1. Taxman (Harrison) (2:35) - This moderately fast song features a tambourine and cymbals. To satirize Britain's high taxing system, George plays a government official who imposes a 95% income tax on all citizens. He also taxes their every activity--driving, turning on a heater, even walking!
2. Eleanor Rigby (2:04) - The tempo is moderately fast. To match the somber mood, there are no drums; a string quartet are the only instruments. In the first verse, Eleanor Rigby cleans up a church after a wedding held there is over. In the second verse, a solitary Father McKenzie sews his socks and writes a sermon that he will keep to himself. In the third verse, Eleanor dies; as Father McKenzie buries her with no one else present at the cemetery, she is quickly forgotten.
3. I'm Only Sleeping (2:57) - This song has a swing, moderately slow tempo. The narrator assures his girlfriend that if he appears to be dead, he is just sleeping; his relaxation is symbolized by the smooth strums of the rhythm guitar. He relaxes like this because he doesn't believe in hurrying to get things done like most people do. The song fades out with a lead guitar solo playing backward.
4. Love You To (Harrison) (2:56) - This is the second Beatles song to feature a sitar ("Norwegian Wood" from Rubber Soul was the first). The song opens with a slow, 34-second sitar solo. Then the tempo turns moderate; an Indian drum and a tambourine enter. After George finishes singing, the tempo accelerates to fast and fades out. George's knowledge of philosophy shows in this song. For example, the narrator notes how short and irreplaceable a lifetime is. He also warns his girlfriend about people who will bury her along with their sins; of course, by burying her alive, they'll only commit another sin!
5. Here, There, And Everywhere (2:22) - The tempo is slow. The drums are subdued to convey the narrator's serene mood. He will stay happy as long as he can meet his girlfriend everywhere he goes. As long as she's by his side, he need not care about anything else in the world. My mom has a gender-switched version of this song by Emmylou Harris.
6. Yellow Submarine (2:36) - This moderate, swing-tempoed song is complete with sound effects such as blowing of bubbles, swirling of water in a bucket, sounds of marine creatures, and radio communication by the sub's captain. Horns play briefly in response to the line "And the band begins to play." In the third verse, after the first line, Ringo sings each phrase, then the voice of the captain repeats. In 1968-69, this would become the title song of a cartoon movie and a soundtrack.
7. She Said She Said (2:33) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. The drums play in the left speaker; all other instruments play in the right speaker. When the narrator's girlfriend tells him she knows what being dead is like, he feels as though he has never lived. I've heard of people having near-death experiences before; perhaps this girl had one also.
8. Good Day Sunshine (2:06) - This song has a moderate swing tempo. A piano, finger-snapping, and hand-clapping are featured. The time is 4/4 for most of the song, but toward the end a few 3/4 measures appear. The sunny weather and his girlfriend's love for him give the narrator reason to laugh. The couple apparently walk barefoot, since he says that the hot ground burns his feet. They then find a tree to rest under.
9. And Your Bird Can Sing (1:58) - The tempo is moderately fast. The girl currently has everything she wants, including a bird that can sing. But the narrator assures her that he'll be around to give her excitement should she ever get bored of all her possessions.
10. For No One (1:57) - The tempo is fast, but the subdued drums match the dreary mood. A horn plays twice--first as a solo near the 1-minute mark, then at the beginning of the last verse. The piano and drums play in the right speaker, the tambourine and horn in the left. Paul's voice can be heard in both speakers. This song was covered nearly a decade later by Emmylou Harris.
11. Dr. Robert (2:12) - This fast song features an organ, which I can hear during the bridge. The doctor of whom the narrator speaks is busy all 24 hours of the day, helping anyone who needs his help. In real life, any doctor would burn out from such a schedule!
12. I Want To Tell You (Harrison) (2:25) - This song has a swing tempo slightly faster than moderate. It begins by fading in and ends by fading out. Instruments include a piano and shuffling drums. Whatever the narrator wants to tell his girlfriend, he has never found the courage to tell it. However, he believes he can wait forever to tell.
13. Got To Get You Into My Life (2:26) - The tempo is moderately fast. The horns play in the right speaker, the drums and the organ in the left; the tambourine, the guitar, and the guys' voices can be heard from both speakers. But not until the coda do the guitar and organ appear. While going on a leisurely ride (on a bike, perhaps?), the narrator spots a girl and falls in love with her. Now he needs her every day for the rest of his life.
14. Tomorrow Never Knows (2:56) - The sitar plays again in this moderate-tempoed song. Other instruments include a tambourine, an organ, and cymbals; a piano plays as the song fades out. This song clearly shows the Beatles' involvement with LSD and other psychedelic drugs. The title is never stated in the lyrics, but the narrator encourages us to let our minds flow freely as if tomorrow doesn't exist.
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2:00) - Prelude orchestral music and audience chatter fill the first 10 seconds. The song is moderately slow, but upbeat. For most of the song, horns are the most audible instruments. The album was released in 1967, so if Sgt. Pepper formed his band "20 years ago today," that would mean 1947. So as of June 1997, it would be 50 years ago! Cheers from the audience, lasting one second, are the only interval between this and the next song.
2. With A Little Help From My Friends (2:44) - This moderate, swing song features cymbal drums. Here Ringo apparently plays a singer named Billy Shears, since the narrator of the previous song introduced such a guy in the last verse. Anyway, the narrator of this song asks his audience to listen to him, and he'll do his best to stay in key. From the second verse on, Ringo sings a dialogue with John and George. The narrator's friends help him pay his basic living expenses and supply him with drugs.
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (3:28) - The verses are in 3/4 time and somewhat faster than moderate. The chorus is 4/4 and slightly slower than moderate, with the drums playing louder on the second and fourth beats of each measure. Instruments include a harpsichord and an organ. Many believe that this song referred to the psychedelic drug LSD, but John was really inspired to write the song after seeing pictures drawn and colored by his son Julian, then 4. The song also appeared on the Yellow Submarine film and soundtrack.
4. Getting Better (2:48) - This moderate, swing song features cymbals in the verses. The narrator used to argue with his teachers as a schoolboy; as a young man, he used to deny his problems and abuse his previous girlfriend. But now that his current girlfriend is with him, things are "getting better all the time."
5. Fixing A Hole (2:37) - This moderately slow song features an organ in the left speaker and guitars in the right speaker. I see a lot of symbolism here. The hole and the rain are signs of trouble; the narrator fixes the hole to try to shield himself from his problems. The people to whom he refuses to open his door are trying to tell him that he has a drug problem and needs to face reality.
6. She's Leaving Home (3:36) - This song has a moderate, 3/4 tempo. No drums play, but a harp and a string quartet do. I hear the harp at the beginning and the end. The subject of this song has for all her life lived in her parents' home, yet she was "living alone" because they neglected her. Now she's moving to some place far away, and her parents wonder why, after they made many years of sacrifices for her and "gave her everything money could buy." I would guess that she's found a man who lives in that faraway area, since in the third verse the parents say she's having fun, which can't be bought with money.
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (2:36) - The tempo is moderate. In most of the song the time is 4/4, but in the middle instrumental it's 3/4. Instruments include a harmonica, cymbal drums, and an organ. Mr. Kite and Mr. Henderson are among the performers at a circus that is to be held on the night of the day in which the song is set.
8. Within You Without You (Harrison) (5:05) - The tempo is moderate. Indian instruments play, and George sings. Although John, Paul, and Ringo were in the studio, they did not participate. Here George notes that most people live illusions; they see reality far too late. Only you can make yourself change, and "life flows on within you and without you."
9. When I'm 64 (2:38) - This fast, bright song features a clarinet, a piano, and bells. Paul sings lead in the left speaker; John and George provide the backing in the right speaker. The narrator speculates on what he and his girlfriend might be doing by the time he turns 64. If she promises she will still need him and feed him by then, he'll marry her.
10. Lovely Rita (2:42) - The tempo is moderately slow. The guys' voices are in both speakers. Instruments include a piano and a horn. During the first verse the drums sound clanging of pans. A few instruments can be heard in the right speaker, but most are in the left. The narrator falls in love with a meter maid named Rita, then takes her on a date. After the date, he says he's "sitting on the sofa with a sister or two"--most likely Rita's sisters. Anyway, after the final singing of the chorus, panting, oohs and ahs lead to the piano roll that ends the song.
11. Good Morning Good Morning (2:41) - The tempo is moderate, with the time shifting among 5/4, 3/4 and 4/4. The song opens with the crowing of a rooster. Once the action starts, the horns play and Paul and George sing backup in the right speaker, while the drums play in the left. John sings lead in both speakers. The song ends in a similar way that it began--with the sounds of farm animals such as a rooster, a cat, a dog, a horse, and a cow.
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (1:19) - The reprise is slightly slower than moderate, slightly faster than the original. After a single guitar lick, Paul counts to 4 and the drums start playing as the audience chatters in the background. As the rhythm guitar enters, it plays an E chord so awesome that I like this even better than the original. Here Paul closes the show, thanking the audience for attending. Again, the only interval between this and the next song is cheering and clapping.
13. A Day In The Life (5:05) - The tempo seems fast at first impression. But after realizing that the piano plays at eighth beats, you'll realize that the tempo is actually slow when you count the quarter beats. For most of the song the time is 4/4, but some oddballs like 5/8 and 6/4 appear in the interlude (the part that begins "Woke up, got out of bed"). Instruments include a piano and orchestral instruments. The orchestral instruments appear twice--first before the interlude and again at the end. Paul sings the interlude; all other vocals are John's. Most vocals can be heard only in the right speaker. The first two verses are about a man who died in a car crash. In the third verse, the film about the English army winning a war is probably a reference to How I Won The War, a film in which John starred in 1966. The line "4,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire" was the inspiration for the Sea of Holes in the Yellow Submarine film. My favorite part of this song is the ending--the crescendo of orchestral instruments followed by the final bang and long hold of the piano.
1. Magical Mystery Tour (2:46) - The tempo is fast at first but slows down in the middle. Instruments and sound effects include horns, the voice of a conductor, and the zooming of a bus. The narrator, who hosts the trip, invites us to make reservations; he has everything we need ready for us and guarantees that we'll enjoy the trip. In a 1-hour film of the same title, the guys take such a tour on a bus with many people, incuding Ringo's (fictional) aunt. The guys also play the magicians in the Land That No One Knows.
2. The Fool On The Hill (2:56) - The tempo is slow. As a piano and a tambourine play in the left speaker, a flute and a low-toned harmonica play in the right. No one lives within miles in any direction from the hill on which the fool stands. Thus, no one hears him no matter how loudly he talks, and only he knows his feelings. No one even wants to be around him. In him I see a similarity to the Nowhere Man from Rubber Soul.
3. Flying (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (2:13; instrumental) - The tempo is moderate. For the first 12 seconds, I hear nothing in the right speaker. Then a guitar enters, then an oboe. At the 1-minute mark, the guys start chanting. The flute solo at the end is what I think symbolizes a bird flapping its wings.
4. Blue Jay Way (Harrison) (3:52) - George's opportunity on this album features an organ. The tempo varies from moderately slow to slightly faster than moderate. On the sheet music I notice some spots with a guitar chord in which all 6 strings are open. The narrator sits somewhere along Blue Jay Way, a Los Angeles street, waiting for some friends. He is anxious because the sun will rise in an hour or two, and he might fall asleep.
5. Your Mother Should Know (2:26) - This song has a moderate swing tempo. The instruments, including a piano and an organ, are audible mostly in the right speaker, while the guys, led by Paul, sing in the left channel. If the girl was born in the late 1940s or early '50s, then her mother would have to have been born in the late '20s or early '30s. Thus the narrator is encouraging a dance to some jazz tune of the Roaring 20s.
6. I Am The Walrus (4:32) - This moderately slow song begins with a 4-second cymbal drum-piano duet in the left speaker. Other instruments include orchestral string instruments and horns. Sound effects include the ringing of an alarm clock, laughing (after the line "Don't you think the Joker laughs at you?"), a low-toned male voice, and people chanting. The sound effects are most heavily concentrated after the final singing of the chorus. If John was the walrus, who was the carpenter?
7. Hello Goodbye (3:26) - This moderate-tempoed song features drums and a piano in the left speaker, violins and guitars in the right. The lyrics are full of opposites: yes and no, stop and go, high and low, and of course, goodbye and hello. When the girl says one thing, the narrator says the opposite. My favorite part is the finale, the repetition of "Hey la, hey hello ah." This is my favorite song to listen to on New Year's Eve just before midnight.
8. Strawberry Fields Forever (4:04) - This song, also having a moderate tempo, was originally released as a single early in 1967, even before Sgt. Pepper. The song opens with a 9-second flute solo in the left speaker. Then the guys start singing and other instruments enter. After the second singing of "Let me take you down," it may sound like Paul at first, but it's really John slowed down. The narrator takes us to a place where everything is make-believe and no means yes. Special effects include the backward dubbing of cymbals; also, the song temporarily fades out, then fades back in, then fades out for good.
9. Penny Lane (2:58) - The flip side of the previous song has a moderate swing tempo. Instruments include a piano, a flute, and horns. The lyrics depict people with various occupations who work along Penny Lane--a barber, a banker, a fireman, and a nurse. A bell rings after the verse about the fireman and at the close of the song.
10. Baby, You're A Rich Man (2:58) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. In the left speaker I hear a bagpipe. The narrator asks the rich guy how the latter likes being "one of the beautiful people." I too think it's bizarre to keep money in a zoo, but at least it's the last place where anyone wanting to steal the money would look for it. Perhaps the lions or the tigers guard it for him.
11. All You Need Is Love (3:46) - This swing, moderately slow song alternates between 4/4 and 3/4. A full orchestra supplements the guitars and drums. This song, released as a single shortly before most of the other songs on this album were recorded, was the anthem of the summer of 1967, popularly known as the Summer of Love. As the song slowly fades out, I hear snippets from the earlier hits "Yesterday" and "She Loves You." The Yellow Submarine film and soundtrack also contain this song.
2. Dear Prudence (3:55) - As the guitar strums of this slow song begin, the final whistle screech from the previous song is still fading out. The narrator entreats Prudence to wake up and come outside to play with him. He tells her she's beautiful like the sunny sky. Toward the end the tempo may seem fast, but it's only because the instruments are playing in eighth beats; the counting of quarter beats is still at the same slow pace. The real Prudence who inspired this song is the sister of actress Mia Farrow.
3. Glass Onion (2:18) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include a tambourine and violins. The lyrics refer to five previously recorded songs: "Strawberry Fields Forever," "I Am The Walrus," "Lady Madonna," "The Fool On The Hill," and "Fixing A Hole." The narrator uses a glass onion to look back on the settings of those five songs. Ironically, he tells us that Paul was the walrus. I think the glass onion was inspired by the Lewis Carroll tale Alice and the Looking Glass.
4. Ob La Di, Ob La Da (3:09) - This song, slightly slower than moderate, features hand-clapping, horns, and a piano. At first I didn't understand the use of the word "bra" here, but I learned later that the title is a Jamaican greeting, "bra" in this case meaning "brother." The couple profiled in this song are Desmond and Molly Jones; he works at a supermarket, she sings in a band. Over the two years following their marriage, two children are born to them. The song later inspired the TV series Life Goes On.
5. Wild Honey Pie (0:52) - This moderately slow song has a simple instrumental arrangement--just a guitar and drums. The lyrics too are simple--repetition of the phrase "honey pie." The word "wild" was attached to the title to distinguish this song from another song that appears later in this album.
6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (3:14) - A guitar solo leads into the moderate tempo of the chorus; a slower tempo is used for the verses. Yoko Ono joins the guys in singing this song; she also duets with John in the third verse. The title character loves to hunt for tigers with his elephants, but he ends up being fatally zapped by Captain Marvel. At the end, hands clap over a horn solo.
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison) (4:44) - Since this is a double album, George's usual number of chances to sing lead is multiplied by 2; here's his first chance. The tempo is moderate. Actually, it's Eric Clapton's guitar doing the weeping; anyway, it enters after the first 14 seconds. A tambourine and a piano are also featured. The narrator looks at a bunch of people and finds inactive love; he wonders how they were diverted from their loving instincts.
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (2:42) - This slow song features a piano and a piano. Determining what the lyrics mean is difficult, but I hope they don't glorify violence toward women.
9. Martha My Dear (2:28) - This fast song begins with a 19-second piano solo. Gradually, other instruments enter, including violins and horns. The predominate time is 4/4, but a 3/2 measure appears once in a while. Paul's sheepdog, Martha, was the inspiration for this song.
10. I'm So Tired (2:03) - The tempo is slow. The narrator hasn't slept a wink for 3 weeks. Despite being very tired, he can't get to sleep. He blames his insomnia on smoking too many cigarettes, and would give all he owns just for some mental peace.
11. Blackbird (2:18) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate, and the drums are subdued to reflect the blackbird's melancholy mood. The sound effect of a bird chirping adds some spice to this wonderful song. Perhaps the blackbird with the broken wings and sunken eyes symbolizes the black human race, for whom the assassination of Martin Luther King was a heavy blow. The moment of freedom for which the blackbird has always waited has arrived; black Americans' opportunity to be equal with whites in all aspects of life has arrived.
12. Piggies (Harrison) (2:04) - George's other chance on Disc One has a moderately slow tempo. Instruments and sound effects include a tambourine, a harpsichord, and of course the grunting of pigs. The little pigs simply play in the dirt, while the bigger pigs cover white shirts with dirt. Perhaps George is playing God here, and the pigs represent humankind's overindulgence in sinful activities.
13. Rocky Raccoon (3:32) - This Wild-West song is my favorite from this album. Most of the time the tempo is moderately fast, but in the middle and the end it speeds up. The piano and harmonica play in a way that fits well with a Western setting. The title character has just lost his girlfriend to another man, and the other man, Dan, hits Rocky in the eye. Rocky resolves to get revenge by arming himself and confronting Dan. But Dan shoots Rocky first, and Rocky ends up in the hospital. Fortunately, Rocky recovers, thanks to a bible that his hotel room's previous guest had left behind.
14. Don't Pass Me By (Starr) (3:50) - Ringo's opportunity on Disc 1 has a moderately slow tempo. Instruments include a piano, violins, and a cowbell. After waiting a long time for his girlfriend to arrive at his house, he begins to wonder if she no longer loves him. He prays that she won't pass him by, make him cry, etc. Then he gets a call from her; she tells him she had lost her hair in a car accident.
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road (1:40) - This song, also moderately slow, features a piano. The song has only one verse, which is repeated three times; the only line besides the title is "No one will be watching us." Apparently the narrator and his girlfriend have stopped their car somewhere along a country backroad at 1 or 2 AM; he proposes that they have sex in the back seat (to "do it" means to have sex).
16. I Will (1:44) - The tempo is moderate and the drums are subdued. The drums do sound interesting, though--a hybrid of a clock ticking and bubbles popping. The narrator loves the girl so much that he'll wait forever for her if she wants him to. He will love her eternally, whether they're together or apart.
17. Julia (2:53) - This song, slightly faster than the previous one, has no drums--just guitars. John dedicated this song to his long-deceased mother, Julia, and to Yoko. Among the lyrics is the phrase "ocean child," the English translation of Yoko's name. John used double tracking here; he overdubbed his voice such that sometimes we hear "-a" and "Ju-" simultaneously, and other times we hear John dueting with himself.
2. Yer Blues (4:00) - Most of the time the tempo is slow, varying among 12/8, 6/8 and 9/8; after the third verse comes a moderate swing tempo in 4/4. Finally, the original tempo returns, and I can faintly hear John singing the chorus. The narrator, the offspring of a mortal man and a goddess, is so unhappy that he wants to die, if he isn't already dead. Whether John intended this song as a moral lesson or not, it still carries a message that fame and fortune don't bring happiness.
3. Mother Nature's Son (2:47) - Horns are among the instruments featured in this moderately slow ballad. Paul played all the instruments--yes, even the drums; John, George, and Ringo were not in the studio during the sessions for this song. This song, like "Rocky Raccoon" from Disc One, has a little country flavor; the narrator was "born a poor young country boy." He sits in a field of grass and daisies and sings songs for the world.
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (2:24) - This moderately fast song has the longest title of all Beatles songs. A bell is among the instruments. Here's another song implying proposition for sex; this time, "let's take it easy" is the euphemism.
5. Sexy Sadie (3:14) - This moderately slow song features a piano. The title character turns men into fools by exposing her genitals to them. Somehow she knows that she is the lover they all were waiting for. One man even gives her all his possessions just to sit at a table with her, when smiling at her could have sufficed. Having followed the teachings of, and stayed in India with, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during 1967-68, the Beatles later became disenchanted. John used this song to taunt Maharishi, to tell him what a phony guru he turned out to be.
6. Helter Skelter (4:29) - This moderately slow song allegedly influenced Charles Manson to kill actress Sharon Tate and a few other people. However, I don't think the narrator has murderous intentions at all; instead, he tells the girl to look out for the love he's about to give her. He will give her that loving after going down a spiral slide. The song fades out temporarily, then comes back in, ending with a few bangs of cymbals and Ringo shouting that he has "blisters on [his] fingers."
7. Long Long Long (Harrison) (3:03) - This song has a moderate, 3/4 tempo. The title describes the time it took the narrator to find his girlfriend; he wonders how he had lost her in the first place, since he loves her so much. The song ends with the rapid beating of drums and other percussional instruments, followed by a single guitar strum and a single drumbeat.
8. Revolution (4:15) - The tempo is slow. Horns and a piano are among the featured instruments. The person to whom the narrator sings wants to start a world revolution; the narrator tells how it should be done. The narrator asks that only peaceful means be used, and that the second person not carry pictures of Mao Tse-tung, the Communist ruler of China. A faster version of this song was released as a single months before the album was.
9. Honey Pie (2:41) - The tempo is slow for the first 37 seconds; during the second line, I hear hiss and crackling sounds resembling those that you'd hear on a well-worn vinyl record. The narrator lives in Britain, and his girlfriend has just become an actress in Hollywood. He's too lazy to take a trip to Hollywood himself, so he begs her to come home.
10. Savoy Truffle (Harrison) (2:54) - This song has a moderate, bright tempo. Instruments include horns and a tambourine. Gourmet George tells us that just about any dessert is good to eat, but if we indulge in savoy truffle, we'll have to have all our teeth pulled out! He also warns that too much of what is sweet can be sour.
11. Cry Baby Cry (3:02) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features a piano. The chorus is an odd match for the verses. In the chorus the narrator tells the girl to cry to make her mother stop crying, whereas the verses are about the everyday activities of the royal family of the imaginary land of Marigold. John sings lead on most of the song, but Paul sings the coda.
12. Revolution 9 (Lennon/Ono) (8:20) - This piece is not a Beatles work, but an antiwar work of John and Yoko's. The other three Beatles and their producer, George Martin, tried to keep it off the album; I agree with them. A bunch of chanting, screaming, and speaking, including constant repetition of "number 9" accomplishes little other than wasting album space.
13. Good Night (3:11) - This slow lullaby lacks drums but does include violins and a flute. Here Ringo got his chance to sing lead on a song from the album's second component.
Only A Northern Song (Harrison) (3:22) - An organ, horns, and chimes are among the instruments featured in this moderately slow song. At the listener's first impression, the music may not sound right, but the narrator assures the listener that it's just the way a "Northern song" is played. Apparently this is a pun on Northern Songs, Ltd., the music publisher named in copyright notices for Lennon-McCartney songs.
All Together Now (2:08) - Instruments in this song include a harmonica and a tambourine. The tempo is fast to begin with, but as the end nears, it gradually gets VERY fast. In the second verse, the narrator asks, "Can I take my friend [the girl to whom he's singing] to bed?" But sexual intimacy is deeper than "friends" ever go, so they're more than friends--they're boyfriend and girlfriend. In the chorus, he turns 180 degrees and tells a bunch of people to work together: "Sail the ship, chop the tree, skip the rope, look at me!"
Hey Bulldog (3:08) - This moderate-tempoed song features a piano and the sound effect of a dog barking. In the first verse the narrator speaks to a sheepdog and a bullfrog; only in the end does he merge the two terms by talking to a bulldog. Whomever he talks to, the narrator tells that creature to come to terms with fear and talk to him.
It's All Too Much (Harrison) (6:23) - This song, which has a moderate tempo, is my favorite from this album. The second and third verses in this version were not on the version in the film. Also, the film version contains a verse not included here: "As to have the time to take / This opportunity / Time for me to look at you / And you to look at me." The girl's beauty and the aura of love she emits are too much for the narrator to take. He also uses birthday cake as a metaphor for the world; by telling her not to take too much cake, he tells her to control her indulgence in worldly pleasures.
1. Come Together (4:16) - This song and the next one were a double-sided #1 hit. The tempo here is slow, with the drums playing in eighth beats. Cymbals are used heavily. I like the "sh" sounds before each verse and before the fading repetition of the title. The man described in this song is the typical hippie, with knee-length hair.
2. Something (Harrison) (3:00) - This slow song features an organ. The narrator's girlfriend attracts him like no other woman can, so he doesn't want to leave her. Something in her movement, in her smile, you name it, keeps him stuck to her.
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (3:25) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features a piano, cymbals, and another percussion that represents the fatal pounding of the silver hammer. If in the third verse Maxwell gets arrested for his killings in the first and second verses, how does he manage to get his hands on the hammer to kill the judge?
4. Oh! Darling (3:26) - This slow, 12/8 song features a piano. The narrator's girlfriend recently told him she no longer needed him; at that, he "nearly fell down and died." He begs her to believe him when he says he won't harm her or let her down. My favorite part of this song is the closing piano notes.
5. Octopus' Garden (Starr) (2:49) - The tempo is fast. Bubbles blow during the middle instrumental. The narrator sees the undersea garden as a place where all girls and boys can hide away from their troubles. He invites his girlfriend to descend with him to the garden. This was the last Beatles song on which Ringo sang lead.
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy) (7:43) - The longest Beatles song features cymbals and an organ. Some parts of the song play at a moderate, mostly 4/4 tempo. Other parts play slowly and mostly in 12/8 time. Almost throughout the long final instrumental, the electric guitars buzz like steam rising from a pan of boiling water.
7. Here Comes The Sun (Harrison) (3:05) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include an organ. Hands clap during the bridge. The winter seemed to have lasted years. But now the sun is shining brightly, the people are smiling again, and the ice is melting. The narrator assures his girlfriend that things are fine now that spring has arrived.
8. Because (2:45) - The tempo is moderately slow. One guitar plays alone for the first 12 seconds, then other guitars enter. A horn and a clarinet are also featured. John, Paul, and George sing in unison. The lyrics are full of double meanings--the world turning the narrator on, the wind blowing his mind, and the blue sky making him cry.
9. You Never Give Me Your Money (3:57) - Here's another moderately slow song; it features a piano. The narrator and his girlfriend are fresh out of college, with no money and a dim future. But one dream does come true--they get to go on a getaway trip in a limo. As the song fades out, chimes ring, crickets sing, and birds chirp; those sound effects carry over to the beginning of the next song.
10. Sun King (2:30) - This slow song features an organ. The drums play softly. Here the rising sun is personified. The last few lines are fake Italian plus the phrase "cake and eat it carousel."
11. Mean Mr. Mustard (1:06) - This moderately slow, upbeat song features cymbals and a tambourine. The title character lives in a manhole. Whenever his sister takes him to Buckingham Palace to visit the Queen, he always shouts obscenities. Sounds like someone to stay clear of!
12. Polythene Pam (1:17) - The drums beat heavily and rapidly. Mr. Mustard's sister usually wears either burlap or Scottish attire, which explains her masculine appearance.
13. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (1:53) - A tambourine is among the instruments in this moderately slow song. The woman, a strip dancer, enters the house via the bathroom window wearing only a silver spoon which covers her genitals. The narrator resigns his job on the police force and finds another occupation. Days of the week are personified: Sunday calls Monday on the phone, and Tuesday calls the narrator.
14. Golden Slumbers (1:30) - This moderately slow song is not quite the kind that would put someone to sleep, since in the middle the volume is loud and Paul's vocals are loud and throaty. Still, the narrator tells his girlfriend to calm down, and he will sing her to sleep.
15. Carry That Weight (1:36) - This song, moderately slow like the previous two, features horns and piano. The drums play loudly. Carrying of weight in this case means pregnancy, and nine months certainly is a long time. The middle of the song is a reprise of "You Never Give Me Your Money."
16. The End (2:04) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. After the drum solo, as the electric guitars play, the guys repeat "love you" many times. Then I hear the piano and the famous lines, "And in the end, the love you take / Is equal to the love you make." The tempo slows down just before the song ends.
17. Her Majesty (0:23) - This album contains both the longest Beatles song and the shortest one; this one is the latter. A guitar is the only instrument. The narrator resolves that someday he'll win the heart of the Queen; he believes he can do it by drinking plenty of wine.