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.
Who Cares
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you ever get hurt by the words people say
And the things that they do when they're picking on you?
Did you ever get sad by the end of the day
When they're making you feel like a rusty old wheel
That's been left in the rain
Who cares what the idiots do
Who cares about the pain in your heart?
Who cares about you?
I do
'Cause you're worth much more
A fact you can be sure
No need to hide
The love you've got inside
Did you ever get lost in the heart of a crowd
Have the people around, people are pushing you down
Is it driving you mad and you're screaming out loud
And you're wonderin' who's going to recognize you
You're a ghost in the dark
Who cares what the idiots say
Who cares what the idiots do
Who cares about the pain in your heart?
Who cares about you?
Who cares what the idiots say
Who cares what the idiots do
Who cares about the pain in your heart?
Who cares about you?
I do
You've been left in the rain
In "Who Cares," Paul McCartney takes on the role of a caring friend or ally, offering comfort and encouragement to someone who has been hurt or put down by others. The song suggests that we shouldn't let the negative comments or actions of others determine our worth or shape our self-image. Instead, we should hold on to the love and value we have within ourselves, regardless of external judgments. McCartney uses imagery of being left in the rain or feeling lost in a crowd to convey the sense of isolation and helplessness that can come from being mistreated. However, he ultimately offers a message of hope and solidarity, emphasizing that there are people who care about us and recognize our worth.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever get hurt by the words people say
Have you ever been emotionally wounded by the words and actions of others?
And the things that they do when they're picking on you?
Have you ever been bullied or picked on by others?
Did you ever get sad by the end of the day
Have you ever had a day that left you feeling emotional or upset?
When they're making you feel like a rusty old wheel
When you feel worn out and undervalued by others.
That's been left in the rain
Feeling abandoned and neglected.
Who cares what the idiots say
The opinions of those who behave foolishly or thoughtlessly are of no importance.
Who cares what the idiots do
The actions of those who behave foolishly or thoughtlessly are of no importance.
Who cares about the pain in your heart?
Who is truly concerned about the emotional hurt you're experiencing?
Who cares about you?
Who values and cares for you?
I do
I care about you.
'Cause you're worth much more
You are far more valuable than the negative opinions and actions of others.
A fact you can be sure
This is the truth.
No need to hide
You don’t need to keep your true self hidden.
The love you've got inside
The love you feel for yourself and others.
Did you ever get lost in the heart of a crowd
Have you ever felt insignificant and overlooked in a group or social situation?
Have the people around, people are pushing you down
Have you felt that others are trying to bring you down or hold you back?
Is it driving you mad and you're screaming out loud
Is this causing you to feel insane and wanting to shout out in frustration?
And you're wonderin' who's going to recognize you
You're wondering if you'll ever be noticed or acknowledged.
You're a ghost in the dark
You feel unseen and unheard.
Who cares what the idiots say
The opinions of those who behave foolishly or thoughtlessly are of no importance.
Who cares what the idiots do
The actions of those who behave foolishly or thoughtlessly are of no importance.
Who cares about the pain in your heart?
Who is truly concerned about the emotional hurt you're experiencing?
Who cares about you?
Who values and cares for you?
I do
I care about you.
You've been left in the rain
You feel abandoned and neglected.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Peterson
Dude is 77 and he’s still dropping absolute bangers. Just an incredible talent
stefun73
Program MK-Ultra
Squirrel Attackspidy
You shouldn't be embarrassing him to talk about his giant poops in public. Irregular bowel movements are normal for the elderly. They just need to eat more veggies.
Fire
80 now
Richard
imagine thinking this song is an absolute banger LMAO
Steven Hutchison
Boooooooo
Dumpling
If I needed a therapist, and I found out my therapist was Paul McCartney, I would instantly feel fine again
willpfister
He's been my therapist for almost 60 years.
Refreshingly Cynical
I Feel Fine was one of John's wasn't it?
maddiemae
His music is already my therapy 😭✋