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.
I Don't Know
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't think I can take any more
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
My brother told me, "life's not a pain"
That was right when it started to rain
Where am I going wrong? I don't know
But it's alright, sleep tight
You're fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain
Well, I see trouble at every turn
I've got so many lessons to learn
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me?
Am I right? Am I wrong?
Now I started to see
I must try to be strong
I try to love you best as I can
But you know that I'm only a man
Why am I going wrong? I don't know
Mmm, yeah, mmm
Oh, woah, woah, woah, mhmm
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
Yeah, you're fine, little love of mine
You will feel no pain
I got crows at my window and dogs at my door
But I don't think I can take anymore
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
In "I Don't Know," Paul McCartney sings about his own feeling of anxiety and uncertainty in life. The opening line, "I got crows at my window, dogs at my door," suggests a sense of ominousness and fear. McCartney is feeling overwhelmed and is not sure what he is doing wrong. In seeking answers, he turns to his brother, who tells him that life is not all pain. But just when he thinks there is hope, it starts to rain, and McCartney again wonders what he is doing wrong.
Throughout the song, McCartney introspectively questions himself, trying to figure out what is wrong with him. He admits to having so many lessons to learn and sees trouble at every turn. He implores himself to be strong and to love his partner the best he can, but acknowledges his own limitations as a mere mortal man. Despite this, he reassures his partner that he will take the strain and that she will feel no pain.
Overall, the song reflects the inherent anxiety and confusion that most people feel about their lives from time to time. McCartney's introspective lyrics combined with his signature musical style create an emotionally powerful song that is both relatable and deeply personal.
Line by Line Meaning
I got crows at my window, dogs at my door
My life is chaotic, and it's overwhelming
I don't think I can take any more
I feel like I'm at the end of my rope
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
I'm struggling to understand why my life is so difficult
My brother told me, "life's not a pain"
Someone close to me tried to comfort me with platitudes
That was right when it started to rain
Bad things happened right after someone tried to comfort me
Where am I going wrong? I don't know
I'm still struggling to understand why my life is so difficult
But it's alright, sleep tight
Despite my struggles, things will eventually be okay
I will take the strain
I'll get through this difficult time on my own
You're fine, love of mine
I care about someone deeply and want them to be okay
You will feel no pain
I'll protect the person I care about from harm
Well, I see trouble at every turn
I'm constantly encountering difficulties
I've got so many lessons to learn
I know I need to grow and change to overcome my struggles
Now what's the matter with me?
I'm questioning myself and my choices
Am I right? Am I wrong?
I'm unsure about whether I'm making the right decisions
Now I started to see
I'm starting to understand my situation better
I must try to be strong
I need to summon my inner strength to get through this
I try to love you best as I can
I'm doing my best to show someone I care about them
But you know that I'm only a man
I'm acknowledging that I have limits and can make mistakes
Why am I going wrong? I don't know
I'm still struggling to understand why my life is so difficult
Mmm, yeah, mmm
A moment of introspective thought
Oh, woah, woah, woah, mhmm
A moment of emotional expression
Now what's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
I'm still questioning myself and searching for answers
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
I'm still feeling uncertain and confused about my situation
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
I'm still searching for clarity in my situation
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frankie D
I got crows at my window, dogs at my door
I don't think I can take any more
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
My brother told me, "life's not a pain"
That was right when it started to rain
Where am I going wrong? I don't know
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
You're fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain
Well, I see trouble at every turn
I've got so many lessons to learn
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me?
Am I right? Am I wrong?
Now I started to see
I must try to be strong
I try to love you best as I can
But you know that I'm only a man
Why am I going wrong? I don't know
Mmm, yeah, mmm
Oh, woah, woah, woah, mhmm
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
Yeah, you're fine, little love of mine
You will feel no pain
I got crows at my window and dogs at my door
But I don't think I can take anymore
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
ANTONY VILLENUEVE
I got crows at my window, dogs at my door
I don't think I can take any more
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
My brother told me, "life's not a pain"
That was right when it started to rain
Where am I going wrong? I don't know
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
You're fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain
Well, I see trouble at every turn
I've got so many lessons to learn
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me?
Am I right? Am I wrong?
Now I started to see
I must try to be strong
I try to love you best as I can
But you know that I'm only a man
Why am I going wrong? I don't know
Mmm, yeah, mmm
Oh, woah, woah, woah, mhmm
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
Yeah, you're fine, little love of mine
You will feel no pain
I got crows at my window and dogs at my door
But I don't think I can take anymore
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't knowI got crows at my window, dogs at my door
I don't think I can take any more
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
My brother told me, "life's not a pain"
That was right when it started to rain
Where am I going wrong? I don't know
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
You're fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain
Well, I see trouble at every turn
I've got so many lessons to learn
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me?
Am I right? Am I wrong?
Now I started to see
I must try to be strong
I try to love you best as I can
But you know that I'm only a man
Why am I going wrong? I don't know
Mmm, yeah, mmm
Oh, woah, woah, woah, mhmm
But it's alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
Yeah, you're fine, little love of mine
You will feel no pain
I got crows at my window and dogs at my door
But I don't think I can take anymore
What am I doing wrong? I don't know
Now what's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
What's the matter with me? I don't know, I don't know
Anthony
Can we just appreciate every day we have left of Paul McCartney? He's 76 years old and still makes beautiful music. It's truly amazing.
David Bowman
Now bearing down on 80. A global treasure.
Johnny B Goode.
Soon to be 80, and with another great album released in 2020:) The man is unstoppable! God bless Paul.
Stephen Belcher
Love CThrall
Stephen Belcher
Too Thrall
Tom Hays
Hearing a new song from him is like a call from an old dear friend
𝚂𝚒𝚛20𝚑𝚣
Its not often i can hear much music. But my whole life its been a source of inspiration.
Charles Patrick
lol
Worldinpeace Music
Safic music
Ralph Jackson
Sweet.