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.
Young Boy
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It isn't easy, nothing you can say will help him find love
He's gotta do it for himself and it can take so long
He's just a young boy looking for a way to find love
He doesn't need another helping hand from someone
But don't you think he doesn't understand what he wants? Someone
Though independence means a lot, he's gotta still be strong
Find love, a perfect combination
Find love, whatever you do
Find love, a cause for celebration
And it might come looking (looking), come looking for you (yeah)
Find love in any situation
Find love, whatever you do
Find love, a cause for celebration
And it might come looking (looking), come looking for you
He's just a young boy looking for a way to find love
It isn't easy, nothing you can say will help him find love
He's got to do it for himself and it can take so long
He's just a young boy looking for a way to find love (yeah)
Find love, a time for meditation
Find love, a source of inspiration
Find love, instead of confrontation
Find love and love will come looking for you
The lyrics of Paul McCartney's song "Young Boy" tell the story of a young man who is searching for love. Despite wanting to find love, he is struggling with the process and cannot seem to find the happiness he desires. The song is about the struggles of finding a soulmate and understanding that the journey towards love can sometimes be a difficult one.
The first verse highlights the difficulty of finding love and implies that sometimes, no matter what advice is given, it cannot be found through external help. The second verse speaks to the idea that the young man wants independence and to find love on his own, but he will still need to be strong throughout the journey. The chorus repeats the importance of finding love, and that it should be celebrated whenever it is found. The final verse emphasizes the need for meditation and inspiration, rather than confrontation or strife, if one is to truly find love.
Overall, "Young Boy" is a song about the complexities and often difficult journey of finding love. It recognizes the importance of individual strength and perseverance in the search for a soulmate, and emphasizes the beauty of finding love as something to be celebrated and cherished.
Line by Line Meaning
He's just a young boy looking for a way to find love
This line introduces the theme and subject of the song, which is about a young boy desperately looking for love.
It isn't easy, nothing you can say will help him find love
The boy is having a difficult time finding love, and no advice or consolation from others can truly help him in this quest.
He's gotta do it for himself and it can take so long
The boy must rely on his own efforts and perseverance to find love, and the process may take a considerably long time.
He doesn't need another helping hand from someone
Despite his challenges, the boy does not wish for someone else to overly assist or intervene in his search for love.
But don't you think he doesn't understand what he wants? Someone
The boy does know what he wants in a romantic partner and relationship, despite his youth and inexperience.
Though independence means a lot, he's gotta still be strong
While the boy values his independence and autonomy, he still needs to maintain his inner strength and resolve to keep searching for love.
Find love, a perfect combination
The chorus begins, emphasizing the importance of finding love as a perfect and necessary combination in life.
Find love, whatever you do
The chorus continues, urging listeners to relentlessly seek love and not give up hope.
Find love, a cause for celebration
The chorus offers another perspective, framing love as a joyous and celebratory aspect of life worth pursuing.
And it might come looking (looking), come looking for you (yeah)
The chorus concludes with the idea that love may also serendipitously find the boy if he continues to search and keep an open heart.
Find love in any situation
The second chorus commences, reiterating the importance of seeking love regardless of the circumstances.
Find love, a cause for celebration
This line is repeated from the first chorus, highlighting the positive connotations of finding and experiencing love.
A time for meditation
This line introduces the idea that finding love can also lead to self-reflection and contemplation.
A source of inspiration
Finding love can also inspire and motivate the boy, as well as evoke positive emotions and feelings.
Instead of confrontation
This line contrasts love with conflict, implying that finding love can offer a peaceful and harmonious alternative to strife and tension.
Find love and love will come looking for you
The song ends with a final reassurance that if the boy continues to pursue and cultivate love in his life, it will ultimately find him.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ahsansajid9814
Here's a fact. We are sharing the world with the greatest musician in the universe
@haybill3000
Well at least in this Solar System
@rosamercedesvalderrama3410
That's true!!!!! hank for making me aware about that fact!
@maxwellfan55
Don't say it too loud his head might swell, but yea, you're right, I just played Mother Nature's Son and Michelle on guitar to check.
@matinacummings3781
Oh, we are all so very lucky!
@sophied1457
Ikr
@aguilarcast
Paul will always be that young boy of the 60s, it doesn't matter if today's his 78th birthday. His beautiful music keeps his heart and soul young. There are no words to express our admiration and gratitude to all what you have given to humankind. Happy Birthday Sir Paul!
@rufiarq2895
Love this song💞
@user-bp9xr1fm3f
One of the best comments by far Paul Mc cartney forever the best musician my favourite beatle
@kansascityonline
Every year or so I go back through his entire catalog to see if I have caught up to his genius. For example, I remember when Back To the Egg came out in 79' and was so completely annoyed at that album. I mention this because just 3yrs prior I went to his Wings Over America concert in KC and it was my first concert ever and I was blown away. Last year or so I revisited that and finally caught up to Paul and said to myself.. "oh I get it now".. That s just how good Paul is..