Beatles Song Countdown: 50-46

50: You Won’t See Me

Album: Rubber Soul
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: A rare song for Paul where he sings in a lower key. A fairly simple “Ugh, my girlfriend sucks,” song, but I love the vocalizations, especially John’s harmony. My favorite line is “Time after time you refuse to even listen,” but that’s not surprising for me. I tend to enjoy when a singer stays on each note slightly longer than the rhythm would suggest. 

49: I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

Album: Abbey Road
Writer: Lennon
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: A lyrically absent song that thrives on the music and John’s mastering of primal voices and screams to make music. His guitar work is really good. On some albums this would feel out of place, but it fits nicely in Abbey Road.

48: Got To Get You Into My Life

Album: Revolver
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: Paul’s ode to marijuana, though I like it better as a love song, so I just pretend it’s about a woman. Paul’s voice is amazing here. When he screams the title I get chills.

47: Fixing A Hole

Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: Finally, a metaphorical song not about sex or drugs or death. A very intimate number that would not sound out of a place in a late 90’s coffee shop. Yeah, now I’m picturing Norah Jones singing it and I’d like to hear that. I’d rare this higher but I’m not a big fan of the tempo in the bridge (Where I belong I’m right, where I belong…)

46: I Will

Album: The Beatles
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: A very simple love song, maybe too simple to be among the best of the band. I think if you’re going to go this simple a capella might be the way to do it. But yeah, picking nits. I always find it fascinating that songs like “You Won’t See Me” took just two takes, yet this one took 67.

3 thoughts on “Beatles Song Countdown: 50-46”

  1. This is me, learning just now that “Got To Get You Into My Life” is about pot. Huh.

    I don’t know any of the others. I’ll listen to more than one, because why not?

  2. “You Won’t See Me” is pretty fine. It’s the kind of superficially simplistic song that encapsulates why I didn’t really like The Beatles as a kid, but doesn’t bother me as much these days.

    I like “I Want You” for all the reasons you laid out. Good blues stuff. It’s also crazy long, which makes the abrupt ending all the more engaging.

    “Fixing a Hole” is another kind of mod song…eh, it’s harmless.

    Charm songs like “I Will” don’t really grab me, but again, harmless.

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