Look, I actually do like this song. Honest. But I’m going to go on record as saying this might be the most generic set of lyrics ever written, not just by the Beatles, but by any major band from any era. (“Generic” of course is not synonymous with “worst.” Don’t worry, Black Eyed Peas, that title lies safely with “My Humps.” At least Alanis Morissette salvaged it somewhat.) That probably explains why, as with “You Like Me Too Much,” George Harrison didn’t Continue reading “#181: I Need You”
Author: Anthony Cusumano
#182: Love Me Do
When I wrote about 1969’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” I lamented its lack of lyrical variation (try saying that three times fast), but the truth is, the Beatles had been thrifty with words from the start. “Love Me Do,” the band’s 1962 debut single, contains just 20 unique words. It’s one of those songs that is objectively pretty unexceptional on every level, but Continue reading “#182: Love Me Do”
#183: Boys
This track often shows up on “worst Beatles songs” lists, and it’s admittedly a very curious choice for the band to cover. Originally performed by girl group The Shirelles, this ode to the less fair sex was a regular part of the group’s early setlists, allowing them to nail it in the studio in a single take. The decision to only alter certain lyrics results in Continue reading “#183: Boys”
#184: Rock and Roll Music
On paper, this Chuck Berry cover should be a slam dunk.
Congratulations, Anthony. You used a sports metaphor correctly.
The arrangement is relatively faithful to Berry’s original, just way amped up. That’s kind of the problem though. Continue reading “#184: Rock and Roll Music”
#185: When I Get Home
It’s hard to imagine any band ever working harder than the Beatles did during the first half of 1964. When they weren’t playing concerts, they were recording; when they weren’t recording, they were filming their movie debut, A Hard Day’s Night. Beyond that, Continue reading “#185: When I Get Home”
#186: I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
This is a tricky one. There are so many elements of “I Want You” that I really do love, but John Lennon didn’t seem to know when enough was enough: Continue reading “#186: I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
#187: Wild Honey Pie
Now we’re getting into the straight-up weird stuff. There’s really no discernible reason why “Wild Honey Pie” should even exist. It’s just a minute of Paul McCartney going crazy and shrieking “Honey pie!” repeatedly. Notice, I’m not complaining about any of this. As I’ve said before, I like when Paul McCartney gets weird. And apparently I’m not the only one, since the only reason “Wild Honey Pie” ended up on the White Album was because George Harrison’s wife was a fan. It’s the sort of song Continue reading “#187: Wild Honey Pie”
#188: You Like Me Too Much
Perhaps content that “Don’t Bother Me” shut up the journalists who kept asking him when he would start writing songs, George Harrison left it up to John and Paul to take care of the original material for the next two Beatles albums. When he gave it another shot for Help! he delivered two below-average songs so unimpressive that Continue reading “#188: You Like Me Too Much”
#189: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Pet peeve time: when I listen to music, there are a number of factors that almost inevitably will drive me crazy and shrink the odds of me appreciating a song: stupid rhymes (“dustbin lid,” really?). Unnecessary whistling. And fake audience noise on studio recordings. Especially fake laughter. What hilarity took place Continue reading “#189: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
#190: Don’t Bother Me
Listen to the hooks of each song on the first half of the Beatles’ second album and one sticks out like a sore thumb. Sandwiched between sunny choruses promising, “It won’t be long, yeah (yeah!), ’til I belong to you,” “All my loving, I will send to you,” and “There was love all around, but I never heard it singing…till there was you,” you’ll find the decidedly more rain-soaked, “Go away, leave me alone, don’t bother me.” Do I even need to tell you that it was written by George Harrison?
What’s less obvious is that George also wrote The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Considering it was the first song he ever composed, Continue reading “#190: Don’t Bother Me”
Anthony Cusumano 