2022 FBG, 172 to 1 Beatles Countdown 1-25 lists... And 173 to 1 Countdown from 1-64 lists! (1 Viewer)

[Pip's Invitation]

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
2022 Ranking: 96
2022 Lists: 6
2022 Points: 42
Ranked Highest by: @neal cassady (9) @DaVinci (19) @Pip's Invitation (20) @Oliver Humanzee (21) @Murph (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 101/4/16

Getz: fyi... Devin = mr krista = oliver humanzee.    Five songs today, and just OH as the only one with his first song to be posted.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  52

2019 write-up:

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (White Album, 1968)

Last-minute downgrade out of the top 50; if I downgrade "Drive My Car" for the lyrics, I have to do the same here.  The lyrics are dumb.  Really dumb.  But that's probably not what bothers some people most about this song.  There's a significant love/hate element here; yes, it's that firemen's bell.  For me, it what takes the song waaaaay up in my rankings.  I mean, remember, I'm a person who's a sucker for cowbell, so if you kick that up a few notches to an outrageously loud firemen's bell.  Heaven!

The story is that John and George were playing so incredibly loud that Paul gave up on the bass part and stood next to Ringo playing that bell as loud as he could, so much so that he had to take breaks after each take to rest his sore shoulders.  Geoff Emerick called the result "raucous and unpleasant"; I call it bliss. Poor Emerick with his delicate ears ended up with a headache after the session, while I'd give my left arm to have been there during the violent frenzy. I'm not going to deconstruct this one because I don't care about anything but that this ####### rocks.  Hard.   

C'mon, c'mon!!!

Mr. krista:  "Great song.  Mint jam. Love the 16th or 32nd notes on the ride cymbal.  Like the half-time/double-time breakdown.  Slows down and builds tension on the “take it easy” part.  [Plays it on his leg.]"

Suggested cover:  The Feelies

2022 Supplement:  Knowing I’d unfairly downgraded this song out of my top 50 in 2019, I re-auditioned it this year and saw it come in just off this year’s list at #31.  Yeah, yeah, another one where perceived peer pressure got in my way.  John was at the top of his game again both in his vocal and in his guitar work, whether inspired by the maharishi’s words (George’s story) or his new relationship with Yoko (John’s version).  If you don’t love this one, then you’re…well, probably normal.  Other than whoever voted it in their top 25, not many people love it more than I do, and I get it.  There’s something not just about the song itself, though, but about the joy with which they performed it, that does it for me.  Given what we’ve been told about the White Album sessions, the excitement in this one overjoys me because it seemed to overjoy them.  Plus, this is an all-time favorite for playing anonymously on TouchTunes at a bar to leave the people playing country music struck by shock and awe.

And now for something completely different, listen to the Esher demo version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEJKh1Fq3o So Dylan-y.  It’s OK to admit how much you miss the firemen’s bell.

Guido Merkins

The White Album was a return to a more rock and roll sound for the Beatles.  John especially wanted to go back to more of a guitar driven sound.  Some of the Beatles rawest guitar driven songs are on the White Album and Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey is one of them.

George lost interest in the guitar at some point for the sitar.  Maybe because he realized he would never be a great sitarist, he started focusing on the guitar again.  This rebirth resulted in far rawer and louder guitar playing, perhaps by listening to his friend Eric Clapton, he realized he had to change.  Much to his credit, he did exactly that.  Monkey featured some of the loudest, rawest guitar in the Beatles catalog.  

What do the lyrics mean.  John claimed that it was inspired by things the Maharishi would say like “come on is such a joy” and “everybody’s got something to hide.”  Later in life, John claimed it was about he and Yoko being in love and others around them being uncomfortable, but since the song was written before John and Yoko actually got together, I’m not sure.  I tend to agree more with George’s story.

In any event, Monkey is another great rocker on Side 3 of the White Album where they put most of the harder rocking songs.

monkey monkey song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[screams in Sam Kinison]

My rank: 20

I don't think I will be able to express my feelings about this better than when I Hippled krista's original thread:

"OK, I got to the monkey monkey song. I love it mainly for the same reasons you do. It made my 90-minute cassette and it was hell trying to fit the title on one of those tiny slots Maxell gave you. I should have just labeled it monkey monkey song.

If there’s one thing that I love in my rock and roll, it’s controlled chaos - you’ll see plenty of examples in my Neil thread. Stuff that bashes along and seems like it’s gonna go off the rails but doesn’t. This is one of the best Beatles examples of that. They are usually more compact and refined. I love the grimy guitar sounds, and again, these weren’t as common with the Beatles as they were with Neil, Hendrix, etc. So when I hear stuff like this from them, it’s a pleasant surprise. The drive on this song is so fierce and the sonic stew is so thick that I don’t care in the slightest that the lyrics are dumb."

 

[krista4]

Do You Want To Know A Secret

2022 Supplement:  George’s first lead vocal!  I still love this one more than most people do, and I adore George’s gentle sound on it so much that I only recently realized that the lyrics to every verse are exactly the same.  Trivia question:  what is the other Beatles song that has identical lyrics in each verse? 

Well damn it.  I thought I'd wait for Pip to make an appearance since he usually does read write-ups, but he let me down.

 

[MAC_32]

Didn't make my 25, but this song rocks.

I did my part, but I expected this to be way down the list. I'm not sure I'll ever understand how I'm Down didn't resonate in a larger way. Not many early Beatles tracks grab my attention in the first few bars like this one and sustain it through the end. 

 

[ConstruxBoy]

I’m Down
2022 Ranking: 97
2022 Lists: 5
2022 Points: 39
Ranked Highest by: @MAC_32 (6) @wikkidpissah (19) @Wrighteous Ray (20) @Anarchy99 (22)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 127T/1/7

Getz: Did much better in 2022! No newbies again…. A'99 song #11 and a huge Chalk lead.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  126

2019 write-up:. 

I'm Down (single, 1965)

Mr. krista:  "Yeah, that’s great.  Just a super-fun song.  It makes sense that teenagers like the Beastie Boys would want to cover it. [Me:  Why?]  Because it’s a super-fun song.  Dudes being dudes type song."

Suggested cover:  The aforementioned Beastie Boys.

For years I assume both of these [Editor’s Note:  in 2019 I grouped this with “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey”] were covers of Little Richard songs; turns out only the latter was and that "I'm Down" was the greatest Little Richard song not recorded by Little Richard.  "I'm Down" was recorded the same day as "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face" - just a demonstration of Paul's incredible range and versatility.  Geoff Emerick described the recording session for the "Kansas City" medley:  "...they really cut loose on it, playing with a confidence and a sheer, innocent joy that was positively infectious.  I knew from that minute onward that it was going to be a great session."  That session, by the way, then turned to Mr. Moonlight, I Feel Fine, I’ll Follow The Sun, Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby, Rock And Roll Music, and Words Of Love, as well as the finishing touches on Eight Days a Week.  Not a bad workday. 

John gets enormous credit for his "Twist and Shout" shredding vocal, but I'll put these two underappreciated vocals by Paul up against that one.  He even sounds amazing in the live version of "I'm Down" as the finale of the 1965 Shea Stadium concert, though the highlight for me of that video is John and George cracking up over John's Jerry Lee Lewis style keyboard playing, elbows and all.    Unlike John's delicate songs of insecurity, these laments by Paul makes it seem like he's just going to scream his way out of his sadness, and the songs sounds like they're on the verge of blowing apart at any moment, held together only by Ringo's steady beat.  They're both great fun.  The appreciation Paul had for Little Richard was mutual:  "I've never heard that sound from English musicians before.  Honestly, if I hadn't seen them with my own eyes I'd have thought they were a colored group from back home."

2022 Supplement:  I just started writing about that Shea Stadium performance and then saw I had linked and written about it three years ago.  I really should read my posts.  So, since we’ve covered that, I’ll instead share some of what Paul has written about the song, to give a flavor of the creative process:  “In the course of writing that first verse, you’ve pretty much established everything that’s going on.  You just elaborate on that.  Also, when you’re shouting a rock and roll song, you want to be immediate; you don’t want to get too fancy. …  One of the great things about rock and roll and blues if that it’s very economical.  In the first verse you find your little rhyming pattern, and then normally you stick to that in your rhyming pattern.  It’s going to be a three-minute song; there’s no time to be fancy.”  Paul might have been “down” in this song, but his shouting was still top notch.  Some of his inspiration might have come from John, who as Paul recalled came down form the control room and encouraged him when he felt like he wasn’t doing good enough:  “Comes out the top of your head, remember?”, whispered John.

2022 Mr. krista Supplement:  I’m pretty sure compared to John Lennon that Paul’s down is so mildly unpleasant that it wouldn’t even register.  John is “I’m so lonely, I could die.”  Paul is like “I’ve been better.”  The lyrics are kinda selfish.  Like “How can you laugh when you know I’m down.”  You know, Paul, people gotta live their lives.

Guido Merkins

Out of all the Beatles, Paul was the one most impressed with Little Richard and could channel Richard’s hysterical delivery.  So, Paul wanted to write his own Little Richard song, so that’s how he came up with I’m Down.  

The intro is very similar to Long Tall Sally with Paul coming in screaming at the top of his lungs.  Ringo doing his usual great job of drumming, George and John sharing the solo, with George on guitar and John on electric organ.  

It’s a pretty straight forward I-!V-V chord progression throughout.  Notable is that this song so effectively channeled Little Richard that it replaced Long Tall Sally in the Beatles stage show.  Most notably is the performance in 1965 at Shea Stadium that closed the show had John, in Ringo’s words “cracking up” and jumping around and playing the organ with his elbows.  John described it as “doing Jerry Lee Lewis because he felt naked without his guitar.”  The other Beatles very much were amused by John antics as it helped the break the tension of 65,000 people screaming at them.

Only the Beatles could do a perfect Little Richard imitation and basically throw it away by sticking it on the B side of the Help single.  Other artists make an entire career from that song.

In my last 10 out. Great song. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Well damn it.  I thought I'd wait for Pip to make an appearance since he usually does read write-ups, but he let me down.

Was the answer Don’t Let Me Down?

 

[prosopis]

@Getzlaf15, could we get a list just of people who haven't had a song selected yet?

I think my friend Doug could end up high (Binky, low - or maybe everybody, low?  I don't know how it works) on the chalk scale.  Considering he is my best music buddy, I expected his list to be more intriguing, but it came in really standard.

It's always funny to see what people think in these terms.  Some want to be chalky, but some see it as a badge of honor not to be.

While I am enjoying this, this is why I do think some of it is BS. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

monkey monkey song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[screams in Sam Kinison]

My rank: 20

I don't think I will be able to express my feelings about this better than when I Hippled krista's original thread:

"OK, I got to the monkey monkey song. I love it mainly for the same reasons you do. It made my 90-minute cassette and it was hell trying to fit the title on one of those tiny slots Maxell gave you. I should have just labeled it monkey monkey song.

Definitely a top 5 monkey song, along with Shock The Monkey & Monkey Gone To Heaven.

 

[Tom Hagen]

Cool!

So that's two of 17, and I know I'm one and Doug is one...

Team Chalk here.

 

[simey]

Definitely a top 5 monkey song, along with Shock The Monkey & Monkey Gone To Heaven.

The Rolling Stones' "Monkey Man" is my #1 monkey song.  

 

[MAC_32]

Definitely a top 5 monkey song, along with Shock The Monkey & Monkey Gone To Heaven.

What have we done with innocence?
It disappeared with time, it never made much sense
Adolescent resident
Wasting another night on planning my revenge

 

[simey]

Do You Want To Know A Secret

2022 Supplement:  George’s first lead vocal!  I still love this one more than most people do, and I adore George’s gentle sound on it so much that I only recently realized that the lyrics to every verse are exactly the same.  Trivia question:  what is the other Beatles song that has identical lyrics in each verse? 

Well damn it.  I thought I'd wait for Pip to make an appearance since he usually does read write-ups, but he let me down.

I'm not Pip, but I'll guess "Love Me Do."

 

[rockaction]

The Rolling Stones' "Monkey Man" is my #1 monkey song.  

Toots and the Maytals' (and The Specials' cover of) "Monkey Man" takes it for me. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Helen Leight, a DJ in Philly radio since 1976 and at WXPN since 1990, is retiring. Why is that relevant to this thread? She was the first DJ that I can remember that did special Beatles programming. I’m sure there were tons of others, but in Philly, she was the most overt Beatles fanatic you would hear on the radio. On my commute into the office today, XPN played the Abbey Road medley in her honor.

They said she plans to visit London and walk across the Abbey Road crosswalk.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Definitely a top 5 monkey song, along with Shock The Monkey & Monkey Gone To Heaven.

Monkey and the Engineer

 

[krista4]

I'm not Pip, but I'll guess "Love Me Do."

Winner!

 

[Anarchy99]

I don't particularly pay much attention (or care) where my songs on my list ended up ranking . . . but theoretically, if I am near the top of the chalk rankings now, won't that mean I'll be near the bottom by the end? I haven't been available and haven't checked in much the past week, but at one point think I saw that I had the most songs revealed from my list at one point. I think that would make my list LESS chalky not MORE chalky.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I don't particularly pay much attention (or care) where my songs on my list ended up ranking . . . but theoretically, if I am near the top of the chalk rankings now, won't that mean I'll be near the bottom by the end? I haven't been available and haven't checked in much the past week, but at one point think I saw that I had the most songs revealed from my list at one point. I think that would make my list LESS chalky not MORE chalky.

You’re more chalky now

and in the end    
You’ll be one of the least chalky

 

[simey]

Winner!

     

 

[krista4]

While I am enjoying this, this is why I do think some of it is BS. 

I haven’t really noticed it here but saw it some in the LZ thread.

 

[Zegras11]

I’m a Loser
2022 Ranking: 95
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 43
Ranked Highest by: Krista(TJ/Michael) (1) @Wrighteous Ray (15) Krista(Sharon) (21), @Guido Merkins (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 98T/1/17

Getz comments:  Our first song with a #1 vote!  Also Guido is on the board! 16 left... YT is live from the show, "Shindig"

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  80

2019 write-up:

I'm a Loser (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Yes, yes, John, we know.  You're such a loser.

More self-loathing from John, this song was described by Paul as joining "Nowhere Man" as John's cries for help during this period (funny he wouldn't also mention the song entitled, errrrr, "Help!").  John pegged this to his self-described "Dylan period" because he used the word "clown" in it, which he said he'd thought was too "artsy-fartsy" until Dylan used it, making it OK.  Alrighty.  @Uruk-Hai, how do you rate the truthiness of this statement by Lennon:  "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty."  That one sounds more spot-on to me than many of his statements.

Apparently I am a big fan of John's Dylan period, because in addition to loving this song, we'll see another heavily Dylan-influenced one much higher in the countdown.  I'm clearly also a big fan of John "heart on his sleeve," confessional songs, and I have a special appreciation for this one as perhaps the first time he dived into public exposure of his struggles.  It was a significant breakthrough in his songwriting.  Unfortunately, the lyrics and their cadence bug me a bit on this one; they sound choppy as he hits one note per syllable and the rhymes can seem forced.  He'll get better at it.  

Musically I love John's harmonica part (of course) and the sunny vocals on refrain - how can someone sound so gleeful about being a loser - but to me what makes this song is George.  There, I said it.  George is doing his Carl Perkins tribute perfectly on this song, and I find myself focusing on his guitar work and excitedly awaiting the two short solos from him, the first ~1:35 and the second as the song fades out.  George is the MVP of this one.  

Mr. krista:  "The melody is better than the lyrics.  The dude forced the lyrics into the medley.  The abbaba rhyme is so good you don’t care anyway.  It’s so melodic it doesn’t have to make sense."

Suggested cover:  Eels

2022 Supplement:  In addition to the Dylan influence on this song, Paul also credits country music for John’s inspiration:  “We used to listen to a lot of country and western songs, and they were all about sadness and 'I lost my truck,' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser.' You really didn't think about it at the time, it was only later you'd think, 'God! That was pretty brave of John.'.”

Fun fact and trivia question:  this is one of two Beatles songs where John hit his lowest vocal note:  a low G.  What is the other?

Guido Merkins

There was a period where John was very impressed by Bob Dylan.  So, he starts to write more autobiographical songs and the first one where it’s obvious is I’m a Loser from the Beatles For Sale album.

The most distinctive part of the recording is John’s “Dylanesque” harmonica playing.  Lyrics such as “beneath this mask I am wearing a frown” and “i’m a loser, and I’ve lost someone who’s near to me” (is he referring to his mother Julia) tells us that maybe there is something going on under the surface for John that isn’t apparent.  George’s cool country licks also feel right at home, especially on this album as it’s probably the closest the Beatles would come to a country album.  

When I first got into the Beatles and started digging into their catalog past the Red and Blue Greatest Hits, this is one of the ones that I gravitated toward.  I just loved the whole feel of it.  The country vibe.  The fact that the lyrics have some depth.  The harmonies on the chorus.  I just thought it was a super cool song.  Yeah, it probably goes a little too far into Dylan copying territory, but I like John’s twist on Dylan.  Dylan speaks about himself, but he kind of talks around it and you have to dig into it to see what he’s trying to say about himself.  John is more direct.  It would start on this song, then go through Help and Strawberry Fields Forever and eventually on Plastic Ono Band.  

 

[Zegras11]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #95 = 78 pts. each Sponsored by: My Monkey is a Loser

1 --anarchy99---523

2 --Krista (Sharon)---505.5

3 --OTB_Lifer---418

4 --Wrighteous Ray---351.5

5 --Krista (TJ/Michael)---292.5

6 --Krista (Craig)---288

7 --Krista (Worth)---282.5

8 --Krista (Rob)---266.5

9 --Encyclopedia Brown---266.5

10 --Mac32---258

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I’m a Loser
2022 Ranking: 95
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 43
Ranked Highest by: Krista(TJ/Michael) (1) @Wrighteous Ray (15) Krista(Sharon) (21), @Guido Merkins (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 98T/1/17

Getz comments:  Our first song with a #1 vote!  Also Guido is on the board! 16 left... YT is live from the show, "Shindig"

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  80

2019 write-up:

I'm a Loser (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Yes, yes, John, we know.  You're such a loser.

More self-loathing from John, this song was described by Paul as joining "Nowhere Man" as John's cries for help during this period (funny he wouldn't also mention the song entitled, errrrr, "Help!").  John pegged this to his self-described "Dylan period" because he used the word "clown" in it, which he said he'd thought was too "artsy-fartsy" until Dylan used it, making it OK.  Alrighty.  @Uruk-Hai, how do you rate the truthiness of this statement by Lennon:  "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty."  That one sounds more spot-on to me than many of his statements.

Apparently I am a big fan of John's Dylan period, because in addition to loving this song, we'll see another heavily Dylan-influenced one much higher in the countdown.  I'm clearly also a big fan of John "heart on his sleeve," confessional songs, and I have a special appreciation for this one as perhaps the first time he dived into public exposure of his struggles.  It was a significant breakthrough in his songwriting.  Unfortunately, the lyrics and their cadence bug me a bit on this one; they sound choppy as he hits one note per syllable and the rhymes can seem forced.  He'll get better at it.  

Musically I love John's harmonica part (of course) and the sunny vocals on refrain - how can someone sound so gleeful about being a loser - but to me what makes this song is George.  There, I said it.  George is doing his Carl Perkins tribute perfectly on this song, and I find myself focusing on his guitar work and excitedly awaiting the two short solos from him, the first ~1:35 and the second as the song fades out.  George is the MVP of this one.  

Mr. krista:  "The melody is better than the lyrics.  The dude forced the lyrics into the medley.  The abbaba rhyme is so good you don’t care anyway.  It’s so melodic it doesn’t have to make sense."

Suggested cover:  Eels

2022 Supplement:  In addition to the Dylan influence on this song, Paul also credits country music for John’s inspiration:  “We used to listen to a lot of country and western songs, and they were all about sadness and 'I lost my truck,' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser.' You really didn't think about it at the time, it was only later you'd think, 'God! That was pretty brave of John.'.”

Fun fact and trivia question:  this is one of two Beatles songs where John hit his lowest vocal note:  a low G.  What is the other?

Guido Merkins

There was a period where John was very impressed by Bob Dylan.  So, he starts to write more autobiographical songs and the first one where it’s obvious is I’m a Loser from the Beatles For Sale album.

The most distinctive part of the recording is John’s “Dylanesque” harmonica playing.  Lyrics such as “beneath this mask I am wearing a frown” and “i’m a loser, and I’ve lost someone who’s near to me” (is he referring to his mother Julia) tells us that maybe there is something going on under the surface for John that isn’t apparent.  George’s cool country licks also feel right at home, especially on this album as it’s probably the closest the Beatles would come to a country album.  

When I first got into the Beatles and started digging into their catalog past the Red and Blue Greatest Hits, this is one of the ones that I gravitated toward.  I just loved the whole feel of it.  The country vibe.  The fact that the lyrics have some depth.  The harmonies on the chorus.  I just thought it was a super cool song.  Yeah, it probably goes a little too far into Dylan copying territory, but I like John’s twist on Dylan.  Dylan speaks about himself, but he kind of talks around it and you have to dig into it to see what he’s trying to say about himself.  John is more direct.  It would start on this song, then go through Help and Strawberry Fields Forever and eventually on Plastic Ono Band.  

@krista4I know nothing about vocal ranges so I have no guess to your trivia question. Just letting you know that I did read your post.

 

[rockaction]

I haven’t really noticed it here but saw it some in the LZ thread.

This is straight Jay Cutler meme for me. 

eta* The chalk stuff and where I land, I mean. 

 

[rockaction]

Hey MAC. Up high, mang. 

 

[Shaft41]

I’m a Loser
2022 Ranking: 95
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 43
Ranked Highest by: Krista(TJ/Michael) (1) @Wrighteous Ray (15) Krista(Sharon) (21), @Guido Merkins (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 98T/1/17

Getz comments:  Our first song with a #1 vote!  Also Guido is on the board! 16 left... YT is live from the show, "Shindig"

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  80

2019 write-up:

I'm a Loser (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Yes, yes, John, we know.  You're such a loser.

More self-loathing from John, this song was described by Paul as joining "Nowhere Man" as John's cries for help during this period (funny he wouldn't also mention the song entitled, errrrr, "Help!").  John pegged this to his self-described "Dylan period" because he used the word "clown" in it, which he said he'd thought was too "artsy-fartsy" until Dylan used it, making it OK.  Alrighty.  @Uruk-Hai, how do you rate the truthiness of this statement by Lennon:  "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty."  That one sounds more spot-on to me than many of his statements.

Apparently I am a big fan of John's Dylan period, because in addition to loving this song, we'll see another heavily Dylan-influenced one much higher in the countdown.  I'm clearly also a big fan of John "heart on his sleeve," confessional songs, and I have a special appreciation for this one as perhaps the first time he dived into public exposure of his struggles.  It was a significant breakthrough in his songwriting.  Unfortunately, the lyrics and their cadence bug me a bit on this one; they sound choppy as he hits one note per syllable and the rhymes can seem forced.  He'll get better at it.  

Musically I love John's harmonica part (of course) and the sunny vocals on refrain - how can someone sound so gleeful about being a loser - but to me what makes this song is George.  There, I said it.  George is doing his Carl Perkins tribute perfectly on this song, and I find myself focusing on his guitar work and excitedly awaiting the two short solos from him, the first ~1:35 and the second as the song fades out.  George is the MVP of this one.  

Mr. krista:  "The melody is better than the lyrics.  The dude forced the lyrics into the medley.  The abbaba rhyme is so good you don’t care anyway.  It’s so melodic it doesn’t have to make sense."

Suggested cover:  Eels

2022 Supplement:  In addition to the Dylan influence on this song, Paul also credits country music for John’s inspiration:  “We used to listen to a lot of country and western songs, and they were all about sadness and 'I lost my truck,' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser.' You really didn't think about it at the time, it was only later you'd think, 'God! That was pretty brave of John.'.”

Fun fact and trivia question:  this is one of two Beatles songs where John hit his lowest vocal note:  a low G.  What is the other?

Guido Merkins

There was a period where John was very impressed by Bob Dylan.  So, he starts to write more autobiographical songs and the first one where it’s obvious is I’m a Loser from the Beatles For Sale album.

The most distinctive part of the recording is John’s “Dylanesque” harmonica playing.  Lyrics such as “beneath this mask I am wearing a frown” and “i’m a loser, and I’ve lost someone who’s near to me” (is he referring to his mother Julia) tells us that maybe there is something going on under the surface for John that isn’t apparent.  George’s cool country licks also feel right at home, especially on this album as it’s probably the closest the Beatles would come to a country album.  

When I first got into the Beatles and started digging into their catalog past the Red and Blue Greatest Hits, this is one of the ones that I gravitated toward.  I just loved the whole feel of it.  The country vibe.  The fact that the lyrics have some depth.  The harmonies on the chorus.  I just thought it was a super cool song.  Yeah, it probably goes a little too far into Dylan copying territory, but I like John’s twist on Dylan.  Dylan speaks about himself, but he kind of talks around it and you have to dig into it to see what he’s trying to say about himself.  John is more direct.  It would start on this song, then go through Help and Strawberry Fields Forever and eventually on Plastic Ono Band.  

Proving that I read the posts, I will say that as soon as I saw what song was posted, and before I even read a word, I thought to myself "This has got to be the song where John hits the lowest vocal note of any of his Beatles songs."  And apparently, I'm half-right!  I know this, because back when I was in choir and singing when I was younger, I knew the lowest note I could reach was usually a low A, occasionally reaching that low G.  So, when I sing along with this one, sometimes I can match Dr. O'Boogie, and sometimes I can't.  

But I have no idea which other song offers a note this low.  

 

[Zegras11]

Hey MAC. Up high, mang. 

13 --rockaction---223

 

[MAC_32]

This is straight Jay Cutler meme for me. 

eta* The chalk stuff and where I land, I mean. 

Early Beatles does it for some, but it doesn't for me - I prefer Indy George. Isn't anything wrong with either though. Like what you like, man. Unless it's Revolution 9 anyway.

 

[Shaft41]

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
2022 Ranking: 96
2022 Lists: 6
2022 Points: 42
Ranked Highest by: @neal cassady (9) @DaVinci (19) @Pip's Invitation (20) @Oliver Humanzee (21) @Murph (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 101/4/16

Getz: fyi... Devin = mr krista = oliver humanzee.    Five songs today, and just OH as the only one with his first song to be posted.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  52

2019 write-up:

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (White Album, 1968)

Last-minute downgrade out of the top 50; if I downgrade "Drive My Car" for the lyrics, I have to do the same here.  The lyrics are dumb.  Really dumb.  But that's probably not what bothers some people most about this song.  There's a significant love/hate element here; yes, it's that firemen's bell.  For me, it what takes the song waaaaay up in my rankings.  I mean, remember, I'm a person who's a sucker for cowbell, so if you kick that up a few notches to an outrageously loud firemen's bell.  Heaven!

The story is that John and George were playing so incredibly loud that Paul gave up on the bass part and stood next to Ringo playing that bell as loud as he could, so much so that he had to take breaks after each take to rest his sore shoulders.  Geoff Emerick called the result "raucous and unpleasant"; I call it bliss. Poor Emerick with his delicate ears ended up with a headache after the session, while I'd give my left arm to have been there during the violent frenzy. I'm not going to deconstruct this one because I don't care about anything but that this ####### rocks.  Hard.   

C'mon, c'mon!!!

Mr. krista:  "Great song.  Mint jam. Love the 16th or 32nd notes on the ride cymbal.  Like the half-time/double-time breakdown.  Slows down and builds tension on the “take it easy” part.  [Plays it on his leg.]"

Suggested cover:  The Feelies

2022 Supplement:  Knowing I’d unfairly downgraded this song out of my top 50 in 2019, I re-auditioned it this year and saw it come in just off this year’s list at #31.  Yeah, yeah, another one where perceived peer pressure got in my way.  John was at the top of his game again both in his vocal and in his guitar work, whether inspired by the maharishi’s words (George’s story) or his new relationship with Yoko (John’s version).  If you don’t love this one, then you’re…well, probably normal.  Other than whoever voted it in their top 25, not many people love it more than I do, and I get it.  There’s something not just about the song itself, though, but about the joy with which they performed it, that does it for me.  Given what we’ve been told about the White Album sessions, the excitement in this one overjoys me because it seemed to overjoy them.  Plus, this is an all-time favorite for playing anonymously on TouchTunes at a bar to leave the people playing country music struck by shock and awe.

And now for something completely different, listen to the Esher demo version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEJKh1Fq3o So Dylan-y.  It’s OK to admit how much you miss the firemen’s bell.

Guido Merkins

The White Album was a return to a more rock and roll sound for the Beatles.  John especially wanted to go back to more of a guitar driven sound.  Some of the Beatles rawest guitar driven songs are on the White Album and Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey is one of them.

George lost interest in the guitar at some point for the sitar.  Maybe because he realized he would never be a great sitarist, he started focusing on the guitar again.  This rebirth resulted in far rawer and louder guitar playing, perhaps by listening to his friend Eric Clapton, he realized he had to change.  Much to his credit, he did exactly that.  Monkey featured some of the loudest, rawest guitar in the Beatles catalog.  

What do the lyrics mean.  John claimed that it was inspired by things the Maharishi would say like “come on is such a joy” and “everybody’s got something to hide.”  Later in life, John claimed it was about he and Yoko being in love and others around them being uncomfortable, but since the song was written before John and Yoko actually got together, I’m not sure.  I tend to agree more with George’s story.

In any event, Monkey is another great rocker on Side 3 of the White Album where they put most of the harder rocking songs.

I'm glad to see this one get the love; I had it in my top 25 in 2019, and this and "Mother Nature's Son" were the last, excruciating cuts from my ranking this time.  I don't love this song any less than I did in 2019; but a few others have vaulted it and I love them more.  Definitely one of my favorite basslines.  

 

[rockaction]

13 --rockaction---223

Heh. That wasn't so much about chalk as about saying hello. 

I'm caffeinated this morning and for some reason listening to Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" 

It's a trippy feeling, actually. 

 

[Zegras11]

Heh. That wasn't so much about chalk as about saying hello. 

I'm caffeinated this morning and for some reason listening to Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" 

It's a trippy feeling, actually. 

nothing wrong with adding chalk to your coffee.  

 

[BobbyLayne]

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
2022 Ranking: 96
2022 Lists: 6
2022 Points: 42
Ranked Highest by: @neal cassady (9) @DaVinci (19) @Pip's Invitation (20) @Oliver Humanzee (21) @Murph (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 101/4/16

Getz: fyi... Devin = mr krista = oliver humanzee.    Five songs today, and just OH as the only one with his first song to be posted.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  52

2019 write-up:

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (White Album, 1968)

Last-minute downgrade out of the top 50; if I downgrade "Drive My Car" for the lyrics, I have to do the same here.  The lyrics are dumb.  Really dumb.  But that's probably not what bothers some people most about this song.  There's a significant love/hate element here; yes, it's that firemen's bell.  For me, it what takes the song waaaaay up in my rankings.  I mean, remember, I'm a person who's a sucker for cowbell, so if you kick that up a few notches to an outrageously loud firemen's bell.  Heaven!

The story is that John and George were playing so incredibly loud that Paul gave up on the bass part and stood next to Ringo playing that bell as loud as he could, so much so that he had to take breaks after each take to rest his sore shoulders.  Geoff Emerick called the result "raucous and unpleasant"; I call it bliss. Poor Emerick with his delicate ears ended up with a headache after the session, while I'd give my left arm to have been there during the violent frenzy. I'm not going to deconstruct this one because I don't care about anything but that this ####### rocks.  Hard.   

C'mon, c'mon!!!

Mr. krista:  "Great song.  Mint jam. Love the 16th or 32nd notes on the ride cymbal.  Like the half-time/double-time breakdown.  Slows down and builds tension on the “take it easy” part.  [Plays it on his leg.]"

Suggested cover:  The Feelies

2022 Supplement:  Knowing I’d unfairly downgraded this song out of my top 50 in 2019, I re-auditioned it this year and saw it come in just off this year’s list at #31.  Yeah, yeah, another one where perceived peer pressure got in my way.  John was at the top of his game again both in his vocal and in his guitar work, whether inspired by the maharishi’s words (George’s story) or his new relationship with Yoko (John’s version).  If you don’t love this one, then you’re…well, probably normal.  Other than whoever voted it in their top 25, not many people love it more than I do, and I get it.  There’s something not just about the song itself, though, but about the joy with which they performed it, that does it for me.  Given what we’ve been told about the White Album sessions, the excitement in this one overjoys me because it seemed to overjoy them.  Plus, this is an all-time favorite for playing anonymously on TouchTunes at a bar to leave the people playing country music struck by shock and awe.

And now for something completely different, listen to the Esher demo version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEJKh1Fq3o So Dylan-y.  It’s OK to admit how much you miss the firemen’s bell.

Guido Merkins

The White Album was a return to a more rock and roll sound for the Beatles.  John especially wanted to go back to more of a guitar driven sound.  Some of the Beatles rawest guitar driven songs are on the White Album and Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey is one of them.

George lost interest in the guitar at some point for the sitar.  Maybe because he realized he would never be a great sitarist, he started focusing on the guitar again.  This rebirth resulted in far rawer and louder guitar playing, perhaps by listening to his friend Eric Clapton, he realized he had to change.  Much to his credit, he did exactly that.  Monkey featured some of the loudest, rawest guitar in the Beatles catalog.  

What do the lyrics mean.  John claimed that it was inspired by things the Maharishi would say like “come on is such a joy” and “everybody’s got something to hide.”  Later in life, John claimed it was about he and Yoko being in love and others around them being uncomfortable, but since the song was written before John and Yoko actually got together, I’m not sure.  I tend to agree more with George’s story.

In any event, Monkey is another great rocker on Side 3 of the White Album where they put most of the harder rocking songs.

Such a great jam!

#121 overall, 17th / 30 for TBtWA

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey   

The Beatles (aka the White Album) 1968   
composer - Lennon
vocalist - Lennon

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey is the 51st Beatles original not to use a middle 8. Instead, the chorus serves as contrast to the verses.

Formal Structure:     
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey:
          Intro (verse)     0:00-0:08
          Verse 1 (abbr.)   0:08-0:40
                    Part 1 (abbr.)     0:08-0:20
                    Part 2                    0:20-0:32
                    Part 3: Tag          0:32-0:40
          Verse 2                0:40-1:20
                    Part 1                    0:40-1:00
                    Part 2                    1:00-1:12
                    Part 3: Tag          1:12-1:20
          Verse 3                1:20-2:00
                    Part 1                    1:20-1:40
                    Part 2                    1:40-1:52
                    Part 3: Tag          1:52-2:00
          Coda (verse)     2:00-2:24

Many of the songs released on The White Album were written as fragments during the Beatles stay in Rishikesh, India in the early months of 1968. 
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey is one such example - its use of only verses (no choruses, no middle 8s, no solos, et cetera) revealing its fragmentary nature.

While it is rather common to find a Beatles song in which the first two verses are contiguous

(precedents include [1] "Love Me Do", [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", 56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", [88] "Yellow Submarine", [89] "I Want To Tell You", [92] "She Said She Said", [95] "Penny Lane", [96] "A Day in the Life", [99] "Fixing a Hole", [100] "Only a Northern Song", [101] "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite", [105] "Within You Without You", [111] "All Together Now", [114] "All You Need Is Love", [116] "I Am the Walrus", [122] "Lady Madonna", [126] "Don't Pass Me By", and [128] "Blackbird"), 

it isuncommon to find any other contiguous verses. In fact, "Monkey" is just the 8th Beatles song to use contiguous verses other than verses 1 and 2, following

[19] "Not a Second Time" (in which verses 1 and 2 are contiguous, as are verses 3 and 4), [31b] "Matchbox" (in which the first three and last two verses are contiguous), [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 4-5), [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows" (in which verses 1-3 are contiguous, as are verses 4-7), [80] "Paperback Writer" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4), [84] "Taxman" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4), [95] "Penny Lane" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 4-5), and [96] "A Day in the Life" (in which verses 1-3 are contiguous).

With such a fragmentary and minimal macro-structure, it is no surprise to find that each verse contains three significant sub-sections: first, that corresponding with the lyrics "Come on, come on..."; second, that corresponding with the lyrics "Take it easy..."; and third, that corresponding with the brief instrumental break immediately following the title lyrics.

Additionally, notice that the first part of verse 1 is abbreviated, lasting only 12 seconds - 8 seconds shorter than the first parts of both verses 2 and 3.

Notice also that Part 1 of the first verse concludes with a 9/8 bar while the other two verses retain 4/4. 

I’m a Loser
2022 Ranking: 95
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 43
Ranked Highest by: Krista(TJ/Michael) (1) @Wrighteous Ray (15) Krista(Sharon) (21), @Guido Merkins (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 98T/1/17

Getz comments:  Our first song with a #1 vote!  Also Guido is on the board! 16 left... YT is live from the show, "Shindig"

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  80

2019 write-up:

I'm a Loser (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Yes, yes, John, we know.  You're such a loser.

More self-loathing from John, this song was described by Paul as joining "Nowhere Man" as John's cries for help during this period (funny he wouldn't also mention the song entitled, errrrr, "Help!").  John pegged this to his self-described "Dylan period" because he used the word "clown" in it, which he said he'd thought was too "artsy-fartsy" until Dylan used it, making it OK.  Alrighty.  @Uruk-Hai, how do you rate the truthiness of this statement by Lennon:  "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty."  That one sounds more spot-on to me than many of his statements.

Apparently I am a big fan of John's Dylan period, because in addition to loving this song, we'll see another heavily Dylan-influenced one much higher in the countdown.  I'm clearly also a big fan of John "heart on his sleeve," confessional songs, and I have a special appreciation for this one as perhaps the first time he dived into public exposure of his struggles.  It was a significant breakthrough in his songwriting.  Unfortunately, the lyrics and their cadence bug me a bit on this one; they sound choppy as he hits one note per syllable and the rhymes can seem forced.  He'll get better at it.  

Musically I love John's harmonica part (of course) and the sunny vocals on refrain - how can someone sound so gleeful about being a loser - but to me what makes this song is George.  There, I said it.  George is doing his Carl Perkins tribute perfectly on this song, and I find myself focusing on his guitar work and excitedly awaiting the two short solos from him, the first ~1:35 and the second as the song fades out.  George is the MVP of this one.  

Mr. krista:  "The melody is better than the lyrics.  The dude forced the lyrics into the medley.  The abbaba rhyme is so good you don’t care anyway.  It’s so melodic it doesn’t have to make sense."

Suggested cover:  Eels

2022 Supplement:  In addition to the Dylan influence on this song, Paul also credits country music for John’s inspiration:  “We used to listen to a lot of country and western songs, and they were all about sadness and 'I lost my truck,' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser.' You really didn't think about it at the time, it was only later you'd think, 'God! That was pretty brave of John.'.”

Fun fact and trivia question:  this is one of two Beatles songs where John hit his lowest vocal note:  a low G.  What is the other?

Guido Merkins

There was a period where John was very impressed by Bob Dylan.  So, he starts to write more autobiographical songs and the first one where it’s obvious is I’m a Loser from the Beatles For Sale album.

The most distinctive part of the recording is John’s “Dylanesque” harmonica playing.  Lyrics such as “beneath this mask I am wearing a frown” and “i’m a loser, and I’ve lost someone who’s near to me” (is he referring to his mother Julia) tells us that maybe there is something going on under the surface for John that isn’t apparent.  George’s cool country licks also feel right at home, especially on this album as it’s probably the closest the Beatles would come to a country album.  

When I first got into the Beatles and started digging into their catalog past the Red and Blue Greatest Hits, this is one of the ones that I gravitated toward.  I just loved the whole feel of it.  The country vibe.  The fact that the lyrics have some depth.  The harmonies on the chorus.  I just thought it was a super cool song.  Yeah, it probably goes a little too far into Dylan copying territory, but I like John’s twist on Dylan.  Dylan speaks about himself, but he kind of talks around it and you have to dig into it to see what he’s trying to say about himself.  John is more direct.  It would start on this song, then go through Help and Strawberry Fields Forever and eventually on Plastic Ono Band.  

#personalanthem

#82 overall, 2nd / 14 BFS
I'm A Loser
Beatles For Sale 1964
composer - Lennon
lead vocals - Lennon

Stereo Panning

Left:
acoustic rhythm guitar
bass
drums

Center:
vocals
harmonica

Right:
electric lead guitar
tambourine

Formal structure:  
I'm a Loser
         Intro (chorus)  0:00-0:11
         Verse 1            0:11-0:32
         Chorus            0:32-0:42
         Verse 2          0:42-1:04
         Chorus           1:04-1:15
         Solo 1             1:15-1:26
         Solo 2            1:26-1:36
         Verse 3         1:36-1:58
         Chorus          1:58-2:08
         Coda (solos)  2:08-2:28

I'm a Loser uses two different solo sections. (The only other Beatles song to date that features two solo sections is Long Tall Sally.) The first is a harmonica solo, the second a guitar solo; the first using the chord progression of the verse, the second using the chord progression of the chorus. These solos are reprized in the coda, which fades out.

 

[Zegras11]

Magical Mystery Tour
2022 Ranking: 94
2022 Lists: 5
2022 Points: 44
Ranked Highest by: @Anarchy99 (6) @Doc Holiday (15) @Man of Constant Sorrow (17) @shuke (23) @Dwayne Hoover (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 88/4/22

Getz: Doc H and Shuke on the board!

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  132

2019 write-up:

Magical Mystery Tour (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)

More carnival music, but this one is particularly fun.  The tempo changes are a blast, and I love the bassline, the whooshing bus sounds, and more than anything else the piano coda that trails off into the ether.  I'm not surprised this was recorded a few days after Sgt. Pepper's; it still has the feel of a band pretending to be a different band.  I like to pretend that Paul never said the "dying to take you away" was in reference to the Tibetan Book of the Dead; I prefer to think of this as an amusing carnival barker song with some interesting effects.

Mr. krista:  "What I like best were the tempo changes. Otherwise it seemed like half a song. They knew they were breaking up."

Suggested cover:  Cheap Trick

2022 Supplement:  When you listen to this song, it’s befuddling how the decision was made to broadcast this film in black-and-white rather than in color.  This question arises with many of the songs, but to me the title song of the film is the most obvious number that is all about psychedelia, circuses and other brightly colored endeavors.  It’s no wonder that the film was a monumental flop, but I’m happy to find that it’s become more well-received over the years.

Paul has called this song “very much in our fairground period.  One of our great inspirations was always the barker: 'Roll up! Roll up!' The promise of something-- the newspaper ad that says 'guaranteed not to crack,' the 'high class' butcher, 'satisfaction guaranteed' from Sgt. Pepper... You'll find that pervades a lot of [our] songs.”

Guido Merkins

After the success of Pepper, the Beatles thought they could do no wrong.  So Paul had this idea to make a film about them traveling across the country on a bus and filming whatever happened.  The resulting film was shown by the BBC on Boxing Day in black and white, making most of the colorful images and such moot.  The film was hated almost universally.

The resulting songs were more successful, although kind of a poor-man’s Sgt Pepper.  No song better fits that than the title track Magical Mystery Tour.  Written primarily by Paul it attempts to introduce the concept the same way that Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band introduces that album.  Lots of horns and tempo changes are contained in the song.  They are “coming to take you away” and even “DYING to take you away.”  Sounds of the bus roaring by are also present.  Perhaps the best part is the end piano piece which follows in the grand tradition of the Beatles putting something at the end of a song that seems to lift the proceedings.

Overall, I agree with the fact that Magical Mystery Tour is kind of warmed over Sgt Pepper, but without the great guitar flourish.  I like the song and when Paul played it live in concert for his 1993 tour, I liked it.  But I always hear the songs from Magical Mystery Tour as their psychedelic period running on fumes.  The White Album would get them back to their roots with some more substantial work.

 

[ProstheticRGK]

I'm way behind, but thank you for the Duke Ellington clip. I always put him in the "squaresville dad music category". My pops was a huge fan of all the big band guys. That was really amazing, especially the horns blowing out Eleanor Rigby. Brought a tear to my eye, thinking about old Saint Henry- hope he is enjoying an all-you-can eat buffet in heaven and sharing a table with Duke.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I’m a Loser
2022 Ranking: 95
2022 Lists: 4

another one that went in and out of my top 25 - currently at #36.  

love it.  

 

[simey]

Magical Mystery Tour

This is a fun song. It would be on my Top 50 favorites list.

 

[Zegras11]

I Should Have Known Better
2022 Ranking: 93
2022 Lists: 7
2022 Points: 48
Ranked Highest by: @jwb (11) @Getzlaf15 (15) @John Maddens Lunchbox (18) @whoknew(21) @fatguyinalittlecoat (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 119T/2/9

Getz comments:  First song with seven voters. Every song after this one has at least one Top 10 vote. Pretty solid jump from 2019. Who Knew gets his first song posted! 13 left…

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  102

2019 write-up:

I Should Have Known Better (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)

For three weeks beginning in mid-January 1964, the Beatles were booked at shows in Paris, and they also had a piano brought in to work on new songs for the upcoming A Hard Day's Night movie/album during their "down" time.  When they weren't playing or songwriting, though, they apparently spent all their time listening to the new Bob Dylan record they'd acquired, The Freewheelin'.  You can certainly hear the influence of that record on this song, written entirely by John during that time and paying tribute to Dylan's style on the harmonica.  As on "Love Me Do," the harmonica is the star of the show for me on this song, though this also features a fine John vocal that stretches him throughout his range.  I especially love his "oh"s on the bridge, and the way it feels like he isn't go to hit those notes on "mi-i-i-ine," but he makes it!   Another more subtle bit of the bridge that I love is George strumming those gentle chords at the beginning of each line, signaling the new chord in half time, and the last strum leads beautifully back into the verse.  Just a small touch that keeps the song together.

Fun fact:  George Harrison met his future wife Pattie Boyd when she was one of the girls in the train scenes in the movie, including the scene featuring this song.  Here's her big speaking part:  Prisoners?

Mr. krista:  "I like the harmonica on this song the best, but I feel like it’s kind of silly given what they could do in other songs. I feel like they weren’t trying that hard."

Suggested covers:  Phil Ochs  She & Him  Johnny Rivers 

2022 Supplement:  I…Should Have Known Better than to love this song …etc.  Nice song, but not much to it compared to others on this list, and should have been lower in 2019.  Nice bluesy harmonica and a great scene from the movie, though.  Next.

Guido Merkins

A Hard Day’s Night is filled with memorable scenes.  The 1st musical interlude (after the opening, of course) has the Beatles playing cards in the luggage compartment of the train and they start playing I Should Have Known Better.

It opens with the harmonica, every much in the style of Dylan and features George on his 12 string Rickenbacker, which the Byrds would see and use to great effect.  John is playing his jumbo Gibson acoustic, another iconic Beatles instrument.  The song has great vocals by John and the lyrics are pretty generic and for John, pretty positive too without the usual “don’t break my heart or else” that he is known for.

Once again, there are slight differences between the mono and stereo versions.  The stereo has John’s harmonica intro dropping out briefly, where as on the mono, he completes the line. Seen in the movie among the school girls who are watching the Beatles perform in the luggage area is Pattie Boyd, soon to be Mrs George Harrison.  He met her during the filming of the movie and they started dating.

 

[jwb]

Best scene in the movie to me. And for George, I'm sure! 

 

[simey]

I Should Have Known Better

This is the first song I learned to play on the blues harp.  

 

[krista4]

Best scene in the movie to me. And for George, I'm sure! 

And perfect timing for this song to arise! 

On today's date in 1964, the band began filming A Hard Day's Night, and George met (pie-face painted stick) Pattie Boyd for the first time.

 

[krista4]

Proving that I read the posts, I will say that as soon as I saw what song was posted, and before I even read a word, I thought to myself "This has got to be the song where John hits the lowest vocal note of any of his Beatles songs."  And apparently, I'm half-right!  I know this, because back when I was in choir and singing when I was younger, I knew the lowest note I could reach was usually a low A, occasionally reaching that low G.  So, when I sing along with this one, sometimes I can match Dr. O'Boogie, and sometimes I can't.  

But I have no idea which other song offers a note this low.  

This is cool!

The other song is "Happiness Is A Warm Gun."

 

[krista4]

I'm way behind, but thank you for the Duke Ellington clip. I always put him in the "squaresville dad music category". My pops was a huge fan of all the big band guys. That was really amazing, especially the horns blowing out Eleanor Rigby. Brought a tear to my eye, thinking about old Saint Henry- hope he is enjoying an all-you-can eat buffet in heaven and sharing a table with Duke.

Warmed my heart to read this.  

 

[Shaft41]

This is cool!

The other song is "Happiness Is A Warm Gun."

Ah yes.  Never would have come up with that since it's not a favorite of me and often gets skipped.  I assume on the "I need a fix" section.  

 

[krista4]

Ah yes.  Never would have come up with that since it's not a favorite of me and often gets skipped.  I assume on the "I need a fix" section.  

 

 

[falguy]

Since we're in some down time I'll just point out one more useless tidbit.

Since we started the top 100 we've had 8 songs from 8 different albums*

Maybe a revolver, rubber soul or abbey road next to keep the streak going. I'm on pins and needles over here.

*singles are considered an album for my purposes.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Should Have Known Better is another deep earworm for me.  I don’t think it’s actually my 24th favorite but it just felt wrong to leave it off the list when it’s been bouncing around so much in my head for so long.  My 25th is also a “doesn’t really deserve it on the merits of the song but is special to me” kinda thing.

 

[krista4]

Since we're in some down time I'll just point out one more useless tidbit.

Since we started the top 100 we've had 8 songs from 8 different albums*

Maybe a revolver, rubber soul or abbey road next to keep the streak going. I'm on pins and needles over here.

*singles are considered an album for my purposes.

I really enjoy all the nerdy tidbits.  Will talk to @Getzlaf15 about getting you a raise.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I really enjoy all the nerdy tidbits.  Will talk to @Getzlaf15 about getting you a raise.

As our friend Billy Preston says, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

 

[FairWarning]

Should Have Known Better is another deep earworm for me.  I don’t think it’s actually my 24th favorite but it just felt wrong to leave it off the list when it’s been bouncing around so much in my head for so long.  My 25th is also a “doesn’t really deserve it on the merits of the song but is special to me” kinda thing.

My last cut.

 

[DocHolliday]

I figured Magical Mystery Tour would be one of the first songs off my rather chalky list.   The song is not as well constructed as most Beatles songs but I love the fun carnival feel and tempo changes.   It’s a song that simply screams Beatles to me.    

 

[Wrighteous Ray]

Frequently, when a new song is revealed, I think, "Why didn't I choose that one?"  So, although I know my write-ups are not too interesting, I will continue, if only to remind myself why I made a particular choice.

#10 - I'm Down     I really like it when Paul gets all loose and crazy and screams a lot.  And George and John are really jammin' on the guitar and keyboard and are great.  It's just super rock and roll and fun!

#18 - I'll Cry Instead     If I were choosing today, I probably wouldn't take this one.  Listening to it again, there's nothing particularly getting my interest, but it is a cool little revenge song.  He will cry for awhile, then get revenge on the girl who dumped him and all others, too.

#18 - Kansas City/ Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!      Another fun to listen to early rock and roll song cover.  I do like that at the beginning of the song he's going to Kansas City to get that girl back, but at the end, it appears he is saying baby, bye bye!

#16  - Tell Me Why      Another one that I kind of wish I hadn't chosen.  I like Ringo's drums, especially at the beginning,  and the three-part harmony, but that's about it.   I imagine that all of us in relationships have had occasion to ask another person why they are upset with us or to tell us what we did wrong.  But the refrain on this one gets a little needy after a while.  No need to beg!