Blog Post - Beatles Content!

[Movies]

Hi there, y'all.

Judging from other Beatles-related posts I've made here and threads I've taken part in, I know there are some real heads on this board. That said, I thought I'd share a blog post I made this week regarding an [utterly subjective, but fun] analysis of "Things We Said Today."

I tried to write it for all readers, but some LIGHT music theory might be needed.

I'd love to hear any and all thoughts!

[Frodo]

Good job, Movies!

It's so easy to take the Beatles' subtle chord changes for granted. Few, if any, were writing like that back then in pop/rock world. People can overlook just how many "firsts" the Beatles cemented (if the term "invented" is inappropriate).

Another tune that has fascinated me is "Not A Second Time". The cadence on the refrain is D to E-minor. The tune is in G, so cadencing in E-minor was stunning on first hearing. It's a deceptive cadence. Considering that the only other cadence used in the tune is a half-cadence (or an incomplete cadence from Am to D), it suddenly becomes clear that there are no *proper* full cadences in the entire tune-- from D to G. That chord progression does occur, but it's just not used as a cadence.

Rock music is loaded with full cadences-- if not typical of them, and Lennon (consciously or unconsciously) avoids them altogether in this tune.

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Visceral or conscience? We'll never know for sure.

[bayswater]

The two moments covered in the blog, the B flat in Things We Said, and the F in Lose That Girl, never fail for me. Another one is when the bridge in No Reply lands on E. They're all so perfect, it's difficult to believe they're not deliberate.

[billf]

That is a great post! Thanks for sharing it. I'm reminded of Alan Pollack's Notes On series where he has this to say about the Bb:

On the harmonic side, a B-flat chord is used in both the verse and bridge as part of a gambit in which what has started off as an aggressive excursion away from the home key is abruptly aborted with a return to that very same firm, secure home base. The B-flat chord in any mode of A is the unusual "flat-II" or "Neapolitan" chord (so-called because of its overly frequent use in 17th century opera of said venue), and what makes its use especially far out in a Beatles song is the fact that they resolve it directly to the I chord rather than via the V chord as is more customary in classical usage. Note how the Boys were so pleased with themselves over this that they recycled the exact same magic trick in "You're Going To Lose That Girl".

[Movies]

Frodo: Your discussion of "Not a Second Time" is super interesting! It's not even like they threw away the rule-book; it's like they were pop-music aliens!

Bayswater: Your "No Reply" post caused me to dig up "The Beatles '65". That album RULED MY YOUNG LIFE for a while. "Baby's In Black" was the song that lightning-bolted the idea of vocal harmony into my brain. Thanks for the reminiscence!

Billf: That chord-change blows my mind every time. It's so berserker, yet so tasteful and amazing.

Another Beatles weirdness that helped to inform my entire, like, musical vocabulary is the lowering of the C# to C-natural in the vocal melody of the verse to "It Won't Be Long". Like, what did people think when that song dropped back in the day? It's still so interesting sounding!

[bayswater]

Bayswater: Your "No Reply" post caused me to dig up "The Beatles '65". That album RULED MY YOUNG LIFE for a while. "Baby's In Black" was the song that lightning-bolted the idea of vocal harmony into my brain. Thanks for the reminiscence!

For a long time I stupidly dismissed "Baby's in Black" as album filler. When I finally listened closely, it became of the of songs I go back to over and over again for a tingle up the spine.

[Frodo]

"Baby's In Black" was one of those tunes that draws attention to itself in that it was among those that The Beatles chose to perform "live". It makes you wonder-- "what were they thinking?"

Apparently or allegedly, the song was about Astrid Kirchner mourning the loss of Stuart Suttcliffe, so there must have been a huge emotional attachment for them to start with. The tune wasn't a single, at least while they were still performing.

But, there are not many tunes of theirs in triple meter, or "a waltz", as Lennon would describe it, before "BnB". "Yes It Is" is one the best examples. "This Boy" is another. "All My Loving" almost doesn't count as it's more swingy than waltzy. Same for "Can't Buy Me Love". Hmm. "Eight Days A Week" also fits into the swing category, but that's about it before "BnB"."You Really Got A Hold On Me" comes close, but it was by Smokey Robinson and was not an original Beatles tune, if that matters.

Again, that "BnB" made it to their live set is remarkable for its rarity, if nothing else.

The changes on the bridge-- "oh, how long will it take..." were off the chain, and it's only a series of simple "two-fives". Bridges are supposed to be a departure from verses and choruses, but The Beatles had their own refreshing way of figuring out how to do it which made them sound like "The Beatles" rather than a mere rehash of what someone else did.

[mikehalloran]

They're all so perfect, it's difficult to believe they're not deliberate.

I have never believed John's declarations that he didn't know what he was doing. Really? He didn't know the names of the chords he played?

How does one write like he did accidentally? I believe the answer is simple: He didn't.

It was as if he was embarrassed to be as good as he was.