I wanna love the soul, proud and real
Paul wants to love his partner for who she truly is, without any false pretenses
You make me wanna go out and steal
Paul is driven to do anything for his love and feels inspired to be a better man
I just wanna fuh you, I just wanna fuh you
Paul's love is expressed in the refrain 'fuh you' which represents a deep passion and desire for his partner
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney, Ryan Benjamin Tedder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Billyshead133
My Stepdad was the biggest Beatles fan and absolutely loved Paul the most. He died in stage 4 of cancer. Just Before he died he asked my mom to turn the lights on in the room because he wanted to look at his Beatles posters and art collectibles etc he looked for a min then died right there with a smile. I love you dad. I miss you and this song woulda blew ya mind ❤️
Leonie Josette
Wow, what an incredible story. God bless you xxx
That must have made him so Happy!
David Shehi
@Al the Alligator I bet you’re wrong.
David Shehi
This is probably the best comment i’ve ever read, fwiw. God rest your beautiful papa’s soul. And may he beat John in the next hand of poker.
Thomas Schmidt
My father too.. Soo sorry for your loss
Felix' Vids
thank god he didn't hear it
freedom isn't free 20
A legend nearing 80 years old, still makes the girls scream, still creative ,still sounds great.. Paul's still the man..
Julia Meller
I KNOW 😍
[tavs]
@Anoneeemus1 he is 78-
Anoneeemus1
Faul is like 82