Good Day Sunshine (McCartney)
There are times when Paul writes a song, it sounds like the sappiest, blandest love song, only going through the motions, if you will. There are other times though, when he hits the nail on the head and the song seems to be infused with the joy of life. This is one of those songs.
YouTube - Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing (Lennon)
Commenting on this song, John Lennon said “another of my throwaways...fancy paper around an empty box.” I don’t know about that, I rather like this song. There are two versions of it that are rather good. The first is the album version:
YouTube - The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing <<<<<< Album Version
But there is a more interesting take. They were probably very stoned while doing this, but I like the mood and melody better, even if they can’t stop laughing. It gives it a real joyous, raw quality to it. You can find this version on The Beatles Anthology CDs:
YouTube - The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing <<<<<<< Anthology Version.
Which is better? You decide.
For No One (McCartney)
This is one of those McCartney love songs I
do like. It’s mature and the way it is structured is quite nice, it’s short and sweet. It stays with you. Lennon commented about the song, saying “One of my favourites of his—a nice piece of work.”
Lyrics:
Quote:
Your day breaks, your mind aches
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
When she no longer needs you
She wakes up, she makes up
She takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry
She no longer needs you
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
You want her, you need her
And yet you don't believe her when she says her love is dead
You think she needs you
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
You stay home, she goes out
She says that long ago she knew someone but now he's gone
She doesn't need him
Your day breaks, your mind aches
There will be times when all the things she said will fill your head
You won't forget her
And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
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YouTube - The Beatles - For No One
Doctor Robert (Lennon)
Drugs, drugs, drugs. This is John’s homage to the many drug dealers in Great Britain at the time posing as doctors. The person who supplied John and George with their first acid was a dentist I believe. A great song about drugs you can sing along to.
YouTube - the beatles - dr robert
Now begins the final three songs on the album, and they are some of the strongest too, a wild climax to a wild album. John, George, and Paul each have one bullet left, and they’re each going out with a bang.
I Want To Tell You (Harrison)
Simply a joyous song. This is my favorite Harrison song on the album, without a doubt.
Quote:
I want to tell you
My head is filled with things to say
When you're here
All those words, they seem to slip away
When I get near you,
The games begin to drag me down
It's all right
I'll make you maybe next time around
But if I seem to act unkind
It's only me, it's not my mind
That is confusing things.
I want to tell you
I feel hung up but I don't know why,
I don't mind
I could wait forever, I've got time
Sometimes I wish I knew you well,
Then I could speak my mind and tell you
Maybe you'd understand
I want to tell you
I feel hung up but I don't know why,
I don't mind
I could wait forever, I've got time, I've got time, I've got time
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About the lyrics, Harrison commented that they were “about the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down or say or transmit.” Isn’t that so true? Don’t we all have these grandiose ideas in our head, brilliant lyrics to an brilliant masterpiece just waiting to burst out, flashes of brilliance? But when we get the pen and paper in front of us, we get blank pages.
YouTube - I Want To Tell You Beatles (Tribute)
Got To Get You Into My Life (McCartney)
Paul’s exit from the album is the most showy. With horns blazing everywhere and a great melody to go with it, he ends the album strongly. Paul writes songs that have a joyous quality bubbling just beneath the surface, when he gets it right. It’s fantastic. Note when he is saying a line, that on words like “stay” and “way” the horns start to sound. That type of line and melody is classic Paul.
YouTube - The Beatles " got to get you into my life "
Tomorrow Never Knows (Lennon)
The song that would define the psychedelic movement begins with the lines “Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream.” John has this fantastic quality of song writing where he makes these broad statements that become anthems, like “All You Need Is Love” or “Give Peace A Chance.” Only the greatest song writers can do that. John was in his Tibetan Book of The Dead period, and so he felt self conscious about the lyrics. So he made a “Ringoism” the title. Ringoisms are these little phrases Ringo says when he unintentionally jumbles words around and these sayings became concepts for songs in the early days, like “A Hard Days Night” and “Eight Days A Week.” This is one of the best John songs on the album.
YouTube - The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
And that’s it, Revolver. One of the greatest albums in rock history. It revolutionized the way people thought about studio recording and turned The Beatles from “just a pop fad” to critical darlings, hailed as geniuses, the major artistic voices of the decade. So it goes.