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.
People Want Peace
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ladies and gentlemen
Standing before you with something important to say
With some trepidation, I crave your attention but
I'm not gonna let anything get my way
The message is simple, it's straight from my heart
And I know that you've heard it before
And I'm not quitting while people are crying for more
People want peace
People want peace
A simple release from their suffering
People want peace
People want peace
Nothing in life is as sad as the lonely, so
Searching for peers
Wanting to find
disappointment is waiting behind every door that we open
We catch, we release
Our brothers and sisters, I beg you to listen
I know that it isn't too late
For we as the people, the voices of freedom
We're all home to be clipped, but we don't wanna wait
People want peace
People want peace
A simple release from their suffering
People want peace
A-people want peace
People want peace
People want peace
Yes, we want peace
People want peace
People want peace
The song "People Want Peace" by Paul McCartney is his call for unity and peace in a world full of chaos and turmoil. In the song, McCartney urges people to look beyond their own self-interests and focus on the greater good for all. He acknowledges that the message may be familiar to listeners, but he believes that it is worth repeating because people are still suffering.
The first verse of the song reveals McCartney's reluctance to be in the spotlight, but his passion and determination to deliver his message of peace is stronger. He acknowledges that the audience has probably heard similar messages before, but he insists that the need for peace is urgent and that he won't give up until people are crying for more.
The chorus of the song reinforces the message of the song. McCartney states that people want peace and that it is a simple release from their suffering. He repeats the phrase "people want peace" to emphasize the importance of the message.
Overall, "People Want Peace" is a plea for humanity to come together and work towards a common goal of peace. McCartney believes that people can achieve this together as long as they are willing to listen and act.
Line by Line Meaning
Ladies and gentlemen
Addressing the audience
Standing before you with something important to say
Introducing the message as important and significant
With some trepidation, I crave your attention but
Expressing nervousness but also eagerness to be heard
I'm not gonna let anything get my way
Asserting determination to deliver the message
The message is simple, it's straight from my heart
Explaining that the message is straightforward and heartfelt
And I know that you've heard it before
Recognizing that the message may not be new
But what does it matter, we're in it together
Emphasizing the importance of unity and common purpose
And I'm not quitting while people are crying for more
Committing to continue the effort as long as people need it
People want peace
Affirming the universal human desire for peace
People want peace
Repeating the message for emphasis
A simple release from their suffering
Describing the desired outcome of peace as relief from pain
Nothing in life is as sad as the lonely, so
Introducing a contrast between loneliness and community
Searching for peers
Describing the human quest for connection and belonging
Wanting to find
Continuing the idea of seeking fulfillment
disappointment is waiting behind every door that we open
Acknowledging the challenges and setbacks that can come with seeking fulfillment
We catch, we release
Offering a hopeful, zen-like perspective on the ups and downs of life
Our brothers and sisters, I beg you to listen
Making an emotional appeal to the audience
I know that it isn't too late
Expressing optimism and hope
For we as the people, the voices of freedom
Identifying the audience as advocates for freedom and justice
We're all home to be clipped, but we don't wanna wait
Recognizing the vulnerability and fragility of human life, while also emphasizing the urgency of the quest for peace
Yes, we want peace
Affirming the message one last time before ending the song
People want peace
Final repetition of the chorus
People want peace
Final repetition of the chorus
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind