Quicklet on The Best Paul McCartney Songs: Lyrics and Analysis

Paul McCartney's music is part of the sonic tapestry that is modern culture - and there's never been anyone quite like him. His life began ordinarily enough. He was born June 18, 1942, the son of a cotton merchant (who moonlighted as a musician) and a nurse. James Paul McCartney grew up in lower middle-class Liverpool, England. His family wasn't poor, but they were far from wealthy. Young Paul was drawn to music at an early age, learning a bit of piano from his father and taking trumpet lessons. Then came the advent of rock and roll - out went the trumpet, in came the guitar. The teenage Paul eagerly embraced the raucous American sounds filtering from the radio.