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.
Rough Ride
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I needed something, that would be there in the end
On a rough ride to heaven
Want to get inside, what will I do?
On a rough ride to heaven
I want to get inside to be with you
I knew you'd help me, I knew you could
On a rough ride to heaven
Want to get inside, what will I do?
On a rough ride to heaven
I want to get inside, to be with you
I'm not asking for an easy passage
So I hope you understand
I'm not after any special treatment
But I wouldn't mind a hand
On a rough ride, on a rough ride
On a rough ride, on a rough ride
On a rough ride to heaven
Want to get inside, what will I do?
The lyrics of Paul McCartney's song Rough Ride evoke a sense of vulnerability and the need for companionship. McCartney starts by admitting he is in need of love and a friend, emphasizing the importance of having someone or something reliable in our lives. He repeats the phrase "On a rough ride to heaven" several times, suggesting that he may be going through a difficult time in his life, perhaps a personal or spiritual crisis. Despite this, he remains hopeful and wants to find a way to connect with someone he cares about.
Throughout the song, McCartney makes it clear that he is willing to work hard to achieve his goal of being with this person, expressing his determination to "get inside." At the same time, he is not asking for an easy passage or special treatment, but simply acknowledges the fact that he could use a hand. The repetition of the phrase "on a rough ride" serves to reinforce the idea that life is not always easy, but that we can find comfort in our relationships with others.
Overall, the lyrics to Rough Ride capture the ups and downs of life, as well as the importance of human connection in navigating difficult times. The song seems to suggest that, despite the challenges we face, we can find meaning and fulfillment in the relationships we cultivate with others.
Line by Line Meaning
I needed loving, needed a friend
I was feeling alone and in need of someone to love me and be there for me.
I needed something, that would be there in the end
I wanted something or someone that would last and be there for me through thick and thin.
On a rough ride to heaven
Life has been difficult for me lately.
Want to get inside, what will I do?
I want to find a way to make things better and feel more at peace.
I want to get inside to be with you
My goal is to be close to the person I trust and care about.
I knew you'd help me, I knew you could
I have faith in the person who helps me through tough times.
You knew I didn't want to be misunderstood
You understand me and the things I need for emotional support.
I'm not asking for an easy passage
I don't expect life to be easy, but I still need help getting through its tough patches.
So I hope you understand
I hope you get where I'm coming from and what I need.
I'm not after any special treatment
I don't want or need anything above and beyond basic love and support.
But I wouldn't mind a hand
I could use some help, even if it's just a little.
On a rough ride, on a rough ride
Life has been really tough for me.
On a rough ride to heaven
I'm hoping things will get better in the end, even if it's tough going now.
Want to get inside, what will I do?
I'm trying to figure out what I need to do next to make things easier.
On a rough ride to heaven
I'm still struggling, but I'm hoping for a smooth landing eventually.
I want to get inside, to be with you
I know that being close to the person I love will help me weather this difficult time.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Snell
So many great songs by Paul.. so under-rated by some.
Maria Helena Sanichar
Sempre maravilhoso ❤
Bill Moriarty
Another great, little recognized song. Too bad he doesn't play it in concert any more.
Nicholas Porter
1:04 I needed loving, I needed a friend I needed something that would be there in the end of the rough ride to Heaven
Mcborregal
Del Get Back DVD. Antes era un Laser Disc dificil de conseguir. Exelente Cancion del Album Flowers In The Dirt. Un Buen Dvd para presumir al Maestro Macca. Saludos a todos los fans
Brian Shaw
One of the Worlds Greatest Musicians !! * * * *
Fabio Della Cava
great song, one of the greatest of Pauil, reat voice...PAUL ROCKS
tkmvideo
Senza dubbio il migliore gruppo di Paul dopo i Beatles ...
Daniel Olson
This is a, for Sir Paul, unsually funky tune with some jazzy harmonies going on. On the other hand Paul i believe was the most openminded of the 4 musically speaking. Add some smooth and kinda funky tenor sax here and the song would've been even better in my opinion!
ystrianka
''...hola españa, chau roma...'' es él quien lo dice, no? buena cancion EH!!!