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 ÂŁ800 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.
Here There and Everywhere
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making each day of the year
Changing my life with a wave of her hand
Nobody can deny that there's something there, there
Running my hands through her hair
Both of us thinking how good it can be
Someone is speaking
I need her everywhere
And if she's beside me
I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes
And hoping I'm always there
I want her everywhere
And if she's beside me
I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes
And hoping I'm always there
I will be here, there and everywhere
Here, there and everywhere
The song Here There and Everywhere is a beautiful love song that showcases Paul McCartney's songwriting prowess. In the first verse, McCartney expresses his desire to find love and have his own partner who can change his life by merely waving her hand. He believes that this love will make every day of the year meaningful, which is an emotional and relatable message. In the second verse, McCartney describes the depth of his love and how being with his partner makes him feel complete. He explains how he wants her to be with him at all times and how loving her means needing her presence everywhere.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of love and how it's something we need in our lives every day. McCartney's beautiful lyrics reflect on how being in love is a shared experience, where both partners believe that love never dies. In the final lines of the song, McCartney pledges his commitment to his partner by saying he will always be there for her- here, there, and everywhere.
Line by Line Meaning
To lead a better life, I need a love of my own here
In order to improve my life, I require a love that belongs solely to me, right here.
Making each day of the year
This love should last throughout the entire year and bring joy to each day.
Changing my life with a wave of her hand
The love I seek has the power to transform my life with just a simple gesture.
Nobody can deny that there's something there, there
It's evident to anyone that a special bond exists between us.
Running my hands through her hair
I delight in caressing her hair with my hands.
Both of us thinking how good it can be
We imagine how amazing our life together will feel.
Someone is speaking
There are words being spoken nearby.
But she doesn't know he's there
However, my attention is solely directed towards her, and I do not notice the other person.
I need her everywhere
I feel a constant desire for her presence in all aspects of my life.
And if she's beside me
If she happens to be with me physically,
I know I need never care
there's no cause for worry or concern because her presence is enough to bring me contentment.
But to love her is to need her everywhere
However, it's essential to note that loving her means continually craving her companionship.
Knowing that love is to share
An integral part of love that I understand is sharing and giving of oneself.
Each one believing that love never dies
We both hold the conviction that true love is eternal.
Watching her eyes
I observe her gaze intently.
And hoping I'm always there
My sincere desire is to always be by her side, where she can feel my presence and my love.
I want her everywhere
I yearn to have her in all aspects of my life.
And if she's beside me
If she's with me at the moment,
I know I need never care
I have no cause for concern because her nearness is enough for me.
But to love her is to need her everywhere
However, I understand that loving her intensely necessitates a constant yearning for her presence.
Knowing that love is to share
I recognize that authentic love entails sharing one's innermost being with another.
Each one believing that love never dies
Both parties have the conviction that genuine love can never be snuffed out.
Watching her eyes
I take delight in gazing into her eyes.
And hoping I'm always there
I hope to remain by her side always and forever.
I will be here, there and everywhere
I will be ever-present for her, no matter where she may find herself.
Here, there and everywhere
My devotion to her surpasses physical boundaries and restrictions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gordon Irvine
For me, one of the most beautiful songs ever written or performed
KaĂŻssa Doumbe
I concur⊠it might ces me to the chore of my being
Sunflower_Daisy
Yes, they are.
Elise Pentz
100%!
Artistic Skillz
Pauls voice peaked in like the 80's. I think he sounded great in the 80's
Brent
70s & 60s also great sound
Fata faelasuf
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mgdoble
@Egor Chebotarev đ€ŁWings, the band the Beatles could have been.
Sachin Nishil
In an interview, Paul said that John and Paul were very competitive with regards to lyric writing.
John almost never complimented Paul, and this was the only song that John openly admitted to liking.
Crijn
John was an ....