Most Beautiful Beatles' Songs

The most beautiful Beatles songs in no particular order...

1. Across the Universe (1970)

One of John Lennon's last songs written as a Beatle, this song was penned following his irritation with Cynthia, who had been maundering on about something in bed. Hence the line: 'Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup.' Poor Cynthia was probably bemoaning the fact their marriage was nearing its end.

One of the most psychedelic Beatles songs, it features the refrain 'Jai Guru Deva Om', a mantra which is meant to help you attain higher consciousness. Lennon said that this was one of his favourite compositions mainly because it was 'like a poem'. 

2. No Reply (1965)

Mostly written by Lennon again, this is about having a unfaithful girlfriend who pretends not to be home. By most accounts, it wasn't written from his direct experiences, but was inspired by the song 'Silhouettes' by the Rays.

3. In My Life (1965)

Hard to believe but this was written when John Lennon was only 24-years old. Or perhaps, it's not so hard to believe: may be you can only be that sentimental when you're young. In any case, I think this is one of the most beautiful Beatles songs by far (if not, the most). It's nostalgic, wistful, thoughtful and paints a real picture.

According to some sources, it was written about Stuart Sutcliffe- John's friend who died in 1962. You could easily imagine this being played at the end of anyone's life.

When he sings, 'In my life I love you more,' you can't help think it's about his friends, which makes it more moving somehow. This was very much pre-Yoko.

Sutcliffe died of a brain haemorrhage aged 21 

4. Here Comes the Sun (1969)

One of the most positive and uplifting Beatles songs, and definitely my favourite of George's. Someone once commented that when The Beatles rallied for Abbey Road, it was like ' a glorious sunset mistaken for dawn'. This song certainly reflects that idea, including the imagery of the sun.

                                                      

The song was written during a very difficult time for George, when he'd actually temporarily quit the band. He had also been arrested for possessing pot and had his tonsils removed. Well, they do say it comes in threes... It's therefore surprising he managed to write a song so life affirming. Even the recording was difficult: John had to be absent due to recovering from a car crash. 

The track was reportedly written in Eric Clapton's garden. 

5. I've Just Seen a Face (1965)

'Falling, yes, I am falling...'

                                               

I love the chorus of this one. Although it's extremely upbeat, it's also got a stunningly beautiful melody. It's possible one my favourite of Paul's, and apparently also one that he's most proud of.

6. For No one (1966)

One of Paul's saddest songs, about a girl's who's fallen out of love.

'A love that should have lasted years.'

Unfortunately, like most of Paul's songs, it probably wasn't written based on experience. As we all know, the original lyrics for Yesterday were, 'Scrambled eggs, oh baby how I love your legs'...
However, it was reputably written after an argument with Jane Asher when they were on a skiing holiday. The song's original title was the poignant, 'Why did it die?'

7. I'll Follow the Sun (1964)

Again, primarily written by Paul, this is considered a cult favourite. I especially love the lyrics on this one.

8. Blackbird (1968)

'Black bird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly.'

Yup, this was written by Paul again (I really should have mixed these up more). Although it might sound like just a beautiful refrain about the most popular songbird, it's actually about race relations in the U.S.A! According to Paul it was written in reaction to the Civil Rights Movement. However, some people think Paul only decided this later on, to add profundity to the lyrics. 

9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (1968)

Another entry of George's, this ranked no.136 on the Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. It was based on the Eastern idea of everything being linked to everything else. The butterfly effect, as it were. 

10. I'm So Tired (1968)

Written by John towards the end of the Beatles career, this reflects the weariness they were starting to feel. In particular, it captured Lennon's fragile state of mind. At this point he was away India, and starting to fall in love with Yoko Ono.

This was the song which led to the 'Paul is dead' conspiracy which has been floating around for years...

11. Let it Be

                                                  

One of the biggest things that cemented the bond between Lennon and McCartney was the fact they both lost their mothers at a young age. While John's mother was hit by a car when he was 15, Paul's tragically passed away from an embolism when he was just 14.

Both Paul and John lost their mothers as teenagers.

This song is largely inspired by his mother (Mary) who is name checked in the lyrics, although it's easy to think he was referring to something biblical instead. Featuring on the last ever Beatles album, it was played at Linda McCartney's funeral in 1998.

12. Nowhere Man

This one has Lennon stamped all over it, who once referred to himself as 'the laziest man in England'. He said he wrote this after thinking of himself, 'sitting there, doing nothing and going nowhere'. It just goes to show you can be internationally famous and successful, and still feel like that. On his days off, John famously like to loll around in bed, which is reflected in one of my favourite Beatles' songs, 'I'm only Sleeping'. 

I don't know if everyone would refer to this song as 'beautiful', but I personally think the lyrics are very poignant. 

13. Because (1969)

Probably the most 60's sounding song they ever did (other than Tomorrow Never Knows), John was inspired to write this after hearing Yoko play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. He asked if the chords could be played backwards and then decided to write the song around them.

14. Girl (1965)

One of my favourite Beatles song, this one is surprisingly little known and underrated. Although Cynthia thought the song was about her, Lennon said it was about 'a dream girl'. The beauty of it is rather undermined by the chanting of 'tit, tit, tit' on the backing vocals! However, it's still one of the most melodic and gorgeous of John Lennon songs. 

15. Something (1969)

This one's abit too Clapton-esque to me, but I still appreciate it's a pretty song. Again, although his girlfriend (Patti) thought it was about her, George Harrison said he had no one particular in mind. If anything, it was originally intended to be about the Lord Krishna. Who'd be a Beatles' girlfriend, eh?!

16. You've got to hide your love away (1965)

Written by Lennon, this song was written during what he called his 'Dylan period'. Despite much speculation, he never discussed the inspiration behind the song. 

50 years ago, The Beatles...

50 years ago exactly, in March 1966, John Lennon made one of the biggest faux pas of his career. Yes, it was that famous, 'Bigger than Jesus' comment... 

The comment was made in an article written by his friend, Maureen Cleave, as part of a series she was writing on The Fab Four for the Evening Standard. It was published on March 4th 1966, although, mercifully, the media furore didn't happen straight away. In fact it didn't actually break until August of that year.

Although us Brits didn't pick up on the comment, in the summer it was seized upon by the American Bible Belt.The Beatles went from being media darlings to being lambasted by the American tabloids, with thousands of people burning their records and even a high ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan explaining his 'moral objections'. You couldn't make it up.



McCartney, the consummate PR man, went around with a permanently apologetic expression, while John remained wilfully defiant. That is, until he too was bullied into contrition.
John was always known for being outspoken, but this time it appeared he'd crossed the line. But, as he later pointed out, he was merely making an astute observation: The Beatles WERE more popular than religion, which has been on the decline for decades, never mind years. 

Rereading the article now, it's more poignant for the fact John Lennon was clearly approaching a crossroads in his life- even in 1966. It might have been on the distant horizon but, nonetheless, was already inching closer.
In fact, there's something tremendously touching about this timely interview. John was living in a huge house in Weybridge, among the 'wooded hills and stockbrokers', but was clearly already doing some soul searching- as many people do when they reach a quarter of a century. 

'Weybridge,' he said reflectively, 'won't do at all. I'm just stopping at it, like a bus stop. Banker and stockbrokers live there; they can add figures and Weybridge is what they live in and they think it's the end, they really do. I think of it every day- me in my Hansel and Gretel house. I'll take my time. I'll get my real house when I know what I want. 



He was twenty-five years old and, thanks to the unreal world of fame, didn't even know what day it was. The Beatles were better friends than ever, watching films together and playing rowdy games of Buccaneer. They wiled away the small hours of the morning making 'mad tapes'. 
In a way they were having something of an extended adolescence, with bedtimes and mealtimes having no meaning. 

John was shopping in Aspreys, had fine wine in his cellar, and lived in a mock Tudor house on a hill with his wife, three year old son, and a cat named after his aunt Mimi. He described himself as 'famous and loaded' and said he wanted money 'just to be rich'. 
'If you have money,' he said, 'that's power without having to be powerful.' 
It appears at this point John Lennon aspired to be a plutocrat, not a philanthropist. 

'We're never had time before to do anything but just be Beatles,' John said. Yet now they did.



During this time, Maureen described John as 'imperious, unpredictable, indolent, disorganised, childish, vague, charming and quick-witted'. 
In other words, conducive conditions for an extremely controversial comment to pass his lips. 

Thanks to fame, he was living a curiously cloistered existence, and was definitely searching for some kind of meaning beyond his current life. In the article, he said that 'to live and have a laugh' were things to do; but Maureen mused, was that enough for a 'restless spirit'?



He spent many fruitless hours on the telephone and 'only once got through to a person', but unfortunately, 'they were out'. He claimed to have read millions of books. 
'That's why I know so many things,' he told her proudly. 
He admitted to being incorrigibly lazy, and could lay claim to being 'the laziest person in England'. He told her he could sleep indefinitely; that sex was the only physical thing he could be bothered with. 

He put on some Indian music for Maureen and exhorted her to listen properly. 
'It's amazing,' he said. 'So cool. Don't the Indians appear cool to you? Are you listening? This music is thousands of years old; it makes me laugh, the British going over there and telling them what to do. Quite amazing.'
He hadn't yet met or become disenchanted with the Maharajah; Sexy Sadie was yet to make an appearance.

After this comment, he switched on the television set, and that's when he made his infamous comments:
'Christianity will go,' he said ingenuously. 'It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first: rock n' roll or Christianity,'

For me, the most touching part of this article is the end, when he says: 'You see, there's something else I'm going to do- only I don't know what it is. That's why I go round painting and taping and drawing and writing and that, because it may be one of them. All I know is, this isn't it for me.'

RIP George Martin 1926-2016

In case you haven't already heard, George Martin passed away this week, aged 90.



Many people have been called 'the fifth Beatle', but most people agree that title goes to George Martin. He not only signed the Beatles but contributed heavily to their songs (although Lennon and McCartney deny he was 'what made them'). Nonetheless many people think he was the genius behind the Beatles, or at least something of a puppet master for their music. For instance, it was him that thought it was a good idea to add strings to Yesterday. And he was certainly the one that transferred what was in their heads into a tangible record.



For 'Tomorrow Never Knows' Lennon told George Martin he wanted something which sounded like, 'a thousand monks chanting'. Although this wasn't precisely what he got, it's still one of the most innovative records of all time. This wasn't the only odd request which John Lennon came up with, and every time Martin duly rose to the challenge. Another time he asked for something which sounded like 'the end of the world' for A Day in the Life (you'll probably know which part that was...)

In this sense, George Martin was the technical whiz that truly brought the Beatles music to life.

Legacy in Liverpool

The Guardian have recently published a picture-based article on The Beatles' continuing impact on their home city. According to research, they still bring a whooping £81.9 million a year to Liverpool's economy:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2016/feb/26/the-beatles-legacy-in-liverpool-in-pictures

Among these pictures is a photograph of Ringo's boarded-up childhood home in Madryn Street, where he was born.





A pretty sorry sight to say the least! 

But the drummer only lived here for a short period, before moving to a pastel coloured terrace in 10 Admiral Grove. Consequently not many people believe Madryn Street is worth saving (nonetheless, Liverpool City Council have saved it from demolition).

10 Admiral Grove meanwhile is being sold at auction for a guide price of £55,000. So, if you fancy owning Ringo's childhood home, better get bidding.

The childhood homes of Paul and John have certainly received better treatment. 

You can visit both 'Mendips' and 20 Forthlin Road, thanks to the National Trust. I still want to visit these museums, as I'm sadly yet to visit Liverpool. Being a history nerd, I love the way they've made the houses reflect the period- it looks like you can really experience how they would have looked during their childhoods.





Just check out the 1950's TV in Paul McCartney's childhood home!




Kitchen in Mendips (John Lennon's old home), where Aunt Mimi made his favourite egg and chips.