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.
The Other Me
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For treating you the way I did
But something took hold of me
And I acted like a dustbin lid
I didn't give second though
To what the consequence might be
I really wouldn't be surprised
The other me would rather be the glad one
The other me would rather play the fool
I want to be the kind of me
That doesn't let you down as a rule
I know it doesn't take a lot
To have a little self-control
But every time that I forgot
Well I landed in another hole
But every time you pull me out
I find it harder not to see
That we can build a better life
If I can try to find the other me
The other me would rather be the glad one
The other me would rather play the fool
I want to be the kind of me
That doesn't let you down as a rule
But if I ever hurt you
Well you know that it's not real
It's no easy living by yourself
So imagine how I feel
I wish that I could take it back
I'd like to make a different mood
And if you let me try again
I'll have a better attitude
Well I know that one and one make two
And that's what I want us to be
I really would appreciate it
If you'd help me find the other me
The other me would rather be the glad one
The other me would rather play the fool
I want to be the kind of me
That doesn't let you down as a rule
In Paul McCartney's song The Other Me, the lyrics express an awareness of past mistakes in a relationship and a desire for change. McCartney regretfully acknowledges his past behavior, admitting that he acted like a "crazy fool" and wasn't thinking about the consequences that would follow. He compares himself to a "dustbin lid," indicating that his behavior was thoughtless and reckless. He acknowledges that his actions may have caused his partner to look for someone else, but he vows to change.
McCartney indicates that there is another, better version of him that he wishes to become. He wants to be the "glad one," someone who doesn't continually "let you down as a rule." He acknowledges that he needs more self-control and that he doesn't always make the best decisions. However, he acknowledges that his partner has always been there for him, even when he continuously makes mistakes, and he wants to build a better life with her. McCartney ends the song by communicating his desire for his partner's help in finding the other version of himself.
In summary, The Other Me is Paul McCartney's introspective look at his behavior in a relationship and his desire to change for the better.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I was a crazy fool
I acknowledge that I was acting foolishly.
For treating you the way I did
I admit that I mistreated you.
But something took hold of me
I was under the influence of something.
And I acted like a dustbin lid
I behaved in a manner that was unpleasant to be around.
I didn't give second though
I didn't consider the consequences of my actions.
To what the consequence might be
I didn't think about what might happen next.
I really wouldn't be surprised
I wouldn't find it unexpected.
If you were trying to find another me
If you were looking for someone else to be with.
The other me would rather be the glad one
I wish I could be a happier person.
The other me would rather play the fool
I wish I could be less serious and more carefree.
I want to be the kind of me
I aspire to be a better person.
That doesn't let you down as a rule
I hope to be dependable and reliable for you.
I know it doesn't take a lot
I understand that it doesn't require much.
To have a little self-control
To exert some restraint over my behavior.
But every time that I forgot
I tend to forget to exercise self-control.
Well I landed in another hole
I ended up in trouble again.
But every time you pull me out
You always help me get out of trouble.
I find it harder not to see
It becomes increasingly clear to me.
That we can build a better life
We can create a better future for ourselves.
If I can try to find the other me
If I can become the better version of myself.
But if I ever hurt you
In case I ever cause you pain.
Well you know that it's not real
It wasn't my intention to harm you.
It's no easy living by yourself
It's difficult to live alone.
So imagine how I feel
You can imagine how tough it is for me.
I wish that I could take it back
I regret my past actions.
I'd like to make a different mood
I'd like to change the atmosphere between us.
And if you let me try again
If you give me another chance.
I'll have a better attitude
I will try to have a better outlook on things.
Well I know that one and one make two
I know that we are meant to be together.
And that's what I want us to be
I want us to be together.
I really would appreciate it
I would be grateful.
If you'd help me find the other me
If you could assist me in becoming a better person.
The other me would rather be the glad one
I want to be happier and more content with my life.
The other me would rather play the fool
I want to be less serious and enjoy life more.
I want to be the kind of me
I aspire to be a better version of myself.
That doesn't let you down as a rule
I hope to be a reliable and dependable partner for you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind