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.
Vanilla Sky
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky
Your life is fine
It's sweet and sour
Unbearable great
Every hour, you must appreciate.
This is your time,
This is your day.
You've got it all.
Don't blow it away.
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky.
Melted tin beads,
Cast you fortune
In a glass of wine.
Snail or fish,
Balloon or dolphin
See your silver shine.
This is your time,
This is your day.
You've got it all,
Don't blow it away.
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky
In the vanilla,uh, in the vanilla,oh, in the vanilla sky.
In the vanilla,ah, in the vanilla,uh, in the vanilla sky.
Mmmm in the Vanilla Sky
The lyrics to Paul McCartney's song Vanilla Sky talk about experiencing a moment of pure joy and appreciation in life. The chef prepares a special menu, suggesting that this time is unique and special, something out of the ordinary. The line "tonight you fly, so high up in the Vanilla Sky" indicates that this moment is like being transported above the clouds, embracing and enjoying the experience.
The lyrics then go on to say that life is bittersweet, with moments of unbearable greatness, and that we must appreciate every moment, every hour, as if it were the last. "Your life is fine, it's sweet and sour, unbearable great. You've got to learn, every hour you must appreciate." This message inspires a need to appreciate life and recognize the significance of time.
The song is ultimately calling on the listener to embrace life, to take in the beauty of the world, and to savor every moment. The chef's preparation of the special menu takes on a metaphorical significance, emphasizing that life is fleeting, and moments like these are rare and should be treasured.
Line by Line Meaning
The chef prepares a special menu
Life has prepared something special for you
For your delight, oh my.
You are meant to enjoy what life has to offer
Tonight you fly, so high up
You are embarking on an exciting journey
In the Vanilla Sky
Your journey is going to be sweet and wonderful
Your life is fine
You are content with your current situation
It's sweet and sour
Life has its ups and downs
Unbearable great
Life is overwhelmingly amazing
You've got to learn
You need to understand
Every hour, you must appreciate.
You should be grateful for every moment
This is your time,
This is your moment
This is your day.
This is your opportunity
You've got it all.
You have everything you need
Don't blow it away.
Don't waste your chance
Melted tin beads,
Small things can bring great fortune
Cast you fortune
Give you good luck
In a glass of wine.
Even the simplest things can be enjoyable
Snail or fish,
Life can offer unexpected choices
Balloon or dolphin
You can experience extraordinary things
See your silver shine.
Appreciate the good things in life
In the vanilla,uh, in the vanilla,oh, in the vanilla sky.
Enjoy the sweetness of life
In the vanilla,ah, in the vanilla,uh, in the vanilla sky.
Experience the wonder of life
Mmmm in the Vanilla Sky
Savor the moment
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sha School
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight oh my
Tonight you fly so high up
In the vanilla sky
Your life is fine
It's sweet and sour
Unbearable or great
You gotta love every hour
You must appreciate
This is your time
This is your day
You've got it all
Don't blow it away
Melted tin beads cast your fortune
In a glass of wine
Snail or fish
Balloon or dolphin
See your silver shine
This is your time
This is your day
You've got it all
Don't blow it away
sabrina antonacci
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky
Your life is fine
It's sweet and sour
Unbearable great
You've got to learn
Every hour, you must appreciate.
This is your time,
This is your day.
You've got it all.
Don't blow it away.
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky.
Melted tin beads,
Cast you fortune
In a glass of wine.
Snail or fish,
Balloon or dolphin
See your silver shine.
This is your time,
This is your day.
You've got it all,
Don't blow it away.
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my.
Tonight you fly, so high up
In the Vanilla Sky
In the vanilla, uh, in the vanilla, oh, in the vanilla sky.
In the vanilla, ah, in the vanilla, uh, in the vanilla sky.
Mmmm in the Vanilla Sky
Mariam Victoria
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my
Tonight you fly so high up
In the vanilla sky
Your life is fine, it's sweet and sour
Unbearable great, you've got to learn
You gotta love every hour
You must appreciate
This is your time
This is your day
You've got it all
Don't blow it away
The chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my
Tonight you fly so high up
In the vanilla sky
Melted tin beads cast your fortune
In a glass of wine
Snail or fish, balloon or dolphin
See yourself shine
This is your time
This is your day
You've got it all
Don't blow it away
Oh, the chef prepares a special menu
For your delight, oh my
Tonight you fly so high up
In the vanilla sky
In the vanilla, in the vanilla
In the vanilla sky
In the vanilla, in the vanilla
Beatle Stories
One of Paul's most underrated songs
Sup
Really, I know the deepest depths of his solo career, and I forgot about this one until I rewatched the movie. Hadn’t seen it since it came out. Immediately remembered it with the first chord though.
blackmice
Great song that doesn't get enough recognition!!
Zageski
Andre Sihotang No, actually this one didn't won this award- the winner was the song from Monsters, Inc.
Neil Candelora
Andre Sihotang it’s not even on Apple Music in America. It doesn’t pop up many places almost like it’s been purposely buried in the catalogue bit
davson ed
Beatles are the most recognised band of history, i think Paul can take that that song isn't alot
Shane McKenna
You’ve corrected that.
holdenshower
one of Paul's finest solo tunes
Roberto Alvarez
Después de muchos años volverla a oír es un gran placer...
Joshua Clayton
This is from my favorite Tom Cruise movie, the one movie of his I genuinely and deeply "get". Sometimes, I feel like screaming for 'tech support' for a way out of this madness where I do not fit in at all and/or am too honest about it. I just sometimes feel like "give me something real and I will permanently latch on to it", but this is what happens while I am making better plans (Not other plans as James Paul McCartney's former songwriting partner John Winston Lennon liked to put it) When it is my time and day, everyone including me will know it. :)