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.
New
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's way too soon to see
What's gonna be
Don't look at me
All my life
I never knew
What I could be, what I could do
You came along
And made my life a song
One lucky day
You came along
Just in time
Well I was searching for a rock
You came along
Then we were new
We can do what we want
We can live as we choose
You see there's no guarantee
We got nothing to lose
Don't look at me
I can't deny the truth
It's plain to see
Don't look at me
All my life
I never knew
What I could be, what I could do
Then we were new
We can do what we want
We can live as we choose
You see there's no guarantee
We got nothing to lose
Don't look at me
It's way too soon to see
What's gonna be
Don't look at me
All my life
I never knew
What I could be, what I could do
Then we were new
Then we were new
Now we are new
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's song "New" are about the idea of reinvention and starting fresh. The song describes how the singer's life was directionless until they met someone who gave them purpose and made them feel inspired. The repeated refrain of "Don't look at me" suggests a desire to shy away from the past and focus on the present and future.
The first verse describes how it's too soon to know what's going to happen in the future, but there's a sense of excitement and possibility in the unknown. The second verse explains how the singer felt lost and didn't know what they were capable of until they met someone who changed everything. The choruses emphasize the freedom that comes with starting anew, and how there's nothing to lose when you're not tied down to the past.
Overall, the song is uplifting and optimistic, with a focus on the power of human connection and the potential for growth and change. It encourages the listener to embrace new beginnings and take risks, rather than getting bogged down in fear or uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't look at me
I'm not certain what will transpire, so please don't expect me to have all the answers
It's way too soon to see
It's too early to know what will come of this; let's take our time
What's gonna be
The future is uncertain and unpredictable
All my life
Throughout my entire existence
I never knew
I didn't comprehend what was possible for me
What I could be, what I could do
My potential was unclear and undefined
Then we were new
But then you arrived, and everything changed
You came along
You entered my life
And made my life a song
You transformed my existence into a beautiful melody
One lucky day
At a fortuitous moment
Just in time
Right when I needed it most
Well I was searching for a rock
I was looking for a solid foundation, for stability
We can do what we want
Together, we have the freedom to pursue our dreams
We can live as we choose
We're not constrained by anyone else's expectations
You see there's no guarantee
Life is unpredictable and precarious
We got nothing to lose
So let's take risks and see where they lead us
I can't deny the truth
I have to be honest, even if it's difficult
It's plain to see
It's obvious and evident
Then we were new
You changed my life so much that it feels like I'm a different person
Now we are new
We're still reinventing ourselves, exploring what we're capable of
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrLocochino
El mejor compositor de todos los tiempos. Sir Paul McCartney♥
@Stelios78910
Got a modern day Beatles vibe with this one, a lot of his solo work isn't usually but this one I couldn't help but smile happily.
@zuraiashvili8647
+Stelios78910 got exactly the same feeling, wish he would write more stuff like this!
@zuraiashvili8647
+Stelios78910 got exactly the same feeling, wish he would write more stuff like this!
@MgoUmk
+Stelios78910 it reminds me a little to "Go to get you into my life"
@wellingtonsc75
I agree. He probably tries so hard not write a Beatles song, but when he does, everyone loves it.
@madmau
I think the ending sounds like getting better.
@sandrafernandesdeoliveira3514
Minha filha, Livia Fernandes, aparece por 2 vezes neste vídeo maravilhoso: aos 1:34, em close (reparem o palco refletido nos olhos dela) e aos 1:40, novamente em close (reparem a chuva caindo sobre ela). Lindo! Um presente inesquecível para ela. Obrigada, Paul !!
@marcelamiranda2598
How amazing!!!!!!💖💖
@VanessaSanderPsicologa
Que sonho Sandra, sempre achei muito bacana eles mostrarem o público, é a primeira vez que vejo alguém se identificar! vou tentar encontrar ela