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.
Mrs. Vandebilt
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't use money, you don't pay rent
You don't ever know the time
But you don't mind
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
When your light is on the blink
You never think of worrying
What's the use of worrying?
When your bus has left the stop
You'd better drop your hurrying
What's the use of hurrying?
Leave me alone Mrs. Vandebilt
I've got plenty of time of my own
What's the use of worrying?
What's the use of hurrying?
What's the use of anything?
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
What's the use of worrying?
What's the use of hurrying?
What's the use of anything?
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
When your pile is on the wane
You don't complain of robbery
Run away don't bother me
What's the use of worrying?
What's the use of anything?
Leave me alone Mrs. Washington
I've done plenty of time on my own
What's the use of worrying?
What's the use of hurrying?
What's the use of anything?
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
...
The lyrics of Paul McCartney And Wings's song Mrs Vandebilt paint the picture of people living a carefree life in the jungle, where they don't have to worry about money or time. They are living in a tent and don't have access to the luxuries of modern life, but they don't mind. The song seems to be a celebration of the simple life, where worries and troubles fade away, and everything seems to be okay.
The chorus of the song provides a clear message that there is no use in worrying or being in a hurry. The lyrics suggest that it is better to live in the moment and not worry about the future. The song seems to encourage a carefree attitude towards life and a willingness to let go of the things that we might normally worry about.
Overall, the song Mrs Vandebilt is a catchy and infectious celebration of the simple life. Its upbeat melody and optimistic lyrics make it a feel-good song that encourages listeners to let go of their worries and enjoy life.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the jungle, living in a tent
Living a simple, hassle-free life in the wilderness under basic conditions
You don't use money, you don't pay rent
Not participating in the standard societal system of money and ownership
You don't ever know the time
Not being bound by schedules or obligations to timekeeping
But you don't mind
Being content and at peace with this way of living
Ho, hey ho
Repetitive nonsensical phrase with no specific meaning
When your light is on the blink
When things are going wrong or not working properly
You never think of worrying
Choosing not to get anxious or stressed over minor issues
What's the use of worrying?
Rhetorical question to emphasize futility of unnecessary worry
When your bus has left the stop
When you've missed an opportunity or lost out on something you wanted
You'd better drop your hurrying
Letting go of the idea of rushing to catch up or make up for missed opportunities
Leave me alone Mrs. Vandebilt
Requesting to be left alone by someone who represents the conventional, status quo way of life
I've got plenty of time of my own
Having enough time and freedom to do things at one's own pace
What's the use of anything?
Questioning the value or purpose of anything beyond basic survival and contentment
When your pile is on the wane
When one's resources or possessions are running low
You don't complain of robbery
Despite adversity, choosing not to feel victimized or helpless
Run away don't bother me
Preferring to avoid confrontations or negative situations that disrupt one's contentment
Leave me alone Mrs. Washington
Again, asking to be left alone by someone who represents the conventional, status quo way of life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LINDA MCCARTNEY`, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind