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
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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, ho hey ho
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 of hurrying?
Leave me alone Mrs Vanderbilt
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 one the wane
You don't complain of robbery, ah no
Run away don't bother me
What's the use of worrying? (no use)
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? (no use)
What's the use of anything?
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
Ho hey ho, ho hey ho
The lyrics of "Mrs. Vandebilt" by Paul McCartney & Wings describe a carefree life in the jungle, away from the materialistic and hustle-bustle of the modern world. The singer talks about living in a tent, not using money, not paying rent and not worrying about time. He questions the point of worrying and hurrying when one's light is on the blink or when the bus has left the stop. In the chorus, the singer pleads with "Mrs. Vandebilt" and "Mrs. Washington" to leave him alone as he has plenty of time of his own.
The song seems to suggest that people who are constantly worrying and hurrying through life could benefit from slowing down and living a simpler life like that of the jungle. It also hints at the idea of being content with what one has instead of always looking for more.
Interestingly, "Mrs. Vandebilt" and "Mrs. Washington" were not people that Paul McCartney knew personally. He later revealed that he had randomly come up with the names while writing the song and had no particular reference in mind. The song is reportedly based on a real incident where the McCartneys encountered a family living in a roadside circus tent during their time in New Orleans.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the jungle, living in a tent
Living a simple life in isolation from the materialistic world
You don't use money, you don't pay rent
Living a self-sustainable life where money is not required to manage expenses
You don't ever know the time
Living in a state of detachment where time is not a priority
But you don't mind
Living contentedly in the current state of life, without any grudges
What's the use of worrying?
It's pointless to worry about things that are not in our control
When your light is on the blink
When things are not working optimally
You never think of worrying
Worrying does not help in fixing the issue
When your bus has left the stop
When the opportunity has passed
You'd better drop your hurrying
Hurry won't bring back the lost opportunity
Leave me alone Mrs Vanderbilt
Trying to distance from the chaos and fast life of the city
I've got plenty of time of my own
Comfortable with the current pace of life and not in a rush to reach anywhere
When your pile is on the wane
When wealth starts to decline
You don't complain of robbery, ah no
Not complaining about losing wealth
Run away don't bother me
Not ready to deal with problems and attempting to escape them
Leave me alone Mrs Washington
Trying to escape from the hectic lifestyle and responsibilities of the city
I've done plenty of time on my own
Been living life independently without the need for external stimuli
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LINDA MCCARTNEY, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind