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.
Save Us
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not hard to please
And the only thing I'm asking is return is something
You can give with Ease
Keep on sending your love
In the heat of battle
You've got something that'll save us
I've got the feeling of a jungle rhythm beating in me
When I'm close to you
I don't really want to ask for many flavors
But there's something you can do
Keep on sending your love
In the heat of battle
You've got something that'll save us
Save us now
Ohhhhhh
You're my woman
Ohhhhhh
Keep it coming
You got something that can save us, save us, save us
Keep on sending your love
In the heat of battle
You've got something that'll save us
Save us now
Save us now
Save us now
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's song Save Us are a love song containing themes of trust, mutual respect and appreciation. The verses explain how the persona would try to give the woman in question all she wants or needs and only asks for something in return if it is something she can give with ease. This shows a level of selflessness and understanding from the persona towards the woman.
The choruses on the other hand talks about the power of the love between the two individuals in question. The phrase "sending your love in the heat of battle" suggests that the relationship is not without its conflicts and hardships, but it is the love shared between them that is powerful enough to save them. The last chorus ends with the words "save us now" repeated multiple times, expressing the urgency of the situation and their need for each other's love.
Overall, the song is a testament to the strength and power of love in the face of challenges and difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
I can try to give you everything you ever wanted
I am willing to do everything I can to fulfill your desires
You're not hard to please
You are not a complicated person to satisfy
And the only thing I'm asking is return is something
All I want in return is something that you can easily give
You can give with ease
Something that you can give effortlessly
Keep on sending your love
Continue to show your love and affection
In the heat of battle
During times of struggle or difficulty
You've got something that'll save us
There is something that you possess that can help us
Save us now
We need help immediately
I've got the feeling of a jungle rhythm beating in me
I am filled with an intense energy and passion
When I'm close to you
Being in your presence inspires me
I don't really want to ask for many flavors
I do not have many specific requests
But there's something you can do
However, there is something you can do to help
You're my woman
You are the love of my life
Keep it coming
Continue to do what you are doing
You got something that can save us, save us, save us
You possess something valuable that can rescue us from our current situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL EPWORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Javier Lacoma
❤️❤️❤️❤️ TIO PAUL ❤️❤️❤️❤️ :
PLEASE, SIGUE ENVIÁNDONOS TU
MÚSICA Y TU AMOR
EN EL FRAGOR DE LA BATALLA DE LA VIDA..
TIENES ALGO QUE NOS SALVARÁ.
SÁLVANOS AHORA.
Y SI NO PUEDES HACERLO,
PUES TAMPOCO PASA NADA.
🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
YA SOY INMENSAMENTE FELIZ EN SABER QUE TU MÚSICA NUNCA MORIRÁ.
TIO PAUL 🎼😎❤️😜🦾🌟✌🏿💥⭐🎸
FOREVER 🎼😇💫💪🏻👏💿👍🏿📀✌🏿🎤
🆗🤜🏻🆗🤛🏻 🤜🏿🆗🤛🏿🤜🆗🤛🤜🏽🆗🤛🏽🆗
Roberto Alves
Paul, thank you for everything you've done in our lives with all of your music.
I still remember the first time I heard the Help!
Looks like it was yesterday.
That blew my mind and that's why I started playing guitar at 11 years old.
If God asked me who in the world I would like to meet in person, the answer would be simple:
Paul McCartney.
How I wish that could happen.
May I have your permission to use some Beatles songs on my channel here on YouTube to teach people how to record and play at home?
Greetings from Rio
Stay safe!
Number 10
The greatest musician of all time ❤
𝕜𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕜𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕚𝕕𝕠𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕡𝕖
10/10.
Music Stream
Mozart/Bethoven/Bach/Van Halen/Prince/Jazz musicians/etc: You're getting pop rock songwriter mixed up with musicianship. Glad I could straighten it out.
Dodgy Quest
@Music StreamHis statement still stands.
Gabriel
@Music Stream
Actually McCartney is more of a musician than the ones you cited, those could't play as many instruments and couldn't do as many genres as Paul. Try again.
Gramkan
@Music Stream first three are up there with McCartney, the rest aren’t even close
rdorman71
Absolute belter. Paul is a magician of melody. The consummate professional ❤️
PAUL McCARTNEY
Hello
How are you doing today ?
Robd1
This is one Amazing song! I remember putting it on my car a few years back and my friend asked who that was...i said it was Paul Mccartney and he couldnt believe it! Its a modern day hit song.
PAUL McCARTNEY
Hello
How are you doing today ?