#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.  

#115: Got To Get You Into My Life

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

As we barrel through to the light at the end of the tunnel, the Beatles have a few more surprises for us. After the wild fade-out of "I Want To Tell You", horns and guitars come blazing on the stereo. I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find THERE!!!!! 
"Got To Get You Into My Life" is one of my favorite Beatles songs and it is easily one of their most popular. When Capitol issued it on a single ten years after it was first released, it reached #7 on Billboard. That not only speaks for how popular the song is, but it was solid gold proof (literally; the RIAA certified it Gold) that the Beatles are timeless, even in the midst of changing musical tastes. 
The song itself is an ode to the great Motown records that the Beatles loved and even covered. Its built-in R&B style gave way to Earth, Wind & Fire covering the song, which became one of the most popular Beatles covers. Paul plays bass, John on rhythm and George on lead guitars with Ringo on drums. Then, George Martin is on organ, plus the horn section. Surprisingly, the horn players are not credited on the sleeve, despite Alan Civil's credit for "For No One" and Anil Bagwat for "Love You To". Anyway, here are the players: Eddie Thorton, Ian Hamer & Les Cordon on trumpet and Alan Brascombe & Peter Coe on tenor sax. (from Wikipedia, which copied it from Ian MacDonald)         
I don't know how often I've called the Beatles versatile on this blog, but "Got To Get You Into My Life" is definitely another piece of proof that confirms it. Just think of this: on just Side Two of Revolver, we've had a classical number ("For No One"), rock ("And Your Bird Can Sing"), pop ("Good Day Sunshine") and R&B ("Got To Get You Into My Life"). Plus, we still got one more to go. 
This song has appeared in only one other spot besides Revolver. In 1976, as previously noted, Capitol issued it as a single (backed with "Helter Skelter") to promote Rock 'N' Roll Music. Still, the song's popularity continues to this day, from its daily appearances on classic rock stations to Paul's repeated performances of the song.     

#114: I Want To Tell You

Written by: George Harrison
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: George

The Beatles really liked the fade-in and used it twice on Revolver: for the side-two opening "good Day Sunshine" and George's "I Want To Tell You". This song is also George's third - a record for him at the time. (In fact, the only time George has more than three is on The Beatles, a double album where he has two on each record.) 
The song features George on lead guitar, Paul on piano and bass (as well as adding some Indian style vocals at the fade-out), John on tambourine and Ringo on drums. 
Of his three songs, this is easily the slightest of them, only because it's just so normal. The lyrics aren't political like in "Taxman" nor are they philosophical like in "Love You To". George wrote only a small entry for "I Want To Tell You" in I, Me, Mine. Here it is:

I Want To Tell You is about the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down or say or transmit. (As now in this book.)

If I were to re-write the bridge section now however I would have to say: 

Although I seem to act unkind

It isn't me - it is my mind -

That is confusing things 

The mind is the thing that hops about telling us to do this and to so that - when we need is to lose (forget) the mind. A passing though. 

"I Want To Tell You" was never issued anywhere else and was on the US Revolver. 
You know, quoting George's I, Me, Mine proves what an invaluable resource that book is. George was the only Beatle who wrote anything like it. Granted, his autobiography part (written with Derek
Taylor) is only 62 pages, but he wrote passages for every single song he wrote (save for the few he wanted to forget) up until 1979. Sometimes for George songs, I want to just quote the entire passage, but I have to maintain some sense of originality on this blog.


Also, this is being posted on Sir Paul McCartney's  68th birthday! So happy birthday Paul! 

#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.      

#112: For No One

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

Despite being one of the quieter tracks on Revolver, "For No One" is one of the most unique sounding. It's a three-man job: Ringo on drums and tambourine, Paul on bass, piano and clavichord and Alan Civil on French Horn. As mentioned in the "Love You To" entry, Civil and Anhil Bagwat are the first outside musicians credited on a Beatles record. The French Horn, combined with the clavichord, make the song sound classical, which is obviously Paul's point. It adds an amount of affluent air to the song, almost as if the song itself is saying that it is better than the ones it is surrounded by...and the truth is that it practically is. 
"For No One" is devastating - the singer is talking to a boy who is breaking up with his girl. The boy is so in love with this girl that you don't believe her when she says her love is dead, you think she need you. The bridge is most hurtful: And in her eyes, you see nothing/No sign of love behind the tears, cried for no one. A love that should have lasted years. Paul is like a great film director, here, knowing exactly where to touch your emotions so you can feel for this boy. "For No One" is very hard to criticize because it's perfect and another reason why Revolver is my favorite album.
"For No One" has surprisingly made a few appearances outside of Revolver. For some reason, Capitol thought it was a love song, so they included it on Love Songs. Personally, I wouldn't call it a love song. Only one side of the relationship is in love - the other is on her way out. There is no real love in this situation, only sadness. It is a ballad, though, so its inclusion on The Beatles' Ballads is not without merit.      

#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. 

#110: Good Day Sunshine

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

The way the Beatles and George Martin sequenced albums even before Sgt. Pepper's was in such an ingenious way that it always keeps listeners on their toes. Of course, the reason why the Beatles cared so much about album sequencing was the fact that they were popular back in the days before you could skip a song so they worked their butts off to try to make every song as engaging as the next. Martin always tuck to the rule that both sides of an album should start and end with a strong song, which made each side to a Beatles record almost feel like mini-albums themselves. Revolver is certainly no exception. 
Like the fade-in intro to "Eight Days A Week", which served as the opener to side two of Beatles For Sale, "Good Day Sunshine"'s fade-in opens side two of Revolver, powered by Paul's blazing piano. The other instruments on the song include just Paul's bass, John's guitar and Ringo's drums. George and John contribute the backing vocals and handclaps. Martin also contributes a piano part.
"Good Day Sunshine" is just good, clean, pop fun from the master of that type of music. It encapsulates summer...those days when every morning you just want to scream "HELLO WORLD!" because that beautiful sunrise just woke you up. The lyrics are filled with great imagery, but the song's lightheartedness cannot be escaped when you consider the heavy material that John deals with in his songs that surround it. That doesn't dampen the song's strengths though. It's just a really, really happy song and the fact that it adds to the variety of Revolver only strengthens it and the album. 
The release history for "Good Day Sunshine" is surprisingly slim. Despite being one of the group's most popular songs (it's always on the radio), it was never issued as a single and never appeared on a compilation. (Paul did release a live recording as a single in 1990 to promote Tripping The Live Fantastic.)     

#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. 

#108: Yellow Submarine

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

In the town, where I was born
Lived a man, who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines...


...Thus starts one of the most fun songs the Beatles ever recorded. Sure its a children's song and Ringo's vocal confirms that, but it's still infectious beyond belief. The song is 44 years old and yet if you listen to it today, you'll still get that chorus stuck in your head for days on end. WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE, A YELLOW SUBMARINE...A YELLOW SUBMARINE!!!! 
It was the first time the Beatles had an opportunity to essentially record a party and release it. Singer Marianne Faithful, Stone Brian Jones, roadies Neil Aspinall & Mal Evans, George Martin, engineer Geoff Emerick and George's wife Patti can all be heard contributing backing vocals. Mal also plays the bass drum on the track, augmenting the sparse instrumentation by the Beatles themselves. The only guitar on the track is John's acoustic, with George playing tambourine, Ringo on drums and Paul on bass. 

As for the lyrics...well, what is there to say about a story about sailing on a yellow submarine? I guess you could say that there's some universal, philosophical message that we all live on earth, our very own 'yellow submarine'. Paul wrote the song specifically with Ringo in mind and John and Donovan helped polish it. (Donovan supposedly just came up with the line sky of blue, sea of green, which must have been so difficult.)
"Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby" were released as a double A-Sided single on the same day as Revolver's release and the single stayed at the #1 position on all the major UK charts for 4 weeks. It was the only Ringo vocal to be released on either side of a single in the UK (in the US, Capitol released several of Ringo's songs as B-Sides). 
The song's child-like nature made it a natural choice to be used as a launching point for an animated Beatles movie, which happened in 1969. I'll talk more about that when we get to the songs that premiered in that film. Also, the song has been on several compilations, including A Collection Of Beatles Oldies, the original Yellow Submarine soundtrack, 1962-1966 (where it and "Eleanor Rigby" were the only representatives for Revolver), the UK 20 Greatest Hits, Reel Music, Yellow Submarine Songtrack and 1.


WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE!!!! Sing along! A YELLOW SUBMARINE! A YELLOW SUBMARINE!!!! WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE!!!!...                    

#107: Here, There And Everywhere

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

"Here, There And Everywhere" is a top-tier Beatles song. A top 10 list of Beatles tracks without it is one not to take seriously. This is a song only Paul could write, with an immortal opening couplet (To lead a better life/I need my love to be here...) and while Wikipedia tells me that the song is "noted for its simplicity", I have to disagree. Paul's lyrical structure is ingenious if it is anything. The title phrase does not come in until the very last line because each verse leads up to it, as if they are pieces in a puzzle. The first line in every verse mentions another word in the title (Here, making each day of the year...There, running my hands through her hair...I want her everywhere...) and it's just so brilliant. I would think that any girl would instantly fall in love with a man who would present these words to her. 
The instrumentation for the song is the only part that is simple. The song's acoustic sound (the only electric instrument is George's lead guitar) and heavy, Beach Boys-esque* harmonies are rarities on an album that is dominated by technical wizardry. This makes it stand out even more than it would have if it was on any earlier Beatles record. Still, its lyrics set it so far apart from things like "And I Love Her" and "I'll Follow The Sun". It's much more sophisticated and all the more lovelier. 
The song appeared only on Love Songs and The Beatles Ballads outside of Revolver. "Here, There And Everywhere" is just another example of how the Beatles didn't have to release a song as a single for it to become immensely popular.  


*The Beach Boys influence on the song should hardly be surprising. Bruce Johnston, who was still not a full-fledged Beach Boy at the time, but had been working with the group since 1965, had brought an early master of Pet Sounds over to England to play at parties, one of which the Beatles attended. The album wowed them and Paul quickly wrote "Here, There And Everywhere", inspired by "God Only Knows". It's just another example of how musicians really played off each other in the 1960s. I think even then, everyone realized they were all creating special stuff.   
   

#106: Love You To

Written by: George Harrison
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: George

Before listening to this song, it's a good idea to listen to "Norwegian Wood", which had been recorded less than a full year before. Even someone who has no idea how to play a sitar could clearly hear how rudimentary George's playing is on that song. Yet, by the time "Love You To" comes around, George seems like a virtuoso. George had time to take lessons from his new friend and sitar master, Ravi Shankar, which worked wonders on his ability to play the instrument. Unlike "Taxman", George is able to dominate his own song. Ringo, playing tambourine, is the only other Beatle on the recording. (Anhil Baghwat, who plays tabla, is actually credited on the cover, making him and Alan Civil, the French horn player on "For No One", the first outside musicians credited on a Beatles record.)
The song is marked by an extended introduction, before George's rather mundane and obvious lyrics come in. At first glance, you might think these lyrics are philosophical, especially with the other-worldly music backing it up. I will suggest here though that George doesn't mean to really go beyond a regular boy/girl relationship with his lyrics. He uses the rest of the world as an example as to why he needs his girl to Love me while you can. It's pretty clean cut - George says that everyone else is evil (They'll fill you in with all their sins, you'll see) so just fall in love with me and all will be right in the world. Still, the song's drone-like Indian sound makes it one of the more unique tracks in the Beatles' canon. It has a more upbeat feel than George's other sitar-based songs ("Within You Without You" and "The Inner Light"), making it much easier to listen to on a regular basis. 
The song's extended intro was used to introduce the George Harrison character in Yellow Submarine. Therefore, it made its first appearance outside of Revolver on 1999's Yellow Submarine Songtrack. 

#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.  
    

#104: Eleanor Rigby

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


"Eleanor Rigby" is...something else. If there ever was a time when you wanted Eric Idle to walk in and say "And now for something completely different" between two Beatles songs, it is right here - right during that second of silence between "Taxman" and "Eleanor Rigby". 
I can't possibly remember the first time I heard "Eleanor Rigby", but even today, after giving Revolver more spins than any other record, it still feels jarring, even more so than "Yesterday" being sandwiched between a folk song and a show-stopping cover. 
The song details the life of a lonely woman who, as seen in the first verse, looks for love despite never being an outgoing person. She waits at the window, wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door, but no one is going to come. The second verse uses a rather ingenious film technique. It throws us into the situation of another, entirely different character...or so we believe. In reality, Father McKenzie (Paul apparently did want to say McCartney, but cooler heads prevailed, thankfully) is just like Eleanor - another lonely person, who writes a sermon no one will hear and fixes (that's what darning is) his socks in the night when there's nobody there. For the final verse, the two characters come together, like in so many films where two characters are introduced separately (Pulp Fiction being an obvious example). Eleanor has died and was buried along with her name. Nobody came. McKenzie finishes burying Eleanor, seemingly with his own hands (wiping the dirt from his hands). No one was saved, meaning that McKenzie has failed, as a priest, to do his job. Paul's chorus is equally as bizarre as his verses. All the lonely people, where do they all belong? You mean to tell me that there are more people who have lives as dreary as Eleanor and McKenzie? It certainly puts it into perspective. Paul means to tell us that these two are just caricatures - there are lonely people who live and die everyday and these are just two. We cannot know who they all are and most of the time they die and go on with their lives without notice. 
George Martin wrote the orchestral backing for an octet that backs up Paul (and John & George's harmonies), providing the song with an air of classicism - almost as if the song could have been recorded at any point from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. None of the Beatles play any instruments on the song. This just proves that the Beatles continued expanding out of the box. "Yesterday" included just a string quartet, but now Paul was open to doubling that and "Eleanor Rigby" was a perfect fit for that.        
"Eleanor Rigby" was chosen as the single for Revolver, sharing the double-A sided distinction with another song that seemed completely against the Beatles' image as rock stars. The single reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and in the UK, it was released on the same day as Revolver. Since then, it has appeared on practically every compilation (save for Rock 'n' Roll Music and Reel Music obviously). 
Like "Yesterday", this is a brilliant song - one that you can get stuck in your head forever - but, to me, it doesn't represent the best of the Beatles. There are many more brilliant songs on Revolver that more properly do so.    

#103: Taxman

Written by: George Harrison
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: George


"One, two, three...four...one...two..."


When I first started this blog, I must admit, I could not wait to get to, what I believe to be, the greatest album ever made. And so here we are finally...at the start of Revolver. 
"Taxman" is the first and only time that a George Harrison song was selected to open a Beatles LP and while it is distinctly George (only George could write lines like Now my advice to those who die/declare the pennies on your eyes), Paul totally dominates the song. Not only does it immediately introduce his pulsing, boosted bass, but it features probably the greatest lead guitar work he ever recorded. I honestly think you could make a case for it to be one of the best recorded by anyone.  
The story of how Paul got to play the solo is detailed in Geoff Emerick's book, Here, There And Everywhere: My Life Recording The Music Of The Beatles. Emerick writes that George had difficulty playing the solo and that Paul, who apparently was the better guitar player, was the only one who could figure out how to play it well. (Throughout the book, he gives more digs to George's guitar playing...um, didn't you record "Something"? Still, anyone interested in the technical aspect of the Beatles' music, the book is an absolute necessity.)
Nevertheless, the song is perfect and a great way to open the record. It defines how the rest of the album sounds, saying that the Beatles are not only going to break walls - but obliterate them. In fact, the phrase on the back of Let It Be would be more appropriate here - This is a new phase Beatles album. 


"Taxman" was on Rock 'n' Roll Music, but that's really it.