Paul McCartney's somewhat passive aggressive message to John Lennon is today's song. "You Never Give Me Your Money" was written during a turbulent time for the boys--their ongoing financial battles (which I'm currently reading about in You Never Give Me Your Money by Peter Doggett--fascinating read. I'd definitely recommend it) only added fuel to their arguments.
There's no one whose opinion or esteem Paul valued more than John's, and John could be generous with his scorn when feeling petty, so the fights between them were often particularly vicious and downright mean-spirited. McCartney was mostly on his own side against the other three when it came to negotiating various contracts and, at one point, changed his phone number without telling any of the others. The song's opening verses can be interpreted quite literally in that respect.
The last part of the song seems to betray the emotion and relief that virtually everyone felt when it became apparent that "The Beatles" were no more. John was the first to declare his defection from the group (although George and Ringo had both left for short periods of time in the past), but it would ultimately be Paul's public abandonment that would spell the official end.
Work on Abbey Road overlapped the breakup; even after it became impossible to get all four Beatles in a room together, they were still creating songs and (trying to keep) working together--possibly mostly to fulfill the terms of their recording contracts. This song is a sad mile marker for The Beatles; the lyrics send a clear message in hindsight, yet it was one that no one--not audiences, critics, or even at times the Beatles themselves--would fully comprehend for a long time.
That's all for today. See you tomorrow.
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Heard It Tally: 43
Songs Completed: 180
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