The Modern Beatles — Revolver
This series of articles are supposed go over the songs that the Beatles made that we could consider ‘modern’, that is to say that if you did not know The Beatles, and had never heard the song you would not think it had to have been made in the 60s but that it might have been made any time since then.
This of course only part of the
Rubber Soul was the first Beatles album that was arguably modern.
In my opinion this is the first album that is actually great outside of their time. That is to say if you listen to Help! It has some songs that sound modern — Yesterday, for example, could have easily been written by some modern musician. And it has several songs that are great, but a lot of it sounds old fashioned and probably only sounds great in the context of its time.
But with Revolver the Beatles are no longer just pushing forward on the song level, they are pushing forward on the album level as well.
I would say it was the Beatles who established the status of the album as a work of art, a model that everyone followed (or at least acknowledged for the top echelons of Rock) until the age of Streaming, but it would seem really that Bob Dylan holds that honor. Dylan first, the Beatles second — but the Beatles popularized the concept. As in many things — the Beatles set the standard.
What we’re checking
As our other articles in this series we are trying to determine how great the Beatles actually are or were, and how their songs rank by today’s standards.
things we will be checking are — how cheesy or cringe a particular song is, and in what way it’s cringe. For example — lots of Beatles songs are a bit too “hippy” for modern tastes.
Our goals restated in short form, we will get into the songs. Each song will have it’s lyrics provided, and then some evaluation of the song afterwards.
First up —
Taxman
Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
’Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
’Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman
I’ll tax the street
(If you try to sit, sit) I’ll tax your seat
(If you get too cold, cold) I’ll tax the heat
(If you take a walk, walk) I’ll tax your feet
(Taxman)
’Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Ah, ah, Mr. Wilson)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Ah, ah, Mr. Heath)
’Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman
Now my advice for those who die (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes (taxman)
’Cause I’m the taxman
Yeah, I’m the taxman
And you’re working for no one but me (taxman)
I trashed George Harrison’s song on Rubber soul with these words:
The best lyrics are a pleasure to read without music, these are not the best lyrics….
This song is written like the break-up note of a creative writing student in high school.
This song is a pleasure to read without the music. Every line is concise and nasty and cruel. It’s wonderful.
Also funny enough they start off similarly — Think For Yourself starts off with
I’ve got a word or two
To say about the things that you do
and here
Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
It’s funny to think of Harrison writing a slew of songs with similar starts — maybe Here’s a quote I want you to note, or Now listen to my words, and confirm that you’ve heard, or just a million different variations. I wish I knew Dhani Harrison, I would ask “hey, did your dad ever start off little father-son talks with announcing he was going to tell you something”, but alas, I do not know him and will probably never get the answer to my question.
But despite the fact that this is an absolutely brilliantly written song you can’t get around the fact that this is a song by a guy richer than most people ever will be about not wanting to pay his taxes. And yes, I know the tax rate for high earners was 95%, but the Beatles had good accountants — George and Ringo had Starling Music, while John and Paul had Northern Songs and were paying significantly less — George’s money in the year he wrote Taxman — about 2 million dollars (more than 15 million in today’s money)
I understand of course — nobody likes paying taxes, and once you are rich you aren’t getting anything directly for that money, but that’s pretty small grounds for complaint — there are poorer people who may have problems paying their taxes and not receive anything directly either. At any rate the background knowledge of the wealth of the group singing the song makes it hard to not treat it with some contempt.
Musically the song is similar to the Batman theme song and to Junior Walker’s Shotgun.
The Batman similarities are to the detriment of the song. With the name Taxman it seems almost like the title of the song is at the level of cleverness of a bad pun. Which makes it tedious. And someone apt to think too much about things might note that the song Taxman is written by a millionaire who doesn’t like paying their fair share and Batman is a billionaire who likes beating up poor people — the thematic linkage of the two is not to the benefit of Taxman.
Who should sing this song — maybe the Hives, to bring out the sort of wrongheaded anger of it all.
Eleanor Rigby
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Ah, look at all the lonely people!
Eleanor Rigby
Died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people (Ah, look at all the lonely people!)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people (Ah, look at all the lonely people!)
Where do they all belong?
Let’s take a step back to one of the reasons why these articles came about. A Hacker News thread on the Beatles where people were arguing the Beatles were not that great.
There was this quote:
80’s kid here. I never liked any Beatles songs. Not a single one. And “classic rock” from the 60’s and 70’s is my go-to genre.
and later also this one
I have not heard a single Beatles song that made me want to listen to it again or sing along or hum the melody. I am almost 37, and think The Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses, Def Leopard, Led Zeppelin, and Tom Petty are fantastic
Which now requires me to quote from one of the most important critical essays of Illuminati Ganga —
To be able to speak meaningfully about any art you must be able to order that art into at least four categories, these are
1. Art that is good and to your taste
2. Art that is bad and to your taste
3. Art that is good and not to your taste
4. Art that is bad and not to your taste.
If you cannot do this you will never have anything worthwhile to say about a work of art, at the most you will be able to tell people what you like
Which it seems absolutely clear the second quote is not able to make this differentiation at all, otherwise why tell the world that they think a number of rockers that do not have much similarity to the Beatles are great.
Shoot, one of the groups mentioned — The Rolling Stones — spent the 60s being the alternative band to the Beatles — so that it was a common saying that you were a Beatles person or a Stones person. Critically speaking it is pretty close to a non-sequitur, although it would be totally a propos if one was trying to gently suggest what birthday gifts might be appreciated.
The first one also suggests that they do not have this ability to differentiate between what they like and what is good.
Once I was stuck for some time in a region where the best radio station, which was not saying much, was a classic rock station. And I have to say that while some Beatles would show up, and even Eleanor Rigby (theoretically) it was not that common. Most of the classic rock songs format were not the Beatles, for some reason. But sure some Beatles songs showed up.
I have to wonder though — classic rock of the 60s and 70s does not seem like a genre. I think they probably like some genres that get played on classic rock stations from the 60s and 70s. So it makes me wary of believing that they actually are willing to consider that something they do not like can be any good.
All of which is a long preamble to this song, but I’m saying this is another of the Beatles songs that is pretty much not to my taste that I still think is amazing.
When I say pretty much not to my taste I mean musically I like rockers and fast songs generally, but this does have one thing that is very much to my taste, great lyrics.
Obviously I only care about the Eleanor Rigby and Father Mackenzie verses but what a strange song it is for rock and roll.
I once said that until Elvis Costello there were no great rock and roll songwriters with a lot of songs that Bob Dylan could not have written
and I also said the following:
Now obviously there are many great songs that Dylan couldn’t have written exactly the way they are, one obvious example Penny Lane because very British, but he could have written a song very much of the viewpoint of Penny Lane.
But really this song it is difficult to imagine Dylan writing this song. It is in fact difficult to think of anyone in Rock and Roll writing a song about lonely miserable people who don’t fall in love with each other or even seem to acknowledge each other’s existence until one buries the other as part of their official duties as a clergyman.
There is something Brechtian sans social consciousness about the whole thing.
Who should sing this — let’s take someone who already has.
I’m Only Sleeping
When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I’m still yawning
When I’m in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (float up stream)
Please, don’t wake me
No, don’t shake me
Leave me where I am
I’m only sleeping
Everybody seems to think I’m lazy
I don’t mind, I think they’re crazy
Runnin’ everywhere at such a speed
’Til they find there’s no need (there’s no need)
Please, don’t spoil my day
I’m miles away
And after all
I’m only sleeping
Keepin’ an eye on the world going by my window
Takin’ my time
Lyin’ there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling
Please, don’t spoil my day
I’m miles away
And after all
I’m only sleeping
Keepin’ an eye on the world going by my window
Takin’ my time
When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I’m still yawning
When I’m in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (float up stream)
Please, don’t wake me
No, don’t shake me
Leave me where I am
I’m only sleeping
This is the musical equivalent of a man opining that “Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a coloured pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling.”
Except of course the opinion above is brilliantly expressed and most of this pedestrian although “stay in bed, float up stream” and “Keepin’ an eye on the world going by my window” are a cut above.
This song of course segues nicely into the next.
Love You To
Each day just goes so fast
I turn around, it’s passed
You don’t get time to hang a sign on me
Love me while you can
Before I’m a dead old man
A lifetime is so short
A new one can’t be bought
But what you’ve got means such a lot to me
Make love all day long
Make love singing songs
Make love all day long
Make love singing songs
There’s people standing ‘round
Who’ll screw you in the ground
They’ll fill you in with all their sins, you’ll see
I’ll make love to you
If you want me to.
Lyrically speaking this seems a nice continuation of the previous song, only now there will be some cuddling in the bed. Most of the time when the Beatles sing about sex I get the feeling they prefer a nice cuddle.
some clever lines. This is another George Harrison song and my hopes are already dashed, he doesn’t start the song off by saying he’s going to let you in on some information.
It’s also a nice continuation of Taxman with the line
There’s people standing ‘round
Who’ll screw you in the ground
People often say John Lennon was the acerbic wit of the band but Harrison definitely brings it on occasion.
Here, There and Everywhere
To lead a better life
I need my love to be here
Here
Making each day of the year
Changing my life with a wave of her hand
Nobody can deny that there’s something there
There
Running my hands through her hair
Both of us thinking how good it can be
Someone is speaking, but she doesn’t know he’s there
I want here everywhere
And if she beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her
Everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes, and hoping I’m always there
I want her everywhere
And if she’s beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her
Everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes and hoping I’m always there
I will be there
And everywhere
Here, there and everywhere
Here is another Beatles song that is not to my taste, sometimes I love songs that are not to my taste and the Beatles have some of those
But in this case I do not like the song. That isn’t to say I hate it I just would never willingly listen to it for my own sake. That said I believe it is a great song.
John Lennon evidently thought it was one of McCartney’s best, at least he went so far as to complement McCartney on it. I think I probably would have ended up not talking to Lennon after a few years if I knew him, I would have probably considered him a prick.
I think the cleverness of the lyrics are a little too clever for my taste but I could see how someone might like it, the dense layering of verbal and rhyming puns could very much be something that was to Lennon’s taste I suppose
The punning reminds me of those old classics like “I forgot to remember to forget” or the like
The Beatles did do a cover of that song in the early days
Yellow Submarine
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
So we sailed on to the sun
Till we found the sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
Full steam ahead, Mister Boatswain, full steam ahead
Full steam ahead it is, Sergeant
Cut the cable! Drop the cable!
Aye-aye, sir, aye-aye
Captain! Captain!
As we live a life of ease (A life of ease)
Every one of us (Every one of us) has all we need (Has all we need)
Sky of blue (Sky of blue) and sea of green (Sea of green)
In our yellow (In our yellow) submarine (Submarine, ha-ha!)
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
.I guess we all know this song should be sung by the Decemberists who would do a killer version except for lacking that one thing that this song has — unabashed childlike sincerity.
The lyrics are great and it does feel like the musical form of some British Children’s book.
She Said She Said
She said, “I know what it’s like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad”
And she’s making me feel like I’ve never been born
I said, “who put all those things in your head?
Things that make me feel that I’m mad
And you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born”
She said, “you don’t understand what I’ve said”
I said, “no, no, no, you’re wrong”
When I was a boy everything was right
Everything was right
I said, “even though you know what you know
I know that I’m ready to leave
’Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born”
She said, “you don’t understand what I said”
I said, “no, no, no, you’re wrong”
When I was a boy everything was right
Everything was right
I said, “even though you know what you know
I know that I’m ready to leave
’Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born”
She said (She said), “I know what it’s like to be dead
I know what it’s like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it’s like to be dead”.
Evidently Lennon didn’t much care for this song, I’ve read. I love it. Maybe because I’ve known a lot of girls who would have told you “I know what it’s like to be dead” at the drop of a hat. The proto goth-lite appeals for that reason.
Who should do this song — The Cure.
Good Day Sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I’ve got something I can laugh about
I feel good, in a special way
I’m in love and it’s a sunny day
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
We take a walk, the sun is shining down
Burns my feet as they touch the ground
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
And then we lie, beneath a shady tree
I love her and she’s loving me
She feels good, she knows she’s looking fine
I’m so proud to know that she is mine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine
This is another of those weird songs the Beatles did that just thinking about it and listening to the lyrics you have to wonder why it was made. No wait that’s not exactly phrased right — let me start over again…
In a previous article about McCartney
I said
McCartney has a taste palette that runs from Air Supply to Metallica.
And this runs also to the lyrics he writes. Most people when writing or singing this song would have been completely sarcastic or cynical. The character that the singer portrays seems frankly rather dim and fatuous.
And McCartney takes this rather dim fellow and expresses his thoughts, such as they are, without a hint of being above it.
I’m not sure I could find a person with such an uncomplicated a relation to hanging out with their groovy chick in the summertime in all the English speaking world, anymore.
I mean sure, in Denmark, this would be a totally accurate portrayal of the thoughts of a young Danish fellow with his girl friend in June heading down to the park to sit on the grass and cook a hotdog.
They would even talk about how wonderful it is that the sun is out. I feel good and it’s a sunny day. They would probably not have anything to say really, that could not be summarized from a weather report and a guidebook’s commentary on foods that are enjoyable in warm weather.
To quote another article —
For the boringness of happy people I submit the nation of Denmark as evidence, a country often at the top of the world’s happiness index
McCartney, a man who in his youth had a pretty unhappy life, somehow is able to portray boring happy people out for a lovely empty-headed walk in the sunshine without sneering at them.
It’s hard not to envy this man and this song which I hate.
But it is also somewhat high on the cringe factor that was discussed as being one of the downsides of the Beatles. It is also a song that could be modern but as I said probably not with the exact same perspective to the lyrics.
Much of Revolver has a cynical, detached and ironic side, not this song. Much of Revolver plays with language and meaning in a manner that in the English speaking world is generally considered intelligent, for the protagonist of this song and presumably also his happy girl that sort of intelligence is incomprehensible and perhaps not even marked.
As for who could sing this in a more modern group — one obvious choice would be Katrina and the Waves (who admittedly are only “modern” in relation to the Beatles). Maybe Katrina is the good looking girlfriend of the brainless bohunk that centers the song, but we can still see that with Katrina there is a layer of self-awareness that Good Day Sunshine’s protagonist lacks.
I think Leon Bridges would do a good version, but still not as uncomplicated as McCartney’s. Bridges would probably be sort of sexy and wistful.
And Your Bird Can Sing
Tell me that you’ve got ev’rything you want,
And your bird can sing,
But you don’t get me,
You don’t get me.
You say you’ve seen seven wonders,
And your bird is green,
But you can’t see me,
You can’t see me.
When your prized possessions
Start to weigh you down,
Look in my direction,
I’ll be ‘round, I’ll be ‘round.
When your bird is broken,
Will it bring you down?
You may be awoken,
I’ll be ‘round, I’ll be ‘round.
You tell me that you’ve heard ev’ry sound there is,
And your bird can swing,
But you can’t hear me.
You can’t hear me.
This is one of my favorite Beatles songs and thus is likely to be colored by this. If Yellow Submarine is a story from a Children’s Book, this song is from one of Andrew Lang’s fairy books, for sake of argument let’s say The Green Book.
The approved Illuminati Ganga version of the Green Book, with the secret passages, is currently not available, and so I will provide a link to the complete Project Gutenberg version.
For No One
Your day breaks, your mind aches
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
When she no longer needs you
She wakes up, she makes up
She takes her time and doesn’t feel she has to hurry
She no longer needs you
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
You want her, you need her
And yet you don’t believe her
When she says her love is dead
You think she needs you
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
You stay home, she goes out
She says that long ago she knew someone
But now he’s gone, she doesn’t need him
Your day breaks, your mind aches
There will be times when all the things she said will fill your head
You won’t forget her
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
Another Beatles Song I hate that I believe is absolutely fantastic. Again — just so not to my taste ugh. That said I believe it would be the perfect song to place in some playlist somewhere, what playlist — I don’t know. But I do feel the song is so great that put in the right context it would just win me over.
This song brings back the point about Adulthood I made in the article on Rubber Soul
Many of the old country guys seem more mature and adult because they talk about divorce and alimony payments and house loans and bank foreclosures and problems that people will generally not have unless they are at least old enough to run for U.S Presidency
Who should sing this song. Maybe Nathaniel Rateliff. I bet he’d make you cry.
Doctor Robert
Ring my friend, I said you’d call
Doctor Robert
Day or night, he’ll be there any time at all
Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
You’re a new and better man
He helps you to understand
He does everything he can
Doctor Robert
If you’re down he’ll pick you up
Doctor Robert
Take a drink from his special cup
Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
He’s a man you must believe
Helping anyone in need
No one can succeed like
Doctor Robert
Well, well, well, you’re feeling fine
Well, well, well, he’ll make you
Doctor Robert
My friend works for the National Health
Doctor Robert
You’ll pay money just to see yourself
With Doctor Robert
Doctor Robert
You’re a new and better man
He helps you to understand
He does everything he can
Bob Robert
Well, well, well, you’re feeling fine
Well, well, well, he’ll make you
Doctor Robert
Ring, my friend I said you’d call
Doctor Robert
Ring, my friend I said you’d call
Bob Robert
Doctor Robert
I had remembered this song sucks, but no, it’s a reasonable entry in the old rock and roll genre of talking shit about the guy who brings you dope. Maybe rock and rollers just hate their dealers because without them they might be able to pretend to not need anything or anyone at all, but I don’t think that pertains to the Beatles, that’s more a Rolling Stones type of motivation.
As for who should do this song — The Arctic Monkeys.
I Want to Tell You
I want to tell you
My head is filled with things to say
When you’re here
All those words, they seem to slip away
When I get near you
The games begin to drag me down
It’s all right
I’ll make you maybe next time around
But if I seem to act unkind
It’s only me, it’s not my mind
That is confusing things
I want to tell you
I feel hung up, but I don’t know why
I don’t mind
I could wait forever, I’ve got time
Sometimes I wish I knew you well
Then I could speak my mind and tell you
Maybe you’d understand
I want to tell you
I feel hung up, but I don’t know why
I don’t mind
I could wait forever, I’ve got time
I’ve got time
I’ve got time
This song is another Beatles song that makes a good addition to the Complete Playlist
The Playlist in which it would serve as some nice aural embellishment. As you listen to the playlist you think “Hey, a rare Beatles track, that’s fun” But in this album and by itself it isn’t that good. It is full of sonic touches that feel like things you’ve heard elsewhere or that you think should be given a better song to work with. And damn, it’s a Harrison song which I hadn’t realized until I went and looked it up.
Now I feel sort of bad for slagging it off as here Harrison gets more than two songs on the album it should be something appreciated.
I should also note that perhaps my downplaying of the song’s worth is because not so much to my taste, it’s laid back and melodic and the lyrics are not interesting. People note how the song is about the inability to express certain things but that’s really no excuse, writers, especially ones exposed to psychedelics or familiar with surrealism, learn early on many techniques to express the inexpressible — the lyrics here do not express the inexpressible, they just tell you there are things that can’t be expressed. Sort of boring.
Who should do it — one of my favorite laid back bands. Belle and Sebastian.
Got to Get You into My Life
.Got to get you into my life, into my life
Got to get you into my life, into my life
Got to get you into my life, into my life
Got to get you into my life, into my life
Got to get you into my life, into my life
I was alone, I took a ride
Didn’t know what I would find there
Another road where maybe I
Could see another sign there
Ooh, and then I suddenly see you
Ooh, and did I tell you that I need you
Every single day of my life?
You didn’t run, you didn’t lie
You knew I wanted just to hold you
And had you gone, you knew in time
We’d meet again, for I had told you
Ooh, you were meant to be near me
Ooh, I really want for you to hear me
Say we’ll be together everyday
Got to get you into my life (got to get you into my life)
Got to get you in, got to get you into my life (got to get you into my life, yeah)
Got to get you into my life
Got to get you in to my, got to get you into my life
Got to get you into my life
What can I do? What can I be?
When I’m with you I wanna stay there
If I’m true, I’ll never leave
And if I do I know the way there
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Every single day of my life?
Got to get you into my life (got to get you into my life)
Got to get you in, got to get you into my life (my life)
Got to get you into my life (got to get you into my life, yeah)
Got to get you into my life
Got to get you in, got to get you in
Got to get you in, got to get you in
Into my life
Got to get you into my life
Got to get you in, got to get you in
Got to get you in, got to get you in
Into my life
Got to get you into my life
This song used to be popular, but I feel it is no longer one of the more played Beatles songs.
Things I dislike about this song — it has absolutely no sexual urgency.
Imagine Prince singing the part
Ooh, and then I suddenly see you
Ooh, and did I tell you that I need you
Every single day of my life?
He would sell it.
And yet…
Pretty much everybody puts some degree of sexual urgency into their songs. Sure, not so much as Prince, but let’s face it sexual urgency is cheap to come by in our society and in our music. The Motown songs this was homage to were full of sexual urgency. McCartney is generally not that great at sexual urgency, I think Lennon, who evidently was the typical Rock and Roll dickhead (which I guess I would probably also have been if I had been in the Beatles) was generally the more able to sell sexual urgency.
McCartney however has something that comparatively few rock and rollers have, emotional urgency. Most of the time when people sing about wanting someone “emotionally” that’s just a code word for “allow me to take this weight from off my balls, please” — see The Rolling Stones “Emotional Rescue” for an example. He’s not unique by any means. Roddy Frame is anther songwriter I’ve been listening to lately who does the emotional urgency quite well. But he is relatively rare.
And this song is an expression of a far more important thing than wanting to get laid really, really, really bad! Whereas most people would do this song about seeing someone and wanting to have sex with them, McCartney, in typical McCartney fashion digs into the romantic tropes that fuel most love stories — of seeing someone and wanting to know them, to be with them every single day of ones life. It is, in short, the ending of the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice when Lizzie has to go in to get her father’s blessing but does not want to close to the door and be separated from Mr. Darcy.
Who should do it — Well Prince should have because I’d still like to hear the sexy version.
Maybe Miley Cyrus should do it — why her, because I figure she would be smart and canny enough to see the song is about emotional and not sexual urgency, and deliver accordingly.
Tomorrow Never Knows
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining
That you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being
That love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing
That ignorance and hate may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the colour of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living
Or play the game “Existence” to the end
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning
So this song might have a high hippie cringe factor for a lot of people. This is the strand of the Beatles that ends up in Spinal Tap with David St. Hubbins and his girlfriend putting together a bunch of scraps of mysticism clumsily glued together with a shit load of drugs.
Not to say I don’t like it, I do. But I could definitely imagine someone having the reaction I describe above.
The cringiness for a modern audience might also have bits of concerns regarding cultural appropriation thrown in, but as I don’t really care about the concept I will not delve deeper into that interpretation.
If I was to say who I think should do this — I guess since I already said Prince above and he’s dead Ill say Frightened Rabbit for this song.
Conclusion
In the earlier article on Rubber Soul I made a new ordering of album tracks that I felt better reflected themes of the album, but in this case I don’t think there is any obvious restructuring.
So in that case, here is the playlist for Revolver
Previous Articles of Interest
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