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.
Turned Out
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High emotion filled me with desire
I had to see what I was fighting
That kept inviting me to take it higher
Well looking back it didn't hurt me
It did something for my soul
It taught me when you find a love
I took a walk into the fire
When I heard you calling me
I took a chance and what a good thing
It turned out to be
It turned out
It turned out
It turned out
It turned out to be
Well now it's done and out of nowhere
I can go wherever pleases me
If you don't mind some stormy weather
We'll be together in our fantasy
Looking back it didn't hurt me
It did something for my soul
It taught me when you find a love
Don't break it
Try to make it whole
I took a walk into the fire
When I heard you calling me
I took a chance and what a good thing
It turned out to be
In Paul McCartney's song "Turned Out," he describes taking a risk in pursuit of his passion and finding love. He metaphorically compares his journey to diving into the ocean and walking into the fire, which symbolize taking a risk as he ventures into the uncertain waters of pursuing his dreams. McCartney shares that he felt high emotion fueled by his desire to see what he was fighting, which led him to take higher risks. Looking back, taking those risks did not hurt him but did something for his soul. It taught him that when he found love, he should not break it but try to make it whole. McCartney concludes by saying that he took a chance when he heard his lover calling and that it turned out to be a good thing. Now that everything is done, he can go wherever he pleases.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip into the ocean
I immersed myself in deep emotions, seeking to understand what I was fighting for that was calling me towards something greater.
High emotion filled me with desire
The intensity of my feelings and passion inspired me to explore and seek out something new and exciting.
I had to see what I was fighting
I needed to identify and understand the source of my inner struggles and conflicts, to better address them head-on.
That kept inviting me to take it higher
The call for something greater and more meaningful persisted, urging me to keep moving forward and striving for more.
Well looking back it didn't hurt me
Upon reflection, I realized that taking risks and diving into the unknown was not harmful, but rather a learning experience.
It did something for my soul
The experience enriched me spiritually, helping me grow and develop a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me.
It taught me when you find a love
This encounter taught me an important lesson about love and relationships.
Don't break it, try to make it whole
I learned that it is crucial to care for and nurture love, instead of breaking it apart, and to do what it takes to mend and strengthen it.
I took a walk into the fire
Again, I pursued something that carried risk and danger, even though I knew the potential consequences.
When I heard you calling me
I was motivated by the call and yearning of another person, driving me towards them even if it was uncomfortable or difficult.
I took a chance and what a good thing
I took a leap of faith, and it paid off handsomely in the end.
It turned out to be
The outcome was wonderful and much better than expected.
Well now it's done and out of nowhere
After the ordeal ended successfully, it was like it suddenly vanished, disappearing as abruptly as it appeared.
I can go wherever pleases me
With newfound confidence and freedom, I can go where I want and do as I please without fear or hesitation.
If you don't mind some stormy weather
However, there may still be obstacles and difficulties ahead, and those involved must be prepared for them.
We'll be together in our fantasy
Despite any challenges, we can still remain united in a shared dream or vision, continuing to support one another in pursuit of our goals.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind