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.
road
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hiding from a storm
We cling together
To keep each other warm
The road to somewhere
Stretches through the night
We follow blindly
I can't see anymore
The blinding light
It's just a metaphor
I use when things aren't going right
We held each other
Praying for a spark
Two crazy partners
Scrambling in the dark
Now where are we going
Searching in the night
We had a feeling
It's going to be alright
I can't see anymore
The blinding light
It's just a metaphor
I use when things aren't going right
Two crazy partners
Searching in the night
We've got a feeling
It's going to be alright
We follow blindly
Heading for the light
We've got a feeling
It's gonna be
It's gonna be alright
We came from nowhere
Hiding from a storm
We cling together
To keep each other warm
The road to somewhere
Stretches through the night
We follow blindly
Heading for the light
In Paul McCartney's song "Road", the lyrics describe two individuals who have come from nowhere and are on a journey to somewhere. They are unsure of where they are headed, but they have faith that everything will be alright. The first stanza speaks of their physical situation, where they are hiding from a storm and clinging together to stay warm. This sets the tone of vulnerability and uncertainty for the rest of the song. The second stanza continues with their journey, as they are blindly following a road towards a light that they hope will lead them to their destination. However, in the third stanza, the repetition of the line "I can't see anymore, the blinding light" suggests that they are now unsure if the light is leading them in the right direction. McCartney then clarifies that the line is just a metaphor that he uses when things aren't going right. The fourth stanza speaks of their partnership and how it is through their unity that they can hope to find their way.
The theme of uncertainty is a common thread throughout "Road". The characters are unsure of where they are going, and they are hesitant about what lies ahead. However, they remain optimistic that they will find their way, and they support each other in the journey. The song is a metaphor for life, where we are all on a road to somewhere that we hope will lead us in the right direction. It's a reminder that despite the obstacles and uncertainties that we may face, we need to cling together and maintain faith that everything will be alright in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
We came from nowhere
We started this journey without a clear direction or destination.
Hiding from a storm
We were trying to escape from some kind of trouble or danger.
We cling together
We stick together and support each other in difficult times.
To keep each other warm
We provide emotional comfort and security for each other.
The road to somewhere
Our journey has a purpose and we're not quite sure where it will take us.
Stretches through the night
Our journey is long and difficult, with many challenges along the way.
We follow blindly
We're not entirely sure where we're going or how we'll get there, but we keep moving forward anyway.
Heading for the light
We're aiming for something positive and hopeful at the end of our journey.
I can't see anymore
I'm feeling lost and unsure of myself.
The blinding light
Something is overwhelming me and I can't see things clearly.
It's just a metaphor
This isn't meant to be taken literally, but is symbolic of my emotional state.
I use when things aren't going right
I turn to this metaphor as a coping mechanism when I'm feeling down.
We held each other
We physically and emotionally rely on each other for support.
Praying for a spark
We're hoping for something to ignite our passion and motivation.
Two crazy partners
We're both a little unconventional and wild, but we understand and appreciate each other's quirks.
Scrambling in the dark
We're struggling to find our way in a difficult situation and don't have all the answers.
Now where are we going
We're feeling lost or directionless at the moment.
Searching in the night
We're looking for answers or guidance in a time of uncertainty or darkness.
We had a feeling
We had some intuition or belief that things would work out in the end.
It's going to be alright
We have faith that things will work out for the best, despite our current struggles.
Two crazy partners
We are still unconventional and free-spirited in our journey.
We've got a feeling
We still have that sense of intuition or belief in a positive outcome.
It's gonna be
We still have hope and faith, even though we don't know exactly what the future holds.
It's gonna be alright
We still believe that things will work out for the best in the end.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul James McCartney, Paul Richard Epworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind