1. Two Of Us (3:33) - The album opens with this easy-rolling song to tell us that the guys are on their way to breaking up, on their way back to their roots. In the first verse, when the narrator looks back on the day he and his girlfriend were "spending someone's hard-earned pay," I hope they didn't rob anyone or burglarize any houses. In the second verse, they think about the day they wrote letters on his wall. But letters written on a wall can't be sent anywhere, at least unless the words are then copied down onto paper. In the last verse they remember when they wore raincoats on a sunny day. But two people can't stand solo; two people make a duo. They reminisce on those moments and endless other memories as they drive back home.
2. I Dig A Pony (3:51) - This song has a 3/4 tempo slightly faster than moderate. Among the wacky lyrics, I find the line "I pick a moondog," which refers to one of the group's previous names from the late 50s--Johnny and the Moondogs.
3. Across The Universe (3:44) - This moderately slow song has no drums but does feature orchestral string instruments. Most measures are 4/4, but every now and then a 5/4 or 2/4 measure appears. The narrator compares his thoughts, his feelings, and the words he says to earthly and astronomical phenomena.
4. I Me Mine (Harrison) (2:24) - Most of this song is slow and in 6/8 time, but a couple of parts are moderately fast and in 4/4. Guitars and an organ are the most audible instruments. The narrator notes that everyone is freely playing (musically) and saying the first-person pronouns; it must be a self-centered world!
5. Dig It (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (0:49) - This ditty, in 3/4 time and slightly faster than moderate, starts at near-silence and gradually rises to normal volume as John sings three times the title of a Bob Dylan hit. A piano is the featured instrument. The narrator tells us to dig rock 'n' roll like various organizations and people do.
6. Let It Be (4:02) - The group's swansong has a slow tempo. For the first 51 seconds, a piano is the only instrument. Then other instruments, including drums, an organ, and guitars enter. Whenever the narrator is faced with troubles, Mother Mary gives him comfort (Paul's mother Mary died when he was 13). The guitar licks I hear in this version are not in the single version. Also, at the end the chorus is sung one more time on this version than on the single version.
7. Maggie Mae (arranged by Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (0:38) - This fast ditty is about a woman who has been sentenced to life in prison for robbery. But who paid the narrator 2 pounds and 10 schillings, and for what? Did Maggie pay him for committing some robberies for her, or did the British police pay him the money as a reward for providing info leading to her arrest?
8. I've Got A Feeling (3:35) - This moderately slow song is the one I like best from this album, for the way Paul sings the first verse. Cymbal drums are used heavily. For the girl to whom he sings, the narrator has a desire so strong that he can't hide it. In the long coda, John sings about all the things that everybody did. Then Paul sings the first verse again over John's second singing of the "everybody" part.
9. One After 909 (2:51) - This fast song, like the previous song, features a piano and cymbal drums. After getting Anthology, Volume One, I learned that John and Paul had written this song and recorded other versions of it 7 years earlier. The narrator's girlfriend apparently is aboard railroad ride 910. Anyway, he tells her to move over because HE is boarding that train also.
10. The Long And Winding Road (3:36) - The Beatles' last hit has a slow tempo. Instruments include orchestral string instruments and horns. The narrator begs the girl not to leave him standing where he is, but instead to lead him along the road that leads to her house.
11. For You Blue (Harrison) (2:29) - This song is a good one, too; I love how one of the guitars joins the drums in accenting the even-numbered beats. The narrator has loved the girl ever since he first saw her; now he loves her more than ever; he lives every moment of his life for her.
12. Get Back (3:06) - The title of this moderate, upbeat song was also the originally intended title of this album. In the opening studio chatter, I hear something amusing from John: "Sweet Loretta Fat, she thought she was a cleaner, but she was a frying pan." In the actual song, Paul sings. The first verse is about a loner named Jo Jo who moves from Arizona to California. The second verse is about Loretta, who finds out she's really male; perhaps she was born with a condition known as testicular feminization. At the end, people clap and John says, "We'd like to say thank you on behalf of a group for ourselves; I hope we pass the audition!" Thus the group has come to the end of its own "long and winding road."
From Me To You (1:57) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. Like the previous two songs, this one features a harmonica. The opening "da da da" plays in both speakers, but the rest of the vocals are heard only in the left speaker. The narrator, a long distance away from his girlfriend, tells her that if she wants anything, he'll send it to her with love. Live at the BBC has a very brief variation of this song, in which the singular first-person pronouns are replaced with plural ones.
Thank You Girl (2:04) - This song, somewhat faster than moderate, features a harmonica. The narrator thanks his girlfriend for her love that is "too good to be true," but is so good--and so true--that "only a fool could doubt" it. I like how Paul harmonizes on the lines "And eternally / I'll always be in love with you."
She Loves You (2:21) - This fast song was the group's second #1 hit in the UK ("Please Please Me" was the first). The man to whom the narrator is singing seems to have lost a true love. But the girl wishes to tell the man, through the narrator, that she was not in her right mind when she said the man hurt her; she wants to assure the man that she still loves him.
I'll Get You (2:08) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, also features a harmonica. The narrator has pictured himself in love with girl many times. He resolves that someday she will surrender her heart to him.
I Want To Hold Your Hand (2:25) - This song was the group's ticket to fame in the US. It has hand-clapping and a tempo somewhat faster than moderate. When John and Paul abruptly raise their pitch at the word "hand," their character seems to want not just to hold the girl's hand, but to embrace her whole body.
This Boy (Ringo's Theme) (2:14) - The tempo is slow. Ringo did not sing lead here; John did. But I'm not sure whether Ringo is "this boy" (the narrator) or "that boy" (the man who took the narrator's girlfriend away). In any case, the narrator wants the girl back; he warns her that the other man will make her cry. An instrumental version appeared on the Hard Day's Night film and soundtrack.
Long Tall Sally (Johnson/Penniman/Blackwell) (2:03) - This version is fast, but somewhat slower than the original version by Little Richard. Listen closely and you'll hear a piano.
I Call Your Name (2:09) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features drums that resemble the clanking of a pan with a spoon. The narrator calls the girl's name, but he gets no answer. She left him some time before the setting of this song; he wonders what he did to her to make her leave. He doesn't cry, but he can't sleep, either. This song wasn't a major hit for the Beatles, but it was a hit later for the Mamas and the Papas.
Slow Down (Williams) (2:57) - This song and the next three are all fast. This one features a piano. When the narrator tells his girlfriend that she's "movin' way too fast," he means that she's running around on him. He tells her that if their relationship is to continue, she must stop seeing the other guy.
Matchbox (Perkins) (1:58) - This song, previously sung by Carl Perkins, is slightly faster than the previous one. Ringo sang lead. The narrator's clothes have holes each the size of a matchbox. He has a long way to go, but he doesn't specify to where. In one verse he tells the girl that if she doesn't want a committed relationship with him, she'd better not play with his heart (the peach tree is a metaphor). But then in the next verse he asks her to let him be her temporary lover until her permanent boyfriend returns.
She's A Woman (3:00) - The lead guitar accents every even-numbered beat. The narrator's girlfriend never gives him material items, but she does give him all her love and time.
I Feel Fine (2:22) - My favorite part is the opening twang of the low A string on the guitar. The narrator feels fine because his girlfriend tells the world she's his.
Bad Boy (Williams) (2:20) - This moderately fast song features a tambourine. A certain boy, who is a neighbor of the narrator's, has major behavior problems, as the title implies; he won't even listen to his mother. The narrator shifts between talking about the boy and talking TO him; when he talks TO the boy, he says, "Now junior, behave yourself!" Considering how stubborn the boy is, he'll very likely end up in juvenile jail when he reaches his teens.
Yes It Is (2:42) - The narrator of this slow song asks his girlfriend not to wear red, since that was the color his previous girlfriend had worn.
I'm Down (2:32) - The B-side of "Help!" has a fast tempo, which contrasts with the narrator's sad mood. Instruments include an organ. Every ring the narrator buys for his girlfriend, she throws away. She lies to him and laughs at him when he cries.
We Can Work It Out (2:14) - This moderate-tempoed song features an organ. The guys' voices can be heard only in the right speaker. Whatever issue the narrator and his girlfriend are arguing over, he asks her to try to see the situation from his perspective; that way they can resolve it.
Day Tripper (2:51) - This fast song was the flip side of the previous song; thus the guys had a double-sided hit. Again, their voices are heard only in the right speaker; so is the tambourine. My favorite part is the low-toned melody played by the lead guitar. Despite the narrator's efforts to please his girlfriend, she has left him; she bought a one-way ticket to some destination known only to her.
Paperback Writer (2:16) - The tempo is fast. The narrator wants to make his living by writing paperback novels. In a letter to a publisher, he describes a 1,000-page novel that he spent years writing. He offers the publisher the rights to the novel if the publisher will publish the book.
Rain (2:59) - The B-side of the previous song has a moderate tempo. John sings lead in the left speaker, while George and Paul's background vocals are in the right speaker. In the first two verses, the narrator talks about literal rain and shine. When rain starts pouring from the sky, people run into buildings to avoid getting drenched; when the sun burns, people keep cool by sitting in shady spots and drinking lemonade. Yet in the last verse, the narrator says that rain and shine are only states of mind. The fading sequence features backward dubbings of the lines "When the rain comes, they run and hide their heads" and "When the sun shines."
Lady Madonna (2:15) - The tempo is fast. A piano plays in the left speaker, drums in the right, and a saxophone in both. Until now, the word "Madonna" referred to the Virgin Mary. The Madonna in this case is the typical welfare woman, who has a few children (including a newborn) and can barely pay for housing, food, and clothing. The lyrics mention every day of the week except Saturday.
The Inner Light (Harrison) (2:34) - This song has a moderate tempo. Instruments include an organ, an oboe, and a flute. George's philosophy here is that a man will know more about earth and heaven if he stays in his room and averts his eyes from the window. The last few lines show how paradoxical philosophy can be: "Arrive without traveling / See all without looking / Do all without doing."
Hey Jude (7:06) - This slow ballad was written for John's son Julian, then 5. John and wife Cynthia were divorcing at the time, for he had grown romantically attached to Japanese avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. Paul sang lead, telling Julian not to let the divorce get him down; if the boy would let Yoko be a part of his life, things would get better. The first instrument to play is a piano; then guitars and a tambourine enter. I hear horns in a few parts of the long fading sequence. This song, second in length only to "I Want You" from Abbey Road, ended the rule long held by DJs that songs exceeding 3 minutes in length not receive airplay. It also stayed at #1 longer than any other song by the Beatles before or since.
Revolution (single version 3:22) - This version, the B-side of the previous song, has a moderate tempo, faster than the White Album version. To start with, an electric guitar plays in the right speaker while drums play in the left. Later, a piano enters in both channels and another electric guitar enters in the left speaker.
Get Back (single version 3:09) - One difference between this version and the one from Let It Be is that in this version there's no opening studio chatter. Also, at the end of this version there is no cheering, clapping, or "audition" remark from John. Instead, the drums and other instruments resume, and Paul says, "Get back, Loretta; your mama's waitin' for ya..." Then he sings some more, and the song fades out.
Don't Let Me Down (3:32) - This slow song features cymbal drums. The predominate time is 4/4, but a 5/4 measure appears a few times in the first and third verses. The narrator, having never been in love before, tells his girlfriend not to let him down, never to let them part.
The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2:56) - John and Paul played all the instruments in this moderately fast song; George and Ringo were not in the studio. John had married Yoko on March 20, 1969; this song is about their marriage, their subsequent bed-in at an Amsterdam hotel to promote world peace, and negative public reaction to the bed-in.
Old Brown Shoe (Harrison) (3:17) - Cymbal drums are used heavily in this moderately fast song. A piano and an organ are also featured. During the second bridge, the narrator says, "I may appear to be imperfect." But we all ARE imperfect! Anyway, the narrator is in love with the girl and hopes that someday she will reciprocate.
You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (4:19) - The B-side of the "Let It Be" single was recorded in 1967 but not released for nearly 3 years. Initially the tempo is moderately slow. Then it becomes slightly faster than moderate, with cymbal drums playing on every beat. Finally, it decelerates slightly, to moderate. A piano and a saxophone also play; Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones played the sax. Other than introduction of the fictitious Denis O'Bell after the first half-minute, and bass French voices at the end, I don't hear much except repetition of the title.
I Got A Woman (Charles) (2:48) - For most of the song, the tempo is fast; at the end it's moderately slow. The narrator and his girlfriend live on opposite sides of town, but she treats him kindly. She does everything he asks her to without ever complaining. This song was previously sung by Ray Charles.
Too Much Monkey Business (Berry) (2:05) - This version is as fast as the original version by Chuck Berry. But I notice two differences. First, the original was in the key of E; this version is in the key of A. Also, the Beatles omitted one verse and switched the order of two others.
Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (Goffin/King) (2:29) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, was originally sung by Little Eva, who is best known for having sung "The Loco-Motion." The narrator is singing to his longtime friend. The narrator will let his friend share all of his possessions, even his clothes. But the friend must leave the narrator's girlfriend alone.
I'll Be On My Way (1:57) - John and Paul wrote this song for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas to record, but the Beatles sang it themselves on their BBC radio show. The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator realizes that other people were right when they said that his relationship with the girl wouldn't last. Now that it's over, he asks one more kiss from her; as the sun sets, he'll go "To where the winds don't blow / And golden rivers flow."
Young Blood (Leiber/Stoller/Pomus) (1:56) - George sang lead on this version of a Coasters hit. The tempo here is moderately fast, considerably faster than in the original.
A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (Thompson) (2:14) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator tells the girl not to worry if she starts clapping her hands, snapping her fingers, or dancing. She need only put on some dancing shoes and indulge in some R&B.
I'm Sure To Fall (In Love With You) (Perkins/Claunch/Cantrell) (2:07) - The tempo is moderately fast. The lead guitar strums rapidly during the middle instrumental. The girl is so sweet, the narrator is positive he will fall in love with her. So he asks her to hold him tight and never let him go.
Some Other Guy (Leiber/Stoller/Barrett) (2:00) - This fast song was among tunes the guys used to play in their early days at Liverpool's Cavern Club. Another guy has taken the narrator's girlfriend away from him, and the narrator is furious.
That's All Right Mama (Crudup) (2:53) - This fast tune is one of twin songs that had been hits for Elvis Presley (the other one was "My Baby Left Me"). As far as I can tell, the narrator has learned that his mother has cheated on his father, but he doesn't mind it much.
Carol (Berry) (2:34) - This version is fast, slightly faster than the original version by Chuck Berry. Cymbal drums are used heavily here.
Soldier Of Love (Cason/Moon) (1:59) - The tempo is moderate. I hear heavy use of cymbal drums here, too. I see double meaning in the word "arms." The narrator begs his girlfriend to lay down her arms (weapons) and start using her arms (body parts flanking the chest) to hold him tight.
Clarabella (Pingatore) (2:39) - This moderately fast song features a harmonica. Clarabella is the narrator's girlfriend; he shifts between talking about her and talking to her.
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) (Thomas/Biggs) (2:01) - The drums roll rapidly during the first 4 seconds of this song. The narrator tells the girl that he will love her more with each passing day. If she ever even tries to leave him, he will sit and cry over her. He even plans to tell her parents what he will do if she leaves him.
Crying, Waiting, Hoping (Holly) (2:09) - George sings lead on this version of a Buddy Holly song. The tempo is moderately fast, but the drums are subdued. Since the girl left the narrator, he thinks about her all the time. As he cries, he waits and hopes for her to come back to him.
To Know Her Is To Love Her (Spector) (2:49) - This moderately slow, 12/8 song is a gender-switched version of the only hit for the Teddy Bears, a group produced by Phil Spector in the late 50s. The narrator loves the girl, therefore he knows her. He wonders why she doesn't realize that they are meant for each other, but he resolves that someday she will realize it. I've heard two later versions of "To Know Him..."--one by the Shirelles, the other by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt.
The Honeymoon Song (To Each Other By Love) (Theodorakis/Sansom) (1:39) - The sky is as bright as the eyes of the woman the narrator has just married. He is happy that they are now "bound to each other by love."
Johnny B. Goode (Berry) (2:51) - This version is fast but slightly slower than Chuck Berry's version.
Memphis, Tennessee (Berry) (2:12) - This version has the same tempo as Chuck Berry's version. But this version is in the key of C, one key lower than the original. Also, the instrumental comes after the third verse in this version, whereas in the original it came after the second verse.
Lucille (Collins/Penniman) (1:49) - At the beginning, the DJ at the BBC announces that Paul pays tribute to the Everly Brothers by singing this song. The Everlys did have a hit with it, but the original version was by Little Richard. This version has the same fast tempo as the original version, but no piano plays here like in the original.
Sweet Little 16 (Berry) (2:20) - Chuck Berry had sung this fast song in the key of G; this version is in the key of C.
Lonesome Tears In My Eyes (J. and D. Burnette/Burlison/Mortimer) (2:36) - In the track preceding this song, John joked that Dorsey and Johnny Burnette had recorded this song in 1822 (actually, the year was 1957). The narrator's girlfriend has left him, and he tries--in vain--to forget the tears he's crying over her.
Nothin' Shakin' (But The Leaves On The Trees) (Fontaine/Calacrai/Lampert/Gluck) (2:59) - On this very fast ditty, George sang lead. The narrator sees his girlfriend every day right after school gets out, and they go to concerts frequently. But she treats him badly and makes a fool of him; he kneels and begs her for kisses. Still, his love for her doesn't shake like the leaves do.
The Hippy Hippy Shake (Romero) (1:48) - Here's another song the Beatles used to sing at the Cavern. The tempo is moderately fast. The narrator has such a strong urge to dance the shake that he encourages his girlfriend to dance it also.
Glad All Over (Bennett/Tepper/Schroeder) (1:51) - No, this is not the same "Glad All Over" that the Dave Clark Five sang. The tempo is fast, and George plays a man who is "glad all over" whenever his girlfriend kisses him. In fact, her loving makes him so glad that his "temperature's low, fever is high."
I Just Don't Understand (Wilkin/Westberrry) (2:46) - This moderately fast, 3/4 song had previously reached the Top 20 for Ann-Margret. The narrator doesn't understand why his girlfriend hurts him after having promised him that he'd be her only love for eternity.
So How Come No One Loves Me (Bryant) (1:53) - This fast song, my favorite from this album, was previously sung by the Everly Brothers. Cymbal drums are used heavily. After hearing the adage, "Everyone loves someone," the narrator wonders why no one loves him. He feels as lonely as the Ugly Duckling and the Little Black Sheep.
I Forgot To Remember To Forget (Kesler/Feathers) (2:08) - This song is not quite as audible as other songs on the album, and the master tape may have been a little warped. The tempo is moderate. After the girl left the narrator, he promised himself that he'd soon forget about her. But somehow she's back on his mind. Johnny Cash also sang a version of this song.
I Gotta Find My Baby (Berry) (1:55) - I don't have Chuck Berry's version, but I like this version. The tempo is moderately fast. I like the drum rolls before each singing of the title, and also the middle instrumental in which a harmonica plays lead. The narrator doesn't know why his girlfriend has left him, but he resolves "to search this town from door to door" until he finds her.
Ooh! My Soul (Penniman) (1:36) - This version is fast, just like the original version by Little Richard. That must be Paul shouting and screaming on this version.
Don't Ever Change (Goffin/King) (2:02) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, was previously a British Top 5 hit for the Crickets (without Buddy Holly). The narrator's girlfriend wears jeans on every day except Sunday, never powders her face, and never treats the narrator cruelly like other girls treat guys. He praises those things she does and asks her never to change.
Free As A Bird (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (4:24) - This slow song is one of a pair of "new" songs, in which demos of John's from the late 70s were mixed with the 90s voices and instruments of the three surviving Beatles. In this song, the narrator believes that being free is only the second-best lifestyle. He wonders what happened to the relationship he and he girlfriend used to have, whether they really can live without each other.
That'll Be The Day (Allison/Holly/Petty) (2:07; as the Quarrymen) - This version is moderately fast, slightly faster than the hit version by Buddy Holly.
In Spite Of All The Danger (McCartney/Harrison) (2:44; as the Quarrymen) - The tempo is moderately slow. The narrator realizes that love has its risks--his girlfriend might cheat on him or otherwise break his heart. But he'll do her any favor as long as she stays faithful to him.
Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Charles) (1:12) - Like the previous two recordings, this and the next two are of low quality. In fact, the guys' voices are quite distorted in this song and the next one. Here Paul sings a version of a Ray Charles hit; the tempo is slightly faster than moderate. I also have a version by Eddie Cochran.
You'll Be Mine (1:38) - On this moderately slow song, Paul sings lead, sounding almost like an opera singer. I like that spoken part by John, in which the narrator looks into the girl's eyes one morning after she has overcooked some toast. He loves her more than ever and resolves that soon she'll be his.
Cayenne (McCartney) (1:13; instrumental) - This piece is somewhat faster than moderate. The instrumental arrangement is quite simple--just guitars.
Searchin' (Leiber/Stoller) (2:58) - This version of a Coasters hit is moderately fast and in the key of D. Besides this version and the original, I have one by Paul Revere and the Raiders.
Three Cool Cats (Leiber/Stoller) (2:24) - This song, slightly faster than the previous one, also was previously sung by the Coasters. George sang lead on this version.
The Sheik Of Araby (Smith/Wheeler/Snyder) (1:41) - George also sang this fast song. Together the narrator and his girlfriend will rule the Middle Eastern land of Araby.
Like Dreamers Do (2:35) - This moderately fast song features cymbal drums. The night before the setting, the narrator saw a girl in his dreams. Now he's seeing her in real life, and he tells her that he eagerly waits for her to start kissing him and giving him joy.
Hello Little Girl (1:39) - Like the previous song, this one has a moderately fast tempo. I like how rhyming words are placed close together; for example: "When I see you every day, I say..." and "When I see you passin' by, I cry..." Anyway, he hopes that someday she'll tell him she's his lover. I also have a version of this song by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Besame Mucho (Skylar/Velasquez) (2:35) - Here's another song of which I also have a version by the Coasters. This version has a fast tempo.
How Do You Do It (Murray) (1:56) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. Since the Beatles didn't want to release this song in the 1960s, it was able to become a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Lend Me Your Comb (Twomey/Wise/Weisman) (1:49) - The tempo is fast. Cymbal drums play during the chorus. The narrator and his girlfriend have had a wild date. He asks her to lend him her comb and straighten his tie so he can improve his appearance. After that, he will take her home, considering how late it is.
Moonlight Bay (Madden/Wenrich) (0:49) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, is an excerpt from an appearance by the group on the Morecambe and Wise Show (Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were comedians). Drums and a piano are the only instruments.
Shout (Ru., Ro., and O. Isley) (1:28) - This version is fast but slightly slower than the original version by the Isley Brothers. The guys take turns singing lead: first Paul, on lines such as "Kick my feet up" and "Throw my hands back"; then John, on "Take it easy"; then George, on "A little bit softer now"; and finally, Ringo, on "A little bit louder now."
You Know What To Do (Harrison) (1:57) - This fast song, a leftover from the sessions for the album A Hard Day's Night, features a piano and a tambourine. The narrator is at a loss for words when he sees the girl, but he offers to walk her back home. If she's ever lonely, all she has to do is call him; he'll also call her whenever he's lonely.
Leave My Kitten Alone (John/Turner/McDougal) (2:52) - This very fast song was recorded during the Beatles For Sale sessions. The narrator uses "kitten" as a metaphor for his girlfriend and "big fat bulldog" as a metaphor for the man to whom he is singing. If the bulldog doesn't leave the kitten alone, the narrator will him so hard in the head that the bulldog will want to die.
Real Love (Lennon) (3:52) - The other "new" song has a moderate tempo. Instruments include an organ and a tambourine. Love is what all people of all ages are waiting for. The narrator tells us that we don't need to spend our lives alone or be afraid of love.
If You've Got Trouble (2:47) - This fast song features cymbal drums. The narrator tells the girl that he has even worse trouble than she has, if in fact she has any. He resents how she asks him for money and other favors when she already wears plenty of rings and diamond jewelry. This song was considered for Ringo's slot on the Help! album, but "Act Naturally" was chosen instead.
That Means A Lot (2:26) - This song, another leftover from the Help! sessions, is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator's friends tell him that love doesn't mean a lot and is never true. But being told "I love you" by his girlfriend does mean a lot to the narrator. The fading sequence, in which the guys repeat "Can't you see," reminds me of "I Should Have Known Better."
12-Bar Original (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (2:54; instrumental) - Paul shouts the count of 4, then he and the other guys start playing their instruments. The tempo is moderate, slowing down just before the ending beat of the cymbal drums. This piece was recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions.
A Beginning (Martin) (0:49; instrumental) - This was one of many orchestral pieces composed by the Beatles' producer, George Martin, for the Yellow Submarine film. In the film, this piece comes between the title song and "Eleanor Rigby," as the sun rises in London.
Junk (McCartney) (2:23) - This song and the next three were leftovers from the White Album sessions. This one has a moderate, swing, 3/4 tempo. The pieces of junk the narrator names include "Motorcars, handlebars, bicycles for two . . . Parachutes, hunting boots, [and] sleeping bags for two." And he wonders why it all lies in the road. Paul released this song on his first solo album, McCartney, in 1970.
Not Guilty (Harrison) (3:20) - The tempo is moderate and swing. The narrator denies guilt of any intentional harm to the girl. All he does intend is to get all the love he can from her. This song didn't make it onto the White Album, but it did appear on George's self-titled album in 1979.
What's The New Mary Jane (6:07) - This moderately fast song features a piano, a tambourine, and chimes. Yoko Ono and Mal Evans provided sound effects. Paul and Ringo were not present. The time is 3/4 in the verses, 4/4 in the chorus; the long instrumental also shifts between 3/4 and 4/4. John's voice echoes as he sings the third verse. Mary Jane, the subject of this song, cooks various foods. She suffers some sort of pain at a party she either gives or attends; Yoko does a good job of illustrating that pain by wailing in agony. I think this song should have been on the White Album instead of John and Yoko's "Revolution 9."
Medley: Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr) (2:30) - The first song, written only by John and Paul, is slightly faster than moderate. The drums sound like a hybrid between the ticking of a clock and the popping of bubbles. Little other than the title is sung. The other song, written by all four Beatles, has a fast tempo. Los Paranoias apparently is a group that the narrator invites the listener to either join or just enjoy.
Teddy Boy (McCartney) (3:16) - The tempo is slow. When Paul sings the chorus the first time, he gets it wrong, then laughs. In other parts of the song, John conducts a square dance in the background. The title character is told by his mother to be good; he complies. He even says in his head, as though to his mother, that he's taking good care of her; in reality, his mother tells HIM not to worry; SHE is there to take care of HIM. Paul later re-recorded this song for the album McCartney.
Medley: Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle, And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes (Blackwell/Marascalco/Calhoun/Perkins) (3:08) - The medley starts by fading in. The first song, originally sung by Little Richard, and the second song, previously sung by Bill Haley and the Comets, are played at a fast tempo; the third one, originally a Carl Perkins hit, is slightly slower. Instruments include a piano, an organ, and cymbal drums.
All Things Must Pass (Harrison) (3:03) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, lacks drums. How right George is; nothing lasts forever. This song was included on George's 3-record solo album of the same title, which he released in 1970.
Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Roberts/Katz/Clayton) (1:54) - This moderately slow song, previously sung by Buddy Holly, both starts by fading in and ends by fading out. Cymbal drums play on every beat. The narrator has just received a letter from his girlfriend; she tells him that their relationship is over. He begs his postal carrier not to bring him any more letters from her.
Come And Get It (McCartney) (2:27) - This moderately slow song features a piano and shuffling drums. Paul submitted this song to a group that would soon adopt the name Badfinger; the song was that group's first hit in 1970. If this song could hit the Top 40 for Badfinger, I'm sure it would have been a hit for the Beatles.