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.
Struggle
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Want to love you once more
Want to have you in my heart again
Want to get you once more
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
Babe, I wanna sample everything with you
Yes, I wanna love you, I don't wanna fight
I can think of something when I get you home tonight
All I want is loving, anything will do
I'm your glass of poison and I'm acting up on you
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
Yeah, you know what you got here
You got the same old story happening again
The eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
All I want is love, anything will do
I'm your glass of poison and I'm acting up on you
It's the same old song
Being sung in the background, being sung up front
But if you wanna get it right, you gotta listen
Heed my words, listen to me!
Anytime you want me, I'm not hard to find
I can't get your loving, I can't get you off my mind
But if I need you sometime, you got me here right now
We can work it out together, we'll get through this somehow
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's "Struggle" discuss a desire to reconnect with a former lover and the eternal struggle of love and relationships. The repeated phrase "It's the same old story, it's happening again, life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man" emphasizes the cyclical nature of romantic relationships and how love often involves a struggle between two people. McCartney expresses a longing to "get you in my heart again" and "love you once more," indicating a desire to rekindle a past relationship. He also states that he doesn't want to fight and wants to focus on love when they are together.
The lyrics also contain sensual undertones, with McCartney wanting to "sample everything" with the person he desires and describing himself as a "glass of poison" that is "acting up on you." This highlights the physical passion and chemistry between the two people, even amidst the struggles they may face.
Overall, "Struggle" is a song about the complexities of love and how it often involves ups and downs, fights and reconciliations, and a constant effort to connect with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Want to get you in my heart again
I desire to have you close to me, emotionally
Want to love you once more
I want to fall in love with you again
Want to have you in my heart again
I want you to be a significant part of my life
Want to get you once more
I want to have another chance with you
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
Regardless of whether we argue or if we share love, I still want to be with you tonight
When I get you home, what I wanna do
Babe, I wanna sample everything with you
Yes, I wanna love you, I don't wanna fight
I can think of something when I get you home tonight
I want to experience every aspect of you, physically and emotionally. I don't want conflict when we're together, and when we're home tonight, I have plans
All I want is loving, anything will do
I'm your glass of poison and I'm acting up on you
I'll accept any love from you, even if it's toxic, and I'll act upon your love for me
Yeah, you know what you got here
You got the same old story happening again
The eternal struggle, the destiny of man
Our situation is nothing new, it's a recurring theme in life - the constant struggle and destiny of all people
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
Our story is repetitive and reflects the destiny of all humans
If you wanna love, if you wanna fight
It doesn't really matter, I want you tonight
I want to be with you regardless of whether you're willing to love or fight
All I want is love, anything will do
I'm your glass of poison and I'm acting up on you
I'll accept any form of love from you, even if it's harmful, and I will act on your love for me
It's the same old song
Being sung in the background, being sung up front
But if you wanna get it right, you gotta listen
Heed my words, listen to me!
Our situation is common and evident, but if you want to improve it, you need to pay attention and listen to me
Anytime you want me, I'm not hard to find
I can't get your loving, I can't get you off my mind
But if I need you sometime, you got me here right now
We can work it out together, we'll get through this somehow
I'm always available, I'm constantly thinking about you. If I ever need you, you're here with me now, and we can overcome our struggles together
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle, the destiny of man
It's the same old story, it's happening again
Life's eternal struggle
Our story is a recurring one, playing out the struggles and the destiny of all humankind
Contributed by Keira W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.