*Hey Jude
Paul wrote this song for Julian Lennon to comfort him throughout his parents divorce at the age of 8.
*For No One
Paul wrote after his ruining his engagment with Jane Asher when she caught him cheating on her
*Across The Universe
John, "I was a bit more artsy-fartsy there. I was lying next to my first wife in bed, (song originally written in 1967) you know, and I was irritated. She must have been going on and on about something and she'd gone to sleep-- and I kept hearing these words over and over, flowing like an endless stream. I went downstairs and it turned into a sort of cosmic song rather than an irritated song-- rather than 'Why are you always mouthing off at me?' or whatever, right? ...and I've sat down and looked at it and said, 'Can I write another one with this meter?' It's so interesting. 'Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup/ They slither while the pass, they slip away across the universe.' Such an extraordinary meter and I can never repeat it! It's not a matter of craftsmanship-- it wrote itself. It drove me out of bed. I didn't want to write it... and I couldn't get to sleep until I put it on paper..."
*For The Benefit of Mr. Kite
The title is taken directly from an antique circus poster that John bought which dated back to 1843.
*Blackbird
Blackbird is a song inspired by the black civil rights movement in america. The term bird refers to 'girl' as girls are often refered to in england. The term bird refers to 'girl' as girls are often refered to in england.
*Dear Prudence
This song is about Mia Farrows sister Prudence. When they were in india with the Ravi guy, they were spending much of their time meditating. Prudence Farrow was trying to reach the highest level of meditation. She was very stressed out and everyone was worried about her. John especially took a liking to her. She would not come out of her tent. She constantly would meditate. No matter how much the boys or anyone else asked her, she wouldn't come out. So John wrote the song and would sing it to her. Hence "Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play."
*HELP!
John thought he was getting fat.
*Obla-Di-Obla-Da
Though written by both lennon and mccartney john calls it "Paul's granny shit".
:( awe...i like this song...
*Norwegian Wood
This song as said by John (and Paul) was about one of John's many affairs. He meets a girl, goes home with her, drinks a bit, sleep together. In the morning she's gone because she got what she wanted from him. He said he always felt like shit because of what he was doing. Norwegian wood has absoltely nothing to do with Norway - it is referring to the cheap wood used to make furiture (that plywood material is according to Paul called Norwedgian Wood to make it sound better). John angry that he is being used decides to burn down the shitty apartment (he never really did burn them down but he wanted too, he's taken a bit of artistic liberty).
*Maxwell's Silver Hammer
McCartney, "'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does, as I was beginning to find out at that time in my life. I wanted something symbolic of that, so to me it was some fictitious character called Maxwell with a silver hammer. I don't know why it was silver, it just sounded better than Maxwell's hammer. It was needed for scanning. We still use that expression now when something unexpected happens."
"In the past I may have written tongue-in-cheek, like 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', and dealt with matters of fate in a kind of comical, parody manner. It just so happens in this batch of songs I would look at these subjects and thought it was good for writing. If it's good enough to take to your psychiatrist, it's good enough to make a song of."
*Why don't we do it in the road?
McCartney, "A male [monkey] just hopped on the back of this female and gave her one, as they say in the vernacular. Within two or three seconds he hopped off again and looked around as if to say, ‘It wasn't me,’ and she looked around as if there'd been some mild disturbance ... And I thought ... that's how simple the act of procreation is ... We have horrendous problems with it, and yet animals don't."
*We Can Work it Out
Paul wrote it in reagrds to Jane Asher and then took it to John for his input. You can kinda see how the two contrasted with Paul being optimistic and John being not at all, and also impatient. As Lennon told Playboy in 1980, "You've got Paul writing, 'We can work it out / We can work it out'—real optimistic, y'know, and me, impatient: 'Life is very short, and there's no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend.'
*Martha My Dear
While McCartney said this song was inspired by McCartney's Old English Sheepdog, Martha, the contents itself are in regards to Jane Asher. The fact that many of his songs are about her makes the line "You have always been my inspiration..." quite appropriate.
I was just bored during my lunch break at work today...PLEASE! Give me additions! (and necessary corrections!)
:)
....maybe this should just become a beatles blog?
