Are You a John or a Paul?
I’m going to spare you. On my first blog of the year…I’m not going to dive right into “good riddance 2020” or what’s been happening since. Maybe next week.
Instead…I’ll distract you (hopefully) with my (and many of your) favorite subject: ‘John and Paul.’ Or should I say ‘Paul and John’? Which one are you? I mean…which Beatle is dominant in the applicable quadrant of your heart?
You may ask ‘why do we have to choose?’ We don’t. But why not? It’s fun. The mind-game is a never-ending conversation for my hubby and I on car rides, during pillow talk, with music-loving dinner guests (back when we had them.) 😔
Anytime at all that a classic Lennon/McCartney enters our cosmos we embark on the rollercoaster. Do we prefer John’s heady, trippy world or Paul’s tales of imaginary (and not so imaginary) friends, lovers, mothers, dogs (Maxwell, Rita, Mary, Penny, Martha, Lady M)?
Needless to say being a guest was a highlight of my LIFE!
Yeah Yeah Yeah, all songs were credited to Lennon/McCartney* but we all know that whoever sang lead was the initial vessel…and the other usually contributed a middle eight…(a stellar middle eight at that) — an emotional and melodic detour which took the already outstanding song to another level…as if there was room). So yes, it was a combined effort but for the sake of this blog let’s consider the primary writer the heartbeat of the song.
Wanna play? Here goes…
When I hear “Across The Universe” I swear I’m a John. All the way. No room for error. The song is metaphysical and conjures a churning of butterflies in my core. (Songs that cause me to physically quake dominate my best-of list. I can’t help it. Physical is a powerful place to reach. I’m not even sure what “Universe” is about but what I am sure of is that it makes me FEEL. )
But then I hear “Oh! Darling” and I’m like…Wait a minute! What on earth was I thinking? This is THE ONE. You know the story, right? Paul went to the studio night after night to re-record his vocal until it was exactly how he wanted it to sound. Cool. But I’m talking about the song. Not the vocal. You say what? That vocal IS the song? Hmmm perhaps.
Speaking of “Oh Darling” it’s obvi Paul and John rubbed off on each other. For example one has to wonder if John’s “Don’t Let Me Down” (described by Paul as a "genuine plea to Yoko Ono”) triggered or motivated the same for Paul to Linda in “Oh Darling”? Or if the sentimentality of the edge-free “Yesterday” brought about “In My Life”?
And then there are the not-so-hidden gems — John’s “And Your Bird Can Sing” pokes me in the vicinity between my tummy and my brain. Maybe it’s my throat. I can’t pinpoint the spot. But it’s primal. So maybe I’m a John. Bt when the needle first lowered onto “I’ve Just Seen A Face,“ the spell was confirmed: I was a Paul. Of course I was. Sweet adorable Paul. But then came “Norwegian Wood” and again, I was conflicted. Sure, I wanted to KISS Paul. But I wanted to crawl off to sleep in the bath with John. What do you suppose this means?
Do I see hands for “Hey Jude”? “Strawberry Fields?…” Is there anything as poignant as “Imagine”? Yes. “Let It Be.” See? It’s endless — a long and winding road. The pendulum is in constant motion. I’m dizzy swinging back and forth. I could go on. I’m sure you’ll help.
And then of course, there’s George. With a mighty impressive albeit not quite as extensive body of work. But all those years ago after having not been taken seriously the flood gates opened. My Sweet Lord knows how far he would have gone if he were given more album real estate sooner. Then again, why mess with history? It was perfect the way it all unfolded. “Taxman”alone — songwriting at its best — would have been enough for me — Oh but… “Something,” “Here Comes The Sun,” “Think For Yourself,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”…I’d say George carried his weight.
I bow to George.
And then there’s Ringo. We all love Ringo. Period. What more can I say? 😳
Bottom line, after years of taking pleasure in torturing myself with this volley my favorite of favorite Beatles song of all time hands down final answer is “If I Fell.” It’s the quintessential confession of vulnerability. It doesn’t get more raw and honest than that. So I guess I’m a John? (Note the question mark.) But does the power of one song out-weigh the quantity of others. Oy. Here we go again. And if Paul wrote that exquisite bridge — “Cuz I couldn’t stand the pain,” I mean…Seriously? How do you weigh a contribution?
So which one are you? Do you even know the answer? Good Luck.
Here’s some songwriter porn for you: This is John receiving (or giving birth to) “If I Fell” on a cassette I presume…the 1964 version of an iPhone Voice Memo worktape.
*After having established (all those years ago) that all songs (collaborations or not) would be credited as “Lennon/McCartney, “ the issue of whose name should appear first has been challenged by Paul. At first I thought…’how petty’ but then I read this and I kinda get it.
Lastly…in case you missed it the first hundred times I posted this…here tis! … my ode to the Beatles: Written by yours truly, Phil Thornalley, David Munday
Happy New Year