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.
Good Times Comin' / Feel the Sun
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pack Up Your Bags And Yell "Geronimo".
That Was A Golden Summer, Laught A Lot.
Laughing At The Good Times Coming,
Laughing At The Good Times Coming In.
Good Times Coming, Laughing At The Good Times Coming In.
There Was Something About The Weather, What Can I Say?
That Was A Silly Season, Was It The Best?
We Didn't Need The Reason, Just A Rest.
Happy At The Good Times Coming,
Happy At The Good Times Coming In.
Good Times Coming, Happy At The Good Times Coming In.
I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You Now.
I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You Now.
There Was A Golden Summer Before The War
They Laughed A Lot That Summer, Lah De Dah
Laughing At The Good Times Coming,
Laughing At The Good Times Coming In.
Good Times Coming, Laughing At The Good Times Coming In.
Good Times Coming... Good, Good. Good Times Coming In... Good, Good.
Feel The Sun Shine In, Shine In, Shine In. Feel The Sun
Shining In On You.
Feel The Sun Shine In, Shine In, Shine In. Feel The Sun
Shining In On You.
All The Beauty, All The Pain. Will It Ever Be The Same Again?
If You Love Me, Show Me Now. It's The Only Way That We Know How.
Feel The Sun Shine In, Shine In, Shine In. Feel The Sun
Shining In On You.
Feel The Sun Shine In, Shine In, Shine In. Feel The Sun
Shining In On You.
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's song Good Times Comin' / Feel the Sun speak of the good times that come and go in life. The verses mention a summer long ago that was filled with happiness and laughter, with no need for any reason, just a time to rest and enjoy the season. It invokes a feeling of nostalgia for that time, and the chorus suggests that good times are coming again, and it encourages the listener to be happy and laugh at the good times coming in.
The song also speaks to the beauty and pain of life, and how they both contribute to life's journey. The lyrics suggest that the sun is shining on the listener, and they should feel it shining in on them, taking in both the beautiful and the painful moments of life. The lyrics suggest that if you love someone, you should show them now, as it's the only way that we know how.
Overall, McCartney's song speaks to the fleeting nature of good times and the importance of enjoying them when they come, as well as recognizing and embracing the beautiful and painful moments of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I Was Thinking About That Summer So Long Ago
I was reminiscing about a summer from the past
Pack Up Your Bags And Yell 'Geronimo'
Get ready to leave and yell with excitement
That Was A Golden Summer, Laughed A Lot
That summer was special, we had a lot of fun
Laughing At The Good Times Coming
Feeling happy and optimistic about the future
Laughing At The Good Times Coming In
Feeling happy and optimistic about the future
Good Times Coming, Laughing At The Good Times Coming In
Happiness and optimism for what's to come
There Was Something About The Weather, What Can I Say?
The weather was unique and hard to fully describe
Nothing Like Any Other Holiday
It was a vacation unlike any other
That Was A Silly Season, Was It The Best?
It was a fun and lighthearted time, but was it the best?
We Didn't Need The Reason, Just A Rest
We didn't have a particular reason for taking a break, we just needed rest
Happy At The Good Times Coming
Feeling happy and optimistic about the future
Happy At The Good Times Coming In
Feeling happy and optimistic about the future
Good Times Coming, Happy At The Good Times Coming In
Happiness and optimism for what's to come
I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You, I'm Loving You Now
Expressing love and affection in the present moment
There Was A Golden Summer Before The War
There was a special summer before the war started
They Laughed A Lot That Summer, Lah De Dah
They had a lot of fun and shared many laughs that summer
Feel The Sun Shine In, Shine In, Shine In. Feel The Sun Shining In On You.
Feeling the warmth and positive energy of the sun
All The Beauty, All The Pain. Will It Ever Be The Same Again?
Wondering if things will ever be as they were before, with both the beauty and the pain
If You Love Me, Show Me Now. It's The Only Way That We Know How.
Expressing the importance of showing love and affection in the present moment
Contributed by Logan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.