"Penny Lane" was written by Paul, and was voted #449 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Inspired by the name of a street in the part of Liverpool where John and Paul were from, "Penny Lane" describes a suburban paradise, filled with endearingly strange locals.
Wikipedia tells us more about the strangeness of the song's lyrics:
Lyrically there are several ambiguous and surreal images. The song is seemingly narrated on a fine summer day ("beneath the blue suburban skies"), yet at the same time it is raining ("the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain") and approaching winter ("selling poppies from a tray" implies Remembrance Day, 11 November). Ian MacDonald has stated: "Seemingly naturalistic, the lyric scene is actually kaleidoscopic. As well as raining and shining at the same time, it is simultaneously summer and winter."
Somehow, "Penny Lane", despite its seemingly contradictory imagery, reminds me of my own hometown. There are odd characters and popular hangouts, people and places full of memories. Even with its slight psychedelic feel, at the same time it's comfortably familiar--much like many people's hometowns, I'm sure.
That's it for today. See you tomorrow!
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Heard It Tally: 32
Songs Completed: 136
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