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.
Movie Magg
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
OH, IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
OH, CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
I ONLY SEE HER ONCE A WEEK
AND IT'S WHEN MY WORK IS THROUGH.
I BREAK NEW GROUND THE WHOLE WEEK LONG
BUT MY MIND'S SET STRAIGHT ON YOU.
AND I POLISHED UP MY OLD HORSE BECK,
AND SHE LOOKS GOOD, I KNOW.
SO CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
NOW WON'T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE SHOW
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
OH, IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
SO CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
DOO-DOO,
DOO-DOO,
DOO-DOO.
WELL, I BREAK NEW GROUND ALL WEEK LONG
WITH MY MIND'S SET STRAIGHT ON YOU.
AND EV'RY TIME I TRY TO SMILE
MY HEART IT BREAKS IN TWO.
I SLICK MYSELF FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
'CAUSE THERE'S ONE THING I KNOW
I'M GONNA TAKE MY MAGGIE DEAR
TO THE WESTERN PICTURE SHOW.
NOW WON'T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE SHOW
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
AND IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
OH, CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
Lyrics By Mickjagger43
The song "Movie Magg" by Paul McCartney is a love song with a simple storyline. The lyrics follow a man who wants to take his love, Magg, to the movies. He explains that he doesn't dislike her house, but he feels uncomfortable with the man and the shotgun that is waiting for him there. He wants to take her to the movies to hold her hand and avoid any confrontation. The man reminisces waiting to see Magg, whom he only sees once a week when he finishes his work. The lyrics reveal that the man's mind is constantly on Magg, and he has polished his old horse Becky to take her to the movies.
The song's tone is light-hearted and romantic, but the lyrics' subtle remarks reveal the man's fear of Magg's house and the danger that lies there. The line "I slick myself for Saturday night 'cause there's one thing I know" indicates that he is worried and trying to impress Magg, showing the importance she has in his life. The simplicity of the lyrics creates an endearing quality, but hidden beneath the words is a story of love, fear, and protection. "Movie Magg" is a sweet love song that tells a story of a man's desire to be with his love and his willingness to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Line by Line Meaning
NOW, LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE MOVIES, MAGG,
The singer wants to take Magg to the movies and hold her hand.
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
The singer wants physical contact with Magg at the movie theater.
OH, IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
The singer doesn't dislike Magg's house.
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
The artist dislikes another man.
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
The artist is afraid of the other man's gun.
OH, CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
The singer suggests riding on horseback to the movies.
I ONLY SEE HER ONCE A WEEK
AND IT'S WHEN MY WORK IS THROUGH.
The singer only sees Magg once a week, after work.
I BREAK NEW GROUND THE WHOLE WEEK LONG
BUT MY MIND'S SET STRAIGHT ON YOU.
The artist is preoccupied with thoughts of Magg while working.
AND I POLISHED UP MY OLD HORSE BECK,
AND SHE LOOKS GOOD, I KNOW.
The artist groomed the horse before the movie date.
SO CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
The artist repeats the idea of riding on horseback to the movies.
NOW WON'T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE SHOW
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
The singer repeats his desire to hold hands at the movie theater.
AND IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
The artist reiterates his dislike for the other man and his gun.
DOO-DOO,
DOO-DOO,
DOO-DOO.
This part has no meaning, just a musical interlude.
WELL, I BREAK NEW GROUND ALL WEEK LONG
WITH MY MIND'S SET STRAIGHT ON YOU.
The singer is still preoccupied with thoughts of Magg while working.
AND EV'RY TIME I TRY TO SMILE
MY HEART IT BREAKS IN TWO.
The singer is unhappy when Magg is not around.
I SLICK MYSELF FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
'CAUSE THERE'S ONE THING I KNOW
I'M GONNA TAKE MY MAGGIE DEAR
TO THE WESTERN PICTURE SHOW.
The artist looks forward to taking Magg to a western movie on Saturday night.
NOW WON'T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE SHOW
SO I CAN HOLD YOUR HAND.
The artist repeats his desire to hold hands at the movie theater.
AND IT AIN'T THAT I DON'T LIKE YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S JUST THAT DOGGONE MAN
AND THAT DOUBLE BARREL BEHIND THE DOOR
THAT WAITS FOR ME, I KNOW.
The singer again expresses his dislike of the other man and the gun.
OH, CLIMB UPON OLD BECKY'S BACK
AND LET'S RIDE TO THE PICTURE SHOW.
The singer restates his plan to ride on horseback to the movies.
Lyrics © WRENSONG PUBLISHING CORP.
Written by: Carl Perkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind