"The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write"
This book tells the stories behind every Beatles song ever written. It looks at the how, why and where of the songwriting, as well as traces the inspiration of the song. This book does not explain what the Beatles 'were trying to say', but it simply tells the story of how each song came into being. It could have been a musical inspiration, or a phrase that wouldn't go away, like the 'waves of sorrow, pools of joy' line that compelled John to write 'Across The Universe'. The songs explored in this book are from throughout the Beatles' lives together on record; from the period largely characterized by Beatlemania, to a period of songs predominantly about boys who liked girls or girls who liked boys, to their more cerebral and experimental period.
'I Want To Hold Your Hand'
This song was created on October 16th, 1963 in the basement den of the Ashers' home in Wimpole Street. According to John, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' sprang into being when, having come up with an opening line, Paul hit a chord on the piano. "I turned to him and said, 'That's it! Do it again!' The line in the song 'that my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide' was a musical phrase repeated over and over that had stuck with them.
'Can't Buy Me Love'
The lyrics to this song suggests it's partly an answer to Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford's 'Money'. The Gordy/Bradford line was that money could get you anything. The Lennon/McCartney response was that it could get you anything but love.
'Eight Days A Week'
Paul heard the phrase 'eight days a week' from a chauffeur who drove him to John's home in Weybridge one day for a writing session. Paul asked if he had been busy lately, and the chauffeur replied,"Busy? Ive been working eight days a week." When Paul arrived at John's house, he told John he had the title for the song they were going to write that day.
'Help!"
'Help!' was written with Paul at John's Weybridge home, in April 1965. The lyrics of the song were a candid insight into John's dissatisfaction with himself. He was eating and drinking too much, had put on weight, and felt trapped by fame. The song, he later admitted, was a cry for help. "I needed the help," he said. "The song was about me."
'Yesterday'
Paul woke up one morning at the Ashers' home in Wimpole Street with the tune for 'Yesterday' in his head. There was a piano by the bed and he went straight to it and started playing.
'Norwegian Wood'
The lyrics to this song open with a boast about a girl John has 'had', but he quickly corrects himself by saying that it was she who 'had' him. She takes him back to her apartment and asks him to admire the furnishings made out of cheap Norwegian pine. The song had been written about an act of unfaithfulness, "without letting my wife know I was writing about an affair," John said. The track stood out on Rubber Soul for its use of sitar- it was the first time the Indian instrument had been used on a pop record.
'Let It Be'
"Let It Be' was written by Paul out of his general feelings of despair as the Beatles began to fall apart soon after the death of their manager, Mr. Eptein.John preferred spending time with Yoko, and the other band members were not pleased with her presence. George had already quit the group once, and his songwriting was being discouraged by the other members of the group. And Ringo took a short vacation from the band when he sensed the bad atmosphere. Paul wanted organization and discipline, so he was trying to take charge as leader of the group. Paul said he wrote 'Let It Be' as a response to all the pressure he was facing, and writing that song helped him pass through his "hour of darkness."
Question:
What is your favorite Beatles song? (I will add the song onto the list so you can find out more about it)
Turner, S. (1994). The beatles: A hard day's write. New Yowrk, NY: Carlton Books Limited.
