#122: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 1, 1967
Appears on: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lead vocal: John

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" has turned into one of the least understood Beatles songs, fueled by the persistent myth that the nouns in the title purposefully spell out LSD. This is not the case - the truth is a lot more innocent than that. Julian, John's son, came home with a drawing of a friend in school, which he called 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds'. Thus, the inspiration for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was born. I can't tell you how many times, as a Beatles fan, that I've had to correct people about that. 
Anyway, the song itself is really the first true psychedelic song on the album, featuring a trippy intro played by Paul on a Lowrey organ that really feels like you're descending into someone's imagination. George gets lead and acoustic guitar parts. Ringo plays a fantastic drum part (probably his best on the album). Surprisingly, even though he is the singer, John only plays guitar on the track, sharing lead duties with George. I really love John's double-tracked vocal here. It's really dream-like and adds to the whole atmosphere of the song. 
The lyrics are perfect stuff about really nothing but images and a series of visions. It feels more like John is describing a painting than a real event. I still want to know what it's like to ride in a newspaper taxi, though. 
The song was never released as a single, although Elton John's tastefully done cover (on which John appears) reached #1 in 1975. The Beatles' original has appeared on 1967-1970 and remixed on the Yellow Sumbarine Songtrack. As an animation buff, I still marvel at the "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" sequence. It's probably the finest sequence in the film and one the highlights of 1960's animation.      
I really love this song. It's got to be a great example of how the Beatles never lost their taste for straight-up rock 'n' roll even as a studio-bound band. 

#119: Strawberry Fields Forever

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: February 17, 1967
Appears on: Magical Mystery Tour
Lead vocal: John

There's something about "Strawberry Fields Forever" that is hard to pin down, even 43 years after its' release. The song is specifically about John's childhood, almost as if it is a more detailed version of "In My Life". I really believe that it's probably the best song he ever wrote in his life and easily a top-5 Beatles track. 
The lyrics touch on just how difficult it is to be a child in a confusing world and is filled with fantastic lines. That last verse probably sums up John's life, filled with hypocrisy and confusion, more than anything else he ever wrote:
Always know, sometimes think its me
But you know, I know when it's a dream
I think a 'no', I say 'yes,' 
But it's all wrong
That is, I think I disagree
Then there's the extreme psychedelic haze that these lyrics sit in. The track starts with Paul's mellotron notes, before John's subdued vocal comes in - Let me take you down, 'cause I'm goin' to...Strawberry Fields. John plays lead guitar, piano and maracas on the track while Paul adds bass to his mellotron parts. George plays a slide guitar and svarmandal, a unique Indian instrument that adds such a strange 'string' sound. Ringo's drumming reaches a high point, especially during the added coda section. It's a great little sequence, almost as if it was tacked on specifically to highlight Ringo. George Martin also arranged trumpet and cello sections, a pair of instruments that usually don't go together alone, adding another unique layer to the song. 
Probably the coolest part of the Anthology releases is the "Strawberry Fields Forever" sequence that opens up disc two of Anthology 2. It takes the song from demo stage to the first take and finally to the seventh take. For LOVE, George and Giles Martin created a unique mix by mixing all takes of the song into one, so by the time you get to the end, it is the fully realized master that we know and love. Here is the full wacky promo film. 
The song's only LP appearances include the US Magical Mystery Tour and as the opening track to 1967-1970. 
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is easily one of the most important and impacting Beatles songs. You will always hear it on the radio and it is very hard to hold back tears whenever I hear it. I listen to it often to remind myself to calm down whenever I'm stressed. It's a nice escape from reality, but I tend to take it as a reminder that Nothing is real...
    
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, Strawberry Fields forever.


Next up: We start...the 'big' one. 

#117: Bad Boy

Written by: Larry Williams
Released: December 10, 1966
Appears on: A Collection Of Beatles Oldies, But Goldies!, Beatles VI and Past Masters, Vol. 1
Lead vocal: John

"Bad Boy" is a relic. It was recorded back in May, 1965 during the HELP! sessions, nearly a year-and-a-half before its release in the UK. 
This Larry Williams cover (their third, after "Slow Down" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzie") first appeared in the US in June, 1965 on Beatles VI, which was made up as a stop-gap release before HELP!. The album was made up of Beatles For Sale left-overs, "Yes It Is", two originals recorded during the HELP! sessions ("Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much") and two covers recorded specifically for the US market. "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" was released in the UK on HELP!, but "Bad Boy" was left to languish until Parlophone's own stop-gap release: A Collection Of Beatles Oldies, But Goldies! in December, 1966.  
...Oldies, But Goldies! was released because George Martin knew that they were not going to be able to finish even a single for Christmas 1966, so EMI put together a collection of singles that had never been on an LP before in the UK, two LP-exclusive favorites ("Yesterday" and "Michelle") and "Bad Boy" was thrown in to get those who already had everything to buy it. (Although, if I was around, that beautiful cover art probably would have been enough to get me.) 
As for the song itself, it's pretty routine when compared to other covers, particularly the other Larry Williams ones. It's a nice update of the original (which features horns and a backup singer going "He's a...BAD BOY!"...thankfully they got rid of that) and features the boys on their usual instruments.
Today, you can get the song on Past Masters as well as Beatles VI, which is included in the The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2 set. 


Next up, we get into the meat and potatoes of the Beatles' career, starting off with probably the most important single of all time.     

#116: Tomorrow Never Knows

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: John

Revolver comes to a close with John's "Tomorrow Never Knows", the first song recorded during the sessions, when it started out as "Mark I". It's easily one of the most complex songs by The Beatles up to this point and probably in their entire career. 
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is really just a trip through the stream of consciousness. (As a Disney fan, I can't help but be compelled to compare it to the "Toccata And Fugue In D Minor" sequence in Fantasia.) John said that it's from his "Tibetan Book Of The Dead period", which was influenced by his reading and understanding of Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert and Ralph Metzner's book The Psychic Experience: A Manual Based On The Tibetan Book Of The Dead. However, this song isn't about what it's about; rather, it's about what's behind John's echo-drenched voice that sounds as much as an instrument as the actual instruments. Aside from their usual stable of instruments (save a rhythm guitar part), all four contributed to the insane, droning tape loops. Paul contributed the most because, contrary to what everyone is made to believe, he was actually the first Beatle to get interested in the avant-garde. George Martin added piano and also helped out with the loops. John added organ and tambourine parts and George added sitar. Keep an ear out for Ringo's stand-out drumming, which makes his amazing performance on "Rain" sound amateurish.   
An entry on "Tomorrow Never Knows" without a mention of rookie engineer Geoff Emmerick would be a mistake. He made an incredible contribution to the track, all outlined in great detail in his book, Here, There And Everywhere.        
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is such an innovative, out-of-this-world track that really blew everyone out of the water and still does, I think. As an ending it's perfect. Hearing it outside of its context (that is, as an ending) is wrong and thankfully, it has never appeared outside of Revolver (aside from its interesting use in LOVE). 
Ringo's contribution of the title is probably one of his biggest contributions to the Beatles because tomorrow truly never knows, especially when it came to the Beatles.    


Phew! That does it for Revolver! What's next? Before we get to the incredibly ground-breaking year of 1967, we have some house cleaning to do.  

#113: Doctor Robert

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: John


Ring my friend, I said you call, Doctor Robert...

I really wish there was more to say about "Doctor Robert". It's such a funky tune but other than recounting the story that the song might be relating, the song is not written about all that often. (Just look at the wikipedia page...even the page for "Wild Honey Pie" is longer.) 
The story the song might be based on was retold by George in detail in the Anthology. John and George were visiting a dentist friend. When they were reacting rather strangely to the tea they were  drinking, they found out that the doctor had dropped LSD into their cups! The best part of the story is easily their reactions on an elevator, where suddenly they thought it was on fire! (Dig out your copies of the Anthology and watch it - it's really funny.)
Although, it might have nothing to do with that story. It might just be about how easy it was to get drugs in those days. If you knew the right people, you got the right stuff. Well, well, well, you're feeling fine. Well, well, well...he'll make you...Doctor Robert!!! 
The track features John's double-tracked vocal, rhythm guitar and harmonium. Paul plays bass and adds background vocals. George's lead guitar is double tracked (he's also playing maracas, apparently) and Ringo on drums. So, there's nothing out of the ordinary, at least when compared to most of the other songs on the album.
"Doctor Robert" has never appeared anywhere outside of Revolver, but it was the last of the three songs issued early in the States on Yesterday...And Today.      

#111: And Your Bird Can Sing

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: John

"And Your Bird Can Sing" is one cool song. It's about a girl who prides herself on having so many things that the singer feels the need to make fun of her. Oh, you've seen and have all these great things, but you can't understand me, can you? This girl is so materialistic that she ignores everything around her, including the guy that's interested in her. I love that bridge, which has some of John's most poignant lyrics: When your prized possessions, start to wear you down...Look in my direction. I'll be 'round, I'll be 'round.  
The double lead guitar parts by George and Paul give the song one of the most unique guitar sounds on the album and a harder edge. While it might have been easier to have just double-tracked George's lead, it would have been far less interesting.  
While I don't think this is one of John's major songs with the Beatles, it's still a great one that I'd love to hear more people talk about. It's as obscure as a Beatles song can be, only appearing on Revolver. Although, it is one of the three John songs released early in the States. 

#109: She Said She Said

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: John

"She Said She Said" is definitely the first obvious drug song by The Beatles. Prior to this, they'd been able to hide it with incredible wordplay, but what else could this song have been influenced by? 
The lyrics tell the tale of a boy who is mystified by a girl who believes that "I know what it's like to feel dead, I know what it is to be sad." The trouble is that he doesn't understand her at all. Oh, he thinks he does (Even though you know what you know, I know that I'm ready to leave), but she can see that he doesn't. That's why he wants to leave. What he's hearing is insanity (Things that make me feel that I'm mad), but to her it makes sense. This relationship goes nowhere - she can't stop him and he can't understand her beliefs. 
What gets me about this song is Ringo's drumming. Probably at no other point of the Beatles' career had his drumming sounded this good. From his work on "Rain" to the insane, 'circular' motions on this track, 1966 was one hell of a year for the drummer. This is the only Beatles song with three Beatles on it and none of them being Paul. The goody-two-shoes Beatle sat the session out, with George taking his place. George plays bass and contributes heavily to the backing vocals (you can hear him mostly during the fade-out) with John playing all the guitars and organ. 
"She Said She Said", which closed out the first side of Revolver, was hardly a commercial track, despite the fact that it hardly lacks in the awesomeness department. Capitol left it on Revolver and the song has never appeared anywhere outside of the album.  
It is definitely a highlight of the album for me. 

#105: I'm Only Sleeping

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: John

John's first appearance on Revolver is probably his most laid-back, meaningless song for the Beatles (save for plenty of his contributions later in their career). It is, in many ways, a perfect Beatles song. Paul & George's vocal harmonies and Ringo's tapping along are perfect to a 't'. John's tired, dreary vocal works incredibly well with the song's subject. That bridge is fantastic, too. Keeping an eye on the world goin' by my window! Takin' my time! The rest of the lyrics are fantastic, too, meaning that John could make an activity as mundane as sleeping interesting. 
"I'm Only Sleeping" feels like it could have easily fit on Rubber Soul, seeing as it is completely dominated by an acoustic sound that is hardly anywhere else on the album. However, when those backwards guitar riffs from George come in, you suddenly know we're in new territory. Sure, "Rain" had a backwards fade-out, but that was with the vocals. Here, it's with the lead guitar and again, that's definitely something that was taken for granted throughout the latter half of the 1960s and early 1970s. I think many people who aren't Beatles die-hards like to think that they weren't as influential as they really are, in some sick way to downplay their popularity, but facts are facts. The Beatles influenced Jimi Hendrix, Cream and the rest of the big British Blues explosion (which the fab four even parodied) almost as much as the blues trailblazers.  
The song was one of three songs released early in the States on Yesterday And Today, although in a duophonic, fake stereo mix. All three of the songs were John songs, leaving the US Revolver with just two John songs! "I'm Only Sleeping" never appeared on any other album, though. It was never issued as a single.  
    

#102: Rain

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 10, 1966
Appears on: Past Masters, Vol. 2
Lead vocal: John


"Rain" is such a special song because it really is the start of the Beatles as technical innovators. The song is just brilliant with its bizarre chorus and backwards vocals that hint towards the most intricate numbers on the next LP.
Ringo has always called "Rain" his best drumming with the Beatles and it's very hard to argue with this. Take away John's brilliant vocal, Paul thumping, in-your-face bass and George's amazing guitar and you're left with easily one of the best drumming in rock history. 
The song's lyric is probably the first time John wrote a song where he seems to make himself an other-worldly being that knows how everybody does everything. When the sun shines, they slip into the shade...This is a guy who knows a lot more than we do. However, John has to get his opinion in: Rain, I don't mind...Shine, the weather's fine! 
The song, which was an obvious B-Side, never appeared on an LP on either side of the Atlantic until  1970's US LP Hey Jude. Then, it failed to make another appearance until another non-LP collection of tracks, 1978's Rarities. Now, it is on the currently available set, Past Masters. 

Like "Paperback Writer", promo films were made with Lindsay-Hogg directing. You can also see it at the official Beatles site and in the Anthology.   
This song is definitely underrated. No matter how many times Ringo talks about it, though, he can't save it from this fate. "Rain" is much more an avant-garde track than anything The Beatles had done up to this point, so it was only ever going to be a B-Side. "Paperback Writer" was definitely the more commercial of the two tracks and is a terrific song, but "Rain" will always be in my top-10 list of favorite Beatles songs. It just shows how far ahead the Beatles were in comparison to the colleges. Can you imagine groups like The Hollies, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, The Beach Boys or whoever else using backwards vocals? I think not.    

#100: Run For Your Life

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John


At one point of his life, John was a very violent man. Throughout the first half of the Beatles' career, this is most obvious, with songs like "You Can't Do That" and "Run For Your Life", the closing song on Rubber Soul. 
John admitted that he stole the song's striking opening line, "I'd rather see you dead little girl than to see you with another man", from an Elvis Presley song called "Baby Let's Play House", written by Arthur Gunter. However, the rest of the song bares no resemblance to Elvis's. It's filled with terrible admissions made by the singer - "Well, you know that I'm a wicked guy and I was born with a jealous mind". What makes this all worse is that he demeans the girl by referring to her as "little girl" during the entire song. Listen to the way John says that - you can feel the venom just flowing from his mouth. Other than its disturbing subject, the song does little to stand out from the pack of 1965 Beatles songs. 
Of course, later John probably regretted ever writing the song especially during his protesting phase. Here is a song that virtually contradicts everything we think John stands for, from violence to the oppression of women. It makes me think that when he wrote "Jealous Guy" he might have been thinking of this song and wanted to correct his wrongs.  
The song does provide Rubber Soul with a bizarre ending, though. It's the first time since A Hard Day's Night that an album ends with a Lennon/McCartney original. The song doesn't have that rousing, partying feeling that "Twist And Shout" or "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" has, but it is much more of a rock number than any of the other preceding songs. "Run For Your Life", which has never appeared anywhere else, also has a fade-out, which none of the closing covers have. 


After Rubber Soul, the Beatles began slowing down, taking much longer to produce their music. In Britain, aside from two EPs (The Beatles' Million Sellers and Nowhere Man), Rubber Soul was the last new product until June. A brilliant new 45, which signaled how the Beatles' next full LP would sound, is next...and from then on, the world would never be the same. 

#98: Wait

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John & Paul


"Wait" was included on Rubber Soul just because the original line-up was just 13 songs. While 13 songs was alright a year ago for A Hard Day's Night, it wasn't for Rubber Soul. It was recorded and completed during the HELP! sessions, but, as you can see, it didn't land on that album. Instead it was held back. When it was decided that the track would be on Rubber Soul, they overdubbed extra guitar and percussion to the recording to 'update' the song. This is another point that proves just how fast the Beatles were evolving. If a song recorded less than five months prior had to be updated, just how fast were the Beatles evolving?
The song, which features a paranoid singer who hopes that his love will wait for his return, is definitely a light-weight counterpoint to the last song, "In My Life". However, taken by itself, the song is hardly noteworthy beyond the really cool vocal arrangement and amazing percussion by Ringo. (Listen to it on headphones and you'll hear just how fast Ringo is playing that tambourine.)
"Wait" has never appeared anywhere else and was included on the American Rubber Soul. I would definitely say it's an underrated, fun little song sandwiched between two serious tracks.     

#97: In My Life

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John


If there ever was a song that could bring someone to tears...
If there ever was a song so perfect...
If there ever was a song that transcends all time...
If there ever was a song that symbolized how good John Lennon and Paul McCartney were at writing songs...


"In My Life" is all of these things. Its perfection can never truly be understated and considering that it remains one of the most popular songs of all time, I think everyone agrees.    
The song grew out of a lengthy poem John had written about his childhood. John worked with Paul to help trim it down, stripping it of all references to exact locations. This first step already gave the song a universal feeling. The next step is to write the melody. While John admits that Paul helped out on that part, Paul claims to have actually written the majority of it. Next, during the recording, George Martin composed a short piano piece to be played by him during the break of the song after John suggested that he should make it Baroque-esque. Despite sounding like a harpsichord, it isn't. It actually is a standard piano, just recorded at a slower speed to fit the song. The rest of the song is filled with fantastic work by the group, all playing their traditional roles.        
It's truly amazing what the impact of the song has been, especially for a song that was never a single and only included on 1962-1966. "In My Life" has come to sum up the way we feel about the Beatles, despite the fact that it was far from John's original intention. I think he felt that the song was a personal piece of music, but by removing references of his personal childhood, he made the song something that everyone can relate to. Everyone has had friends and some are dead and some are living and pretty much everyone with a heart feels the same way. That the important parts of life is what you have now. This is another irony because the song always makes us think about the past, but I guess that the point is that that's OK as long as you pay attention to the road ahead. I also think that, at this point, being forty years removed from the last Beatles sessions, the song seems to be about the Beatles themselves. Every time we hear that line...some are dead and some are living...we think about John and George. All these places have their moments takes us to the wonderful memories we all have of the Beatles, whether they be of watching the Ed Sullivan Shows or the first time your parents played them for you. 
Then, there is that last verse, which I think there is no point to analyze it because everyone knows what it means. 
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life, I love you more 
Then they come together for the last line - 
In my life....I love you more....
...And there's nothing else because there doesn't need to be anything else. It's just so damn perfect.    

#95: Girl

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John


"Girl" is another one of the many songs on Rubber Soul that any band would have killed to have it as a single, but for the Beatles it was just another album track. 
The song casts the title character as a femme fetale, "...the kind of girl you want so much it makes you sorry, still you don't regret a single day." She is mean spirited ("She's the kind of girl who puts you down when friends are there you feel a fool") and knows how to flaunt what she's got ("When you say she's looking good, she acts as if it's understood. She's cool!"). This girl is positively evil and yet the singer is completely entrapped. The lyrics are brilliant as John creates a fully rounded character - something that some movies can't even accomplish - while still getting in his digs at the church (the entire last verse). 
The Beatles perform the song completely acoustically, with George playing a brilliant 12-string part. "Girl" also features the infamous "tit-tit-tit-tit" vocal percussion joke, as well as the simulated joint smoking (although, to my naive mind, it just seemed like something a guy would do when passing an extremely good-looking girl). This is easily the highlight of Rubber Soul's second side, only eclipsed by one other song that we haven't got to yet. 


"Girl", as stated before, was never a single on either side of the Atlantic. In 1965, it might have caused a stir in the US, but Capitol had second thoughts and in 1977, planned to release it as the A-Side to the Love Songs single. It was, thankfully, cancelled. However, it did appear on that compilation (despite hardly being about real love - the singer seems to feel more pain in his heart than love) as well as 1962-1966. 

#92: The Word

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John (with Paul & George)


"The Word" is really a prototype "All You Need Is Love". It talks about love as an abstract concept, outside of a strict boy/girl relationship. 
Honestly, I've never been too fond of the song. It's very basic, with a three-part harmony that doesn't do much. John takes the lead vocal during the verses, seeing as he wrote the song. The only thing that really sets it apart is George Martin's harmonium solo. 
Certainly without it, there's no way that the Beatles could have logistically made the jump to "All You Need Is Love". The Beatles were coming to the realization, rather quickly too, that they were spokesman and that whatever they were saying, people were actually listening to. "The Word" is the first song where this is apparent. Thankfully, what the Beatles were saying was positive stuff that never ages. I think we all know that if the Beatles told us that the word isn't love, than we certainly wouldn't still be listening to them today. Although, I still think it's funny to hear John mention that the word is not only in the good books, but in the bad ones, too. Well...that's John Lennon for you. 


The song has never appeared anywhere else. I haven't mentioned Love yet, but it is the only appearance of the song outside the UK and US versions of Rubber Soul. In Love, it is (barely) included as part of the mash-up with "Drive My Car" and "What You're Doing".