Here are two things I’ve noticed that I’ve never seen mentioned concerning two Beatles songs. I don’t know, but maybe they really haven’t had an official noticing yet and I am, as they say, frist!
The first noticing concerns the old b-side “I’ll Get You”, that appeared opposite the first Blockbuster “She Loves You”. Although the a-side is of course the one — the single song so powerful that it created, or at least ignited, Beatlemania — I prefer the flip. The basic thrust of the song, even, has a curious two-layered complexity. “I’ll get you, yes I’ll get you in the end!”, snarls Lennon. The words are simultaneously romantic and threatening. Let this be a sermon might be the underlying sense.
Anyway, the song’s vocal is double tracked and the noticing is simply that at one point, one John is singing “Well there’s gonna be a time when I’m gonna change your mind”, while the second John changes the words to “I’m gonna maim your mind“, thus confirming the opinion of an early reviewer of ‘In His Own Write’ who perceptively said that he who sang “I want to hold your hand” would really rather bite it.
The second noticing concerns “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” and, I think, gives an interesting glimpse into band politics just as it was breaking up.
The song was written quickly and Lennon wanted it recorded and released now. George and Ringo said ‘no’ and so Paul alone was there to help out. That in itself is interesting, as it indicates he knew the game was almost up but was willing to jump through hoops to steady the sinking boat. Note that recording this song was in itself a big deal. It’s obviously not a band song. It’s a song by Lennon and it is about the Ono-Lennons. I guess the title gives you a slight clue that is what it is. It is hardly likely Paul would have been desperate to put this out as a Beatles single, let alone record it with half the band missing. I suspect the DIY nature of the recording may have appealed to him though.
Anyway, to the noticing. In this song the vocal is single-tracked and McCartney joins in with a rough and raucous harmony on the last two choruses: CHRIST! you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be — the way things are goin’ they’re gonna crucify ME!
But Paul, notice, doesn’t sing the “Christ!” bit. If you do notice this, it is obvious this is a very pointed refusal. The record was widely banned in the US and offered up a relatively poor chart showing as a result. It is one thing including references to “prick teasers” (Day Tripper) and “California grass” (Get Back) and leaving in a “fuckin’ ‘ell” (Hey Jude) assuming no one would notice. (No one did.) But this is blatant and would clearly affect the ‘hitability’ of the single.
Perhaps this pointedness might be linked to the fairly obvious message in the b-side fade (recorded mostly by the threetles without Dr Winston O’Boogie’s help): look out! she’s after you! This is sung by McCartney with what appears to be a maximum sense of angst. We can guess who ‘she’ is, as it is in all probability the same ‘she’ mentioned in the flipside’s title.
The funny thing is, this non-Beatles song somehow seems to be a highly appropriate Beatles record for that specific moment in the band’s timeline. In a wider context it adds yet another element to the strange and eclectic mix that was The Beatles at least before the marketeers took over.
Abbey Road notwithstanding, this was perhaps the last time ‘Phil and Don’ really got together. (I think anyone who has listened to the ‘Toot and a Snore‘ boot will agree with this.)
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