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.
Maybe I'm Amazed
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time
You hung me on a line
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you
Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man
Who's in the middle of something
Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman
Who could ever help me
Baby, won't you help me to understand? Ooh, ah
Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man
Who's in the middle of something
That he doesn't really understand
Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman
Who could ever help me
Baby, won't you help me to understand? Ooh, ah
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
Right me when I'm wrong
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you
Oh, oh, oh
Hey-ey-hey
Oh, oh, oh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooh
The song "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney & Wings is a love song that expresses a deep admiration for the subject of the song. The singer of the song is amazed at the way his lover loves him all the time, but at the same time, he is afraid because he is so deeply in love with this person. He is grateful for the way his lover has pulled him out of time and hung him on a line, which could be interpreted as a reference to the way his lover has kept him grounded in reality while also lifting him up spiritually. The singer acknowledges that he is a man in the middle of something that he doesn't really understand, but he is hopeful that the only woman who could help him understand is his lover.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty as the singer grapples with his feelings for his lover. He recognizes the power his lover holds over him and how much he needs her in his life. The repetition of the line "Maybe I'm amazed" emphasizes the singer's sense of wonder and awe at his own emotions.
Overall, "Maybe I'm Amazed" is a heartfelt tribute to the power of love and the transformative effect it can have on a person. It's a song that many people can relate to and it continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
I am incredibly impressed and in awe of the consistent and constant love that you show me.
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
I might be scared of the intensity of the feelings I have for you.
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time
I am astonished by how you have removed me from the past and the future and made me fully present in the moment with you.
You hung me on a line
You have put me in a position of vulnerability and uncertainty by making me wait for your decision or attention.
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you
I am shocked by how deeply I rely on you and how central you have become to my life.
Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man
I may be an adult, but I could still feel isolated and alone.
Who's in the middle of something
I find myself in the midst of a situation that I am not quite sure how to navigate or understand.
That he doesn't really understand
I feel confused and uncertain about what is happening to me at this moment.
Maybe I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman
It is possible that I have finally found the only woman who could ever provide me with the support and love that I need.
Who could ever help me
You have the ability to provide me with the assistance and guidance that I could not find anywhere else.
Baby, won't you help me to understand? Ooh, ah
My dear, would you please assist me in comprehending and making sense of everything that I am going through right now?
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time
I am astounded by how you are consistently by my side and are always there to support me.
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you
I may be frightened of how my actions or decisions could unintentionally harm or negatively affect you.
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
I am stunned by how you inspire and empower me to express myself and my emotions through my art.
Right me when I'm wrong
You have the ability to correct me and set me on the right path when I stumble or make mistakes.
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you
I am taken aback by how much I require you in my life and the impact that you have had on me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geoffrobson23
Music and lyrics by Paul McCartney
Lead vocals: Paul McCartney
Backing vocals: Paul McCartney
Guitar: Paul McCartney
Bass: Paul McCartney
Piano: Paul McCartney
Organ: Paul McCartney
Drums: Paul McCartney
Best Musician of my lifetime: Paul McCartney
@1985indeed
I don't always get along with my mother.
It's complicated, but it is what it is. We don't always see eye to eye.
I am 37. My mother is now 60. In 2015, I took her to see McCartney at London 02 on the second night. My 6th McCartney gig but her first.
It was such an emotional bonding experience for the two of us, and I feel one of my favourite memories of the two of us. Being older than me, she grew up not only knowing the Beatles, but also McCartney's solo music and Wings. I will never forget him playing this song, with these visuals, and seeing her cracking up and getting extremely emotional to this song.
Such priceless memories. Testament to the power of this man songs and how he can connect with the human emotions in all of us, and bring us together despite what differences we may have.
Thank you, Paul.
@Buddycoop1
For all the craziness of being a Beatles he's a good and down to earth guy. He adopts Linda's oldest daughter, great father, great friend to Julian Lennon and hung out with him when Julian was little, never was violent, always made us feel better with his songs, an animal and wild life protector, and definitely made the world a better place.
@ThaKunzlermichael
Succinct.....never ever violent...how refreshing, sane
@tonycoppin5734
I’ll even forgive him for the meat free Monday’s clip. Thanks Macca for a lifetime of truly great songwriting arranging and human positivity. X
@gwencampus5691
Wow, your comment honestly made me respect him even MORE! It’s good to know that he’s actually good people.
@retpraetorianmutineer
The first Paul McCartney malfunctioned and blew his brains out in a car. John wrote a song about him called "a day in the life". Wonder if the original Paul or Faul as the band called him could have written "baby you amaze me".
@skylordowl792
@@retpraetorianmutineer haha thats a pretty funny joke
@fortherecord1569
"Best thing I ever saw, was a man who loved his wife" - Paul McCartney
@playbackvintagehifihunter9669
For the Record Peace in the Neighbourhood 🙏🙏🙏
@althealligator1467
No comma
@rossieroman3642
The love that they had for each other was something beautiful