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.
Mr. Bellamy
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what you do
I like it up here without you
Go light, Mr. Bellamy
We'll have you down soon
No one to tell me what to do
Bellamy's got a lot to do
And I hope that you'll understand
Nobody here to spoil the view
Interfere with my plans
Bellamy's got a job to do
And he's hoping you'll understand
Steady lads
And easy does it
Ooh, don't frighten him!
Here we go...
I'm not coming down
No matter what you say
I like it up here anyway
Sit tight, Mr. Bellamy
This shouldn't take long
In the delusionary state (Easy)
No wonder he's been feeling strange of late (Easy)
Nobody here to spoil the view
Interfere with my plans
Bellamy's got a job to do
And he's hoping you'll understand
Steady lads
Easy does it
Don't frighten him!
Here we go...
Here we go...
I'm not coming down
No matter what you do
I like it up here without you
Come down, come down, come down, come down to me
Come down, come down, come down, come down to me
Come down, come down, come down, come down to me
Come down
The song "Mr. Bellamy" by Paul McCartney is an interesting reflection on the benefits of being alone and the freedom it provides. The singer of the song, who has climbed to a high place where they are out of reach, declares that they are not coming down because they like it up there without anyone else. The recurring phrase "Bellamy's got a job to do, and he's hoping you'll understand" suggests that the singer is using the alias of Mr. Bellamy to distance themselves from the people who might be trying to get them to come down. They are not interested in being told what to do or having anyone hold their hand. They are happy to be alone and free.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not coming down
I have no intention of coming down from my current state or position.
No matter what you do
Despite any efforts or actions you take, I will not change my mind.
I like it up here without you
I prefer being in my current state or position without your presence or influence.
Go light, Mr. Bellamy
Handle with care, Mr. Bellamy, as we prepare to make a change.
We'll have you down soon
We'll soon be able to bring you down to a new place or position.
No one to tell me what to do
I am free from any guidance or direction from others.
No one to hold my hand
I am independent and need no assistance or support from others.
Bellamy's got a lot to do
There is a task or responsibility that Mr. Bellamy must fulfill.
And I hope that you'll understand
I wish for you to comprehend or sympathize with the situation at hand.
Nobody here to spoil the view
There are no individuals here to ruin or diminish my perspective or outlook.
Interfere with my plans
No one present who could obstruct, meddle or disrupt my goals or intentions.
Steady lads
Be stable and composed in your movements.
And easy does it
Take it easy, slowly and carefully, with no sudden movements.
Ooh, don't frighten him!
Be careful not to alarm or scare Mr. Bellamy with any sudden noises or movements.
Here we go...
We are about to begin the process of change or alteration.
Sit tight, Mr. Bellamy
Remain calm and still, Mr. Bellamy, as we prepare for change.
This shouldn't take long
The process of change should be brief or quick.
In the delusionary state (Easy)
In a state of irrational or false belief or perception, but take it easy.
No wonder he's been feeling strange of late (Easy)
It is understandable why he has been experiencing unusual or odd sensations or feelings recently, but stay calm.
Steady lads
Be stable and composed in your movements.
Easy does it
Take it easy, slowly and carefully, with no sudden movements.
Don't frighten him!
Ensure that Mr. Bellamy is not alarmed or scared during this process.
Here we go...
We are commencing the process of change or alteration.
Come down, come down, come down, come down to me
I request that you change your current state or position and come closer to me.
Come down
I ask for you to descend or lower yourself from your current position.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind