As I scrolled through my expansive iTunes library the other day, I noticed a few Beatles song had no play count. I was amazed! That is, until I looked at which songs they were: "Long Tall Sally", "What Goes On", "Yellow Submarine", "I Am the Walrus", "The Long and Winding Road", "Dig It", "Honey Don't", "She Loves You"... Either overrated, not very good, or covers. Though I was surprised that "The Night Before" had no plays, so I quickly changed that!
I used to reset my play counts every month, so I could document my favorites per month. I stopped doing that a few months ago, hence why some play counts are at zero. The Beatles songs with the highest counts are "Two of Us", "No Reply", and "Wait" -- a strange reflection of Beatles songs I've re-phased on in the last few months. Except "Wait", I really didn't realize I listen to it so frequently.
Looking at the entire Beatles catalog with personalized numbers beside it made me wonder, "What are my favorite Beatles songs, really?" I occasionally toss around that argument. So, without further adieu, here are my top five favorite (Favorite, not BEST -- in alphabetical order) Beatles songs. Eeep!
1.) "And Your Bird Can Sing", Revolver, written by John Lennon.
John Lennon referred to it as "another of my throwaways...fancy paper around an empty box." And I've never met anyone else who quite grasped my love, but hey, its one of my absolute favorites! Its happiness in the form of a two minute pop song -- including delicious George Harrison licks and jaunty and chipper back-up vocals! I give so much love to back-up vocals, and its well deserved. Revolver may be my favorite Beatles album -- if not, its way up there. That's because you just want to bop your head around exuberantly throughout the entire record. "And Your Bird Can Sing" is far from a 'throwaway' and I'm just giving it an inkling of the credit it deserves.
2.) "Hey Bulldog", Yellow Submarine, written by John Lennon.
I fucking love "Hey Bulldog". Its been cited numerous times as the last time the Beatles had that spark in the studio -- and you can hear it! How did I ever live without "Hey Bulldog"? This may be my favorite Beatles song EVER. Actually, it is! I'm deeming it as such right now. With a bouncy and hypnotic piano riff, a singalong-worthy guitar solo, and Paul McCartney fucking barking, why isn't "Hey Bulldog" everyone's favorite Beatles song? I'm really surprised that the majority of my top five favorite Beatles songs are penned by John. George is my favorite, and I feel like a traitor. "Hey Bulldog" is the best song to feel like a traitor to. I used to watch the following video a whole lot. Its a super sexy time for George Harrison, and I pity men because they can't appreciate that. Paul and John are happy and together, and Ringo is Ringo.
3.) "I'm So Tired", The White Album, written by John Lennon.
Look at you, John Lennon! Three songs in the top five, I never realized... "I'm So Tired" is awesome because its moody. I was once a temperamental child, and I got in a fight with my parents. I locked myself in my room and played "I'm So Tired" really loud. Not because the lyrics paralleled my predicament at all, but because the delivery did. "I wonder should I call you, but I KNOW what you would do." I don't give JL enough credit. Because it just gets better: "You'd say I'm putting you on, but it's no joke, it's doing me harm. You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain. You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane! You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind." The lyrics mean nothing to me, at all. I don't really care about John Lennon's insomnia, or his apparent longing for Yoko Ono, but that build-up is everything. And, on top of ALL of that, John Lennon taught me the word 'git'. So when it confuses my sister in London -- I'm not confused. All thanks to John Lennon!
4. "Two of Us", Let It Be, written by Paul McCartney.
Another one that prompts people to say, "Really? That's one of your favorites?" Its so exquisite and charming, of course it is! Whether it be about Linda McCartney or John Lennon, it always makes me happy. Once, I was returning home after a late night adventure. The sun was coming up as a friend and I drove home, and "Two of Us" came on my iPod. A shuffling, inspiring little ditty, it was perfect then and its perfect now. When I first discovered it, I played it over and over again. Discovering the Beatles is such a treat. Paul McCartney vocals getting tangled up with John Lennon's are delectably sincere. If only for nearly four minutes, you forget that they loathed each other at this time. Let It Be, the film, is depressing and my only memories of it are the Paul/George duel and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" with the hammer. But after consulting Wikipedia, apparently the duel is because of "Two of Us" and they perform it too! I don't recall. I've really been craving the deliciously awful Magical Mystery Tour film, and now I even want to watch Let It Be. I wish I had a friend who owned them, and might as well throw in A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Yellow Submarine. Lets have a Beatles movie marathon? Sounds glorious.
5. "You Never Give Me Your Money", Abbey Road, written by Paul McCartney.
Maybe Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album? Oh, who knows, who cares. I love them all. Abbey Road is as joyfully uplifting as it is broody and weary. I don't even know what "You Never Give Me Your Money" is about, but it embodies everything the Beatles and particularly Abbey Road are about. It begins as this forlorn ballad, but it progresses into a jangly show tune type. "But oh, that magic feeling, nowhere to go-ah." As a tiny thing just discovering the Beatles, I hoped that one day I would have that magic feeling of being utterly directionless and free. The entire last verse is perfection epitomized.
Look at you, John Lennon! Three songs in the top five, I never realized... "I'm So Tired" is awesome because its moody. I was once a temperamental child, and I got in a fight with my parents. I locked myself in my room and played "I'm So Tired" really loud. Not because the lyrics paralleled my predicament at all, but because the delivery did. "I wonder should I call you, but I KNOW what you would do." I don't give JL enough credit. Because it just gets better: "You'd say I'm putting you on, but it's no joke, it's doing me harm. You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain. You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane! You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind." The lyrics mean nothing to me, at all. I don't really care about John Lennon's insomnia, or his apparent longing for Yoko Ono, but that build-up is everything. And, on top of ALL of that, John Lennon taught me the word 'git'. So when it confuses my sister in London -- I'm not confused. All thanks to John Lennon!
4. "Two of Us", Let It Be, written by Paul McCartney.
Another one that prompts people to say, "Really? That's one of your favorites?" Its so exquisite and charming, of course it is! Whether it be about Linda McCartney or John Lennon, it always makes me happy. Once, I was returning home after a late night adventure. The sun was coming up as a friend and I drove home, and "Two of Us" came on my iPod. A shuffling, inspiring little ditty, it was perfect then and its perfect now. When I first discovered it, I played it over and over again. Discovering the Beatles is such a treat. Paul McCartney vocals getting tangled up with John Lennon's are delectably sincere. If only for nearly four minutes, you forget that they loathed each other at this time. Let It Be, the film, is depressing and my only memories of it are the Paul/George duel and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" with the hammer. But after consulting Wikipedia, apparently the duel is because of "Two of Us" and they perform it too! I don't recall. I've really been craving the deliciously awful Magical Mystery Tour film, and now I even want to watch Let It Be. I wish I had a friend who owned them, and might as well throw in A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Yellow Submarine. Lets have a Beatles movie marathon? Sounds glorious.
5. "You Never Give Me Your Money", Abbey Road, written by Paul McCartney.
Maybe Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album? Oh, who knows, who cares. I love them all. Abbey Road is as joyfully uplifting as it is broody and weary. I don't even know what "You Never Give Me Your Money" is about, but it embodies everything the Beatles and particularly Abbey Road are about. It begins as this forlorn ballad, but it progresses into a jangly show tune type. "But oh, that magic feeling, nowhere to go-ah." As a tiny thing just discovering the Beatles, I hoped that one day I would have that magic feeling of being utterly directionless and free. The entire last verse is perfection epitomized.
Oh and, I should mention "Michelle" did not cut it close, not even a little. Also, nobody EVER calls me "Michelle, my belle" truly. I'm so glad. I probably get asked, "So do people call you Michelle my belle a lot?" more often than I actually get called it. Though, my cousin occasionally calls me "Michelle, age twelve" purely because it rhymes.
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