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.
Waterfalls
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please keep to the lake
People who jump waterfalls
Sometimes can make mistakes
And I need love, yeah I need love
Like a second needs an hour
Like a raindrop needs a shower
Yeah I need love every minute of the day
If you ever should decide to go away
And I need love, yeah I need love
Like a castle needs a tower
Like a garden needs a flower
Yeah I need love every minute of the day
And it wouldn't be the same
If you ever should decide to go away
Don't go chasing polar bears
In the great unknown
Some big friendly polar bear
Might want to take you home
And I need love, yeah I need love
Like a castle needs a tower
Like a garden needs a flower
Yeah I need love, say I need love
Like a raindrop needs a shower
Like a second needs an hour
Every minute of the day
And it wouldn't be the same
If you ever should decide to go away
Don't go jumping waterfalls
The song "Waterfalls" by Paul McCartney is an ode to the necessity of love in one's life, using the metaphor of waterfalls and polar bears as a warning against taking risks and straying from safety. McCartney pleads with the listener to stay within their comfort zone, to keep to the safety of the lake and not jump waterfalls, as jumping can lead to mistakes. The waterfall represents the unknown, the uncertain and dangerous, while the lake symbolizes safety, familiarity and comfort. The repetition of the line "And I need love, yeah I need love" highlights the importance of love in McCartney's life, as necessary as a castle needs a tower or a garden needs a flower.
In the second verse, he warns against chasing polar bears, as they represent the unknown and unpredictable dangers of life. Even a friendly polar bear might take you away to an unfamiliar place. Therefore, the need for love is emphasized again, as necessary as a raindrop needs a shower or a second needs an hour. McCartney is imploring the listener to stay true to what they know and love, because without it, life would never be the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't go jumping waterfalls
Don't take unnecessary risks and venture into unknown territories that could potentially result in harm.
Please keep to the lake
Stay within known and safe boundaries, like a lake, to avoid danger and ensure security.
People who jump waterfalls
Sometimes can make mistakes
Those who take risks may sometimes make errors in judgement and regret their choices.
And I need love, yeah I need love
Like a second needs an hour
Like a raindrop needs a shower
The artist expresses a deep desire for love, comparing it to a basic need as essential as time and sustenance.
Yeah I need love every minute of the day
And it wouldn't be the same
If you ever should decide to go away
The artist admits to an unrelenting need for love and fears the loss of their cherished partner would significantly impact their well-being.
Don't go chasing polar bears
In the great unknown
Some big friendly polar bear
Might want to take you home
Just as it is not safe to chase polar bears in an unknown environment, taking risks in life can lead to unpredictable outcomes that may be dangerous or harmful.
Yeah I need love, say I need love
Like a castle needs a tower
Like a garden needs a flower
The singer reiterates their need for love, comparing it to the fundamental components of a castle (protection) and a garden (beauty).
Like a raindrop needs a shower
Like a second needs an hour
Every minute of the day
And it wouldn't be the same
If you ever should decide to go away
The importance of love is further reinforced, highlighting its necessity like a basic physiological need as well as the impact of its absence on the artist's life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leokimvideo
That Fair Isle vest would be worth millions, Ive always liked that style of pattern and colours
@maddiemae73
The fact that this masterpiece of a song isn’t one of his biggest just goes to show how amazing all of his other songs are
@micksmith1554
Probably the most observant comment in the entire thread!
@GREG62944
A masterpiece
@ricardo_miguel13
it was a top 10 hit
@paulmccartneyofficial1
Thank you so much for your love and support on my career all this year's,and for taking your time to express it, I won't be here if not for your support. where are you supporting me from?
@GREG62944
@@paulmccartneyofficial1 I wish Paul needed me in his band like I need him in my music collection. We will play together some time in eternity to come.
@olgafigueroa2909
I think Paul is the most adorable man that ever lived...
@tinfoilhatter
it's just that vest-thing! it's got a magic spell , tho he wears it well, just wait!
@stixkid9811
Paul feels the same way! :)