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.
Promise to You Girl
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time to sweep the fallen leaves away
[Chorus:]
Like the sun that rises every day
We can chase the dark clouds from the sky
I gave my promise to you girl, I don't want to take it back
That is why, I gave my promise to you girl
Hey why wait another day, that won't get us anywhere
All the time, that ain't changed, to repair this brave old world
We'll be up, I gave my promise to you girl
[Chorus]
Everything single second of our life
We can use to chase the clouds away
Well, there's no more barking up the tree, no more howling at the moon
Same old scene, you and I, diving for the deepest trust
That is why, I gave my promise to you girl
[Chorus]
Looking through the backyard of my life
Time to sweep the fallen leaves away
In McCartney's song, "Promise To You Girl," he describes his realization of life's fleeting nature as he gazes through the backyard of his life. The imagery of fallen leaves and the desire to sweep them away symbolizes his desire for change and progression. This progress can be achieved with the promise he made to his loved one, the promise that they will stand by each other's side and change the world. This is juxtaposed with the idea that waiting for change won't get them anywhere. McCartney urges his partner to take action and use every second of life to chase the clouds (symbolizing negativity) away.
The song's chorus reinforces this message of hope and perseverance. McCartney sings that every day, like the sun that rises, they have the power to chase the dark clouds from the sky. The final verse highlights the importance of trust in their relationship. McCartney implores that they no longer need to bark up the tree, or howling at the moon, to achieve fulfilment. They instead dive for the deepest trust, fulfilling their promise to each other.
Overall, "Promise To You Girl" is a plea for change, a call to take action and to stand by loved ones' sides. It's a song that holds hope for a better world, one in which every second of life is used to chase the clouds away.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking through the backyard of my life
Reflecting on my past experiences and actions
Time to sweep the fallen leaves away
It's time to leave the past behind and move on
Like the sun that rises every day
We have the power to bring light and positivity into the world
We can chase the dark clouds from the sky
We can overcome challenges and obstacles with determination and perseverance
I gave my promise to you girl, I don't want to take it back
I made a commitment to you and I want to keep it
You and me, side by side, We know how to change the world
Together, we are capable of making a positive impact in the world
Hey why wait another day, that won't get us anywhere
We need to take action now, rather than waiting for the perfect moment
All the time, that ain't changed, to repair this brave old world
The world is in need of repair, and it's up to us to step up and make a change
We'll be up, I gave my promise to you girl
We'll rise to the challenge and make a difference
Everything single second of our life
Every moment in life has value and can be used for good
We can use to chase the clouds away
We have the power to bring positivity and optimism into the world
Well, there's no more barking up the tree, no more howling at the moon
There's no point in wasting time on unproductive or impossible pursuits
Same old scene, you and I, diving for the deepest trust
We've been through this before, but we are still striving to build a stronger and deeper connection
That is why, I gave my promise to you girl
My commitment to you is unwavering and meaningful
Everything single second of our life
Every moment in life has value and can be used for good
We can use to chase the clouds away
We have the power to bring positivity and optimism into the world
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind