#1: “A Day in the Life” The ultimate Lennon-McCartney collaboration, “A Day in the Life” wasn’t recognized as the band’s masterwork until the 80s, after Lennon’s death. It pairs lyrics inspired by the newspapers and Lennon’s own life with McCartney’s idea to have classical musicians perform what producer George Martin called an “orchestral orgasm.”
I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the GRADE
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
but I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
and Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I’d love to turn you on
#2: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was most American’s first exposure to the songwriting magic of Lennon and McCartney, setting off Beatlemania. It represented what producer George Martin calls “the apex of Phase One of the Beatles’ development.”
Oh yeah, I´ll tell you something
I think you´ll understand
When I say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
Oh, please, say to me
You´ll let me be your man
and please, say to me
You´ll let me hold your hand
Now let me hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
And when I touch you i feel happy, inside
It´s such a feeling
That my love
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
Yeah you, got that something
I think you´ll understand
When I say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
And when I touch you I feel happy, inside
It´s such a feeling
That my love
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
I can’t hide
Yeah you, got that something
I think you´ll understand
When I feel that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand.
#3: “Strawberry Fields Forever” Lennon once said growing up “was scary because there was nobody to relate to.” Strawberry Field the place (a Liverpool children’s home near where Lennon grew up) represented those haunting childhood visions. With this song, Lennon conquered them forever.
Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to
Strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see
It’s getting hard to be someone, but it all works out
It doesn’t matter much to me
Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to
Strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
No one, I think, is in my tree
I mean, it must be high or low
That is, you can’t, you know, tune in, but it’s alright
That is, I think it’s not too bad
Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to
Strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
Always, no, sometimes, think it’s me
But, you know, I know when it’s a dream
I think, er, no, I mean, er, yes, but it’s all wrong
That is, I think I disagree
Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to
Strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
Strawberry fields forever
Strawberry fields forever
#4: “Yesterday” The most covered song in history began as something called “Scrambled Eggs.” It also began as a dream.
Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
I’m not half the man
I used to be
There’s a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday, came suddenly
Why she had to go
I don’t know, she wouldn’t say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
#5: “In My Life” “In My Life,” featuring Lennon’s most personal lyrics up to the song’s release, is one of only a handful of Lennon-McCartney songs where the two strongly disagreed over who wrote what.
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
#6: “Something” Before it became the second-most-covered Beatles song behind “Yesterday,” Lennon said this unexpected Harrison track was “the best track on [Abbey Road]” and McCartney called it “the best song [Harrison has] written.”
Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me.
I don’t want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.
Somewhere in her smile she knows,
That I don’t need no other lover.
Something in her style that shows me.
I don’t want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.
You’re asking me will my love grow,
I don’t know, I don’t know.
Stick around, and it may show,
But I don’t know, I don’t know.
Something in the way she knows,
And all I have to do is think of her.
Something in the things she shows me.
I don’t want to leave her now.
You know I believe and how.
#7: “Hey Jude” McCartney’s lyrics for “Hey Jude” were inspired by John and Cynthia Lennon’s five-year-old son, Julian — but Lennon first thought McCartney was singing to him about his relationship with Yoko Ono.
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
The minute you let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don’t let me down
Take a sad song and make it better
The minute you let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Let it out and let in
Hey Jude begin
To making the world a little better
Don’t you know that it’s a fool
Who plays it cool
In making the world a little better
Hey Jude, don’t let me down
Take a sad song and make it better
The minute you let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Let it out and let in
Hey Jude begin
To making the world a little better
Don’t you know that it’s a fool
Who plays it cool
To taking the world upon your shoulder
Hey Jude, don’t let me down
Take a sad song and make it better
The minute you let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Na na na na na…..
#8: “Let It Be” McCartney channeled Aretha Franklin’s soul in “Let It Be,” recorded during the peak of the Beatles’ troubled times. A month after its 1970 release, McCartney announced the band had broken up.
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
WereVerse Universe Baby!
Dr. Hugh Fox III 