The Long and Winding Road

Paul McCartney's ballad, "The Long and Winding Road", "became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet." A beautiful and melancholy song, it nonetheless has a somewhat litigious reputation:

While the released version of the song was very successful, the post-production modifications to the song by producer Phil Spector angered McCartney to the point that when he made his case in court for breaking up The Beatles as a legal entity, McCartney cited the treatment of "The Long and Winding Road" as one of six reasons for doing so.

The version I listened to was the 2009 stereo remaster, which fits the description for the low-key version that McCartney preferred rather than the Spector-ized version he hated. Since I trust Paul's judgment when it comes to his songs, and after listening to both versions, I much prefer the original. 

Another important and much-discussed aspect of the song is John's poor bass playing. According to Wikipedia, "Lennon, who played bass only occasionally, made several mistakes on the recording. Some writers, such as Ian MacDonald, have postulated that the disenchanted Lennon's ragged bass playing was purposeful." MacDonald also said that John's bass was "'atrocious' to the point of sabotage". I wouldn't doubt that, considering the tension and backhanded dealings between the guys at the time. 

My thoughts on the matter are that things must have been truly terrible for John to betray his own musicianship in order to hurt Paul in any way he could. The morose lyrics of "The Long and Winding Road", begging for reconciliation, must not have spoken to John--he sent a very clear message of his thoughts on the matter.

That's all for today... see you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 198

One After 909

Today we hear the "One After 909". It was written as early as 1957 by Lennon with help from McCartney, and definitely sounds like one of their earlier songs. It's much more rock-and-roll, both musically and lyrically.

According to John, the number 9 held a special significance to him. 

In his 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon explained, "That was something I wrote when I was about seventeen. I lived at 9 Newcastle Road. I was born on the ninth of October, the ninth month [sic]. It's just a number that follows me around, but, numerologically, apparently I'm a number six or a three or something, but it's all part of nine."

Paul was also fond of the song, saying that although it wasn't a great song, it held many fond memories for him of writing music with John, specifically their attempts to write more "bluesy" songs. At the end of the song, we can hear John jokingly singing a couple of lines, a variation on the classic Irish song "Danny Boy": "Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling." 

As I've mentioned many times before, I'm not a huge fan of early Beatles, but this song--written by the "early" Beatles and performed by the "later" Beatles, is pretty entertaining. We get the fun lyrics and the excellent musicianship. A perfect combination.

That's all for today... see you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 197

I've Got a Feeling

"I've Got a Feeling" was performed by The Beatles during their rooftop concert, and according to Wikipedia:

It is a combination of three unfinished songs: Paul McCartney's "I've Got a Feeling", and John Lennon's "Everybody Had a Hard Year" from the White Album sessions (where it was demoed as "Everyone Had a Hard Year") and "Watching Rainbows."

From Paul's perspective, it was a very good year--he eventually married his girlfriend, Linda Eastman, "the girl he had always been looking for". For John, however, it was not one of his better years. 

While McCartney's song was very optimistic, Lennon actually had a hard year—he divorced his wife, Cynthia Powell, his girlfriend Yoko Ono had a miscarriage, he was arrested for drug possession, and had grown deeply unhappy in the Beatles.

Musically, the song is fun, combining the three unfinished songs with smooth ease. The lyrics represent the duality of Lennon/McCartney at the time--McCartney's lyrics are cheerfully honest and open, while John's are somewhat more negative and esoteric. It's intriguing and I enjoyed listening to it. :)

That's it for now. See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 196

Maggie Mae

Today we meet the dirty, no good "Maggie Mae", which was The Beatles' version of a traditional Liverpudlian (love that word) folk song about a prostitute who robs a sailor. According to Wikipedia, "it has been the informal anthem of the city of Liverpool for about 180 years."

Wikipedia also mentions that "the performance, which trails off after just 39 seconds and was obviously tongue-in-cheek, is truncated" and that it was clearly meant as merely a warm-up for the recording session. Luckily for us, it was included on Let It Be (though not its Spector-less sister, Let It Be... Naked) and we get to enjoy The Beatles singing with great accents. :P

As a traveler, I'm a huge fan of local songs, from "Rocky Road to Dublin" to Cajun music and everything in between. :) So, "Maggie Mae" really sparks my interest. It reminds me of my time in Dublin and, though I've never been to Liverpool, I imagine it's just as lovely and fascinating. :)

That's it for today... see you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 195

Let It Be

"Let It Be" is one of The Beatles' most famous and well-loved songs, and was the last single released before McCartney officially left the group (Lennon, as Wikipedia mentions, had already left the band at that point).

McCartney was inspired to write the song after having a dream about his mother, who passed away from cancer when Paul was 14. In his dream, she said to him, "It will be all right, just let it be." He later said he found the dream very comforting and reassuring, a feeling he channeled into the song very well in my opinion. 

While Rolling Stone ranked "Let It Be" at number 8 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", "Ian MacDonald had a dissenting opinion, writing that the song 'achieved a popularity well out of proportion to its artistic weight' and that it was ''Hey Jude', without the musical and emotional release.'" John Lennon also commented on the song, with his usual disdain for Paul's work:

That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with the Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes "Let It Be". I think it was inspired by "Bridge over Troubled Waters" [sic]. That's my feeling, although I have nothing to go on. I know that he wanted to write a "Bridge over Troubled Waters".

[He was mistaken, however, as "Bridge over Troubled Water" was released almost a full year after "Let It Be". Perhaps Simon & Garfunkel were inspired by McCartney rather than the other way around.]

I find "Let It Be" very relaxing, though I don't relate to its religious overtones or absorb them on a personal level. Also, I of course really enjoyed the version from Across the Universe, which was sung by Carol Woods and Timothy T Mitchum. The church choir singing in the background was, I think, a fitting substitute for the organ in the original version. 

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 49

Songs Completed: 194

Dig It

"Dig It" is one of a kind; it's one of the few Beatles songs to be credited to all four Beatles, and I'm positive it's the only one to mention all of these characters and entities: "the FBI, and the CIA, and the BBC, B.B. King, Doris Day, Matt Busby". 

There are at least four versions of "Dig It". The version from Let It Be was only 51 seconds long, while the version I heard on YouTube was 4 minutes 20 seconds (including the joking quote at the end, "That was 'Can You Dig It?' by Georgie Wood, and now we'd like to do 'Hark, the Angels Come'."). The full version clocks in at a sizable 8:20, while the "jam" version is a lengthy 15:05. So, really, there is a version of "Dig It" to fit into anyone's busy (or empty) schedule. :P

This one leaves with me with a strong sense of its superfluousness. It's interesting in a fleeting way, but it's not saying anything, nor is it accomplishing any musical feat. Many people, myself included, believe that songs and music don't need a purpose beyond their own existence, much like art. "Dig It" is just one of those songs that give me the impression it's not doing anything but existing--whether that's positive or negative, I'm not sure. 

That's it for now. See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 193

I Me Mine

Today's song is "I Me Mine", a song that has the distinction of being the last new song recorded by The Beatles (until 1994--which I don't really think should count). Harrison's ode/lament to the ego has a Hindu context, consistent with his Indian inspiration and spirituality:

For example, the Bhagavad Gita 2:71-72 can be translated as "They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of "I", "me" and "mine" to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality." Perhaps subconsciously, the song also reflects Harrison's reaction to the clashes of egos in the Beatles' painful closing days as a group.

The song's musical patterns coincide with its lyrical stylings. For the verses, George sings in a high octave and the music keeps a slower, waltzing pace. Then, for the "chorus", the repetitions of "I me-me mine", the guitar comes in more heavily and the vocals are harsher and louder. This duality is a vital aspect of the idea behind the song itself--everyone has to battle their ego in some way and for some goal, whether it's for spiritual or simply self-improvement reasons. I like this song; I'm generally fond of George's compositions, and this one seems both personal and universal in a way that attracts even me, an avowed secular being. :P

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 192