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.
Live And Let Die
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
But if this ever changing world in which we're living
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
(Live and let die)
What does it matter to you?
When you got a job to do
You got to do it well
You got to give the other fellow hell
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
But if this ever changing world in which we're living
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
(Live and let die)
"Live And Let Die" is a song about living life on your own terms, not allowing the world around you to dictate your decisions or make you feel small. The lyrics speak to the idea that when you were younger, you believed in living and let live, and not letting the conflicts of the world affect you. However, as we grow older, we can become disillusioned by the problems we see around us, and can be driven to tears or inaction. The song encourages the listener to embrace a powerful, independent attitude and refuse to give in to despair.
The chorus of the song repeats "Live and let die" as a mantra, calling on listeners to live fearlessly and not let fear or doubt hold them back. This idea is reinforced by the lines "What does it matter to you?/ When you got a job to do/ You got to do it well/ You got to give the other fellow hell". These lines suggest that we should focus on our responsibilities and not worry about the opinions or reactions of others. The song's message is one of empowerment and resilience, and encourages the listener to embrace their own strength and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were young and your heart was an open book
Back when you were naive and unguarded with your emotions
You used to say live and let live
You believed in tolerance and non-intervention
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
I'm reminding you of your past views
But if this ever changing world in which we're living
In light of the constantly evolving circumstances we encounter
Makes you give in and cry
If you become overwhelmed and sorrowful
Say live and let die
Just accept that certain things must come to an end
(Live and let die)
Don't dwell on what's already out of your control
Live and let die
Keep living your life and disregard external factors that may impact it
(Live and let die)
Stay focused on your own goals and ambitions
What does it matter to you?
Why should you concern yourself with these obstacles?
When you got a job to do
When you have a task to accomplish
You got to do it well
You have to execute it to the best of your abilities
You got to give the other fellow hell
Put pressure on your competition and surpass them
You used to say live and let live
You once believed in letting others flourish
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
I want to emphasize how much you've changed
But if this ever changing world in which we're living
Again, if the present circumstances alter your outlook
Makes you give in and cry
If it becomes too much to bear and you feel like giving up
Say live and let die
Just accept that loss is a natural occurrence and move on
(Live and let die)
Keep pushing forward
Live and let die
Continue on with your life, regardless of adversity
(Live and let die)
Let go of what is beyond your control
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Linda McCartney, Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind