Tis Better To Have Loved And Lost Than To Never Loved At All. Alfred Lord Tennyson

Roughly twenty-one years ago, while interviewed for the Anthology Special, Paul had mentioned how proud he was that the Beatles sang mostly about love, peace, and understanding. Hardly any one of them says, ‘Go on kids, tell them all to sod off’ or ‘Leave your parents.’

Looking back on many of those tunes, I truly considered 95% of their originals as love songs. I also truly considered 98% of my own originals as love songs. But this week I realized my conclusion fell short. Oh, sure, John and Paul wrote a ton of love songs, George, too, compiled a decent amount, however, several falls into a category called, Unrequited Love Songs. My inventive style of songwriting probably scores a total of 90% within the Unrequited Love genre. Okay, by now you might be asking yourself, ‘What is Unrequited Love?’ In a nutshell, it means––unreciprocated love, or a simpler definition, one-sided love. We’ve all been there, and it hurts immensely. A pain so harsh it’s worse than death, in my opinion. I’m a strong believer of the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Philippians, ‘To die is gain.’ And also in 2 Corinthians, he says, ‘We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’ I cling to these verses on account the love of my life adores and cherishes me as her best friend rather than lover. Ughh.

To be, or not to be in love––that is the question. Whether tis noble in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows when love turns sour from familiarity or to take arms against the heartache agony in how damaging a one-sided love destroys content, and more than not, collapses all hope. Today begins a series all about Loss Love Songs vs. Unified Love Songs. For the next 15 weeks, come take a trip down memory lane, as I, to the best of my ability, unravel each track Lennon and McCartney composed on the UK long playing albums recorded by our brilliant Beatles, to portray which grouping best describes the included tunes. As a bonus, I’ll also offer a little background if abled.

1^st  LP release: PLEASE PLEASE ME.  (Mutual Love / 5 vs. One-Sided / 3 )

Track 1 – I Saw Her Standing There. A unified love song by Paul, based on the lyric portrayal he could tell that before too long, he’d fall in love, and, she wouldn’t dance with another while holding him tight all through the night. Background Fun Facts: Original Title, Seventeen. Written between late October and early November 1962 using acoustic guitars together with John. Paul already had the melody, the chords, and the first line. . . “She was just seventeen, never been a beauty queen.” John laughed at the ridiculous rhyming words, and Paul demanded his partner come up with something better. John took it to thought and under a minute came up with, “you know what I mean.” As the song progressed, Paul copied the bass line Chuck Berry’s bass player used on the song, ‘I’m Talking About You,’ and it fit like a glove. Have a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnUANMQ6tg

Recorded on February 11, 1963, take one had all four musicians performing their stage act, no overdubs, no double-tracking, just raw and live vocals while playing their instruments. The result seemed flawless, yet, George Martin wanted another hoping for better. Take two – eight had various mishaps with missed lyrics or instrumentation flubs. Out of frustration, Paul started take nine with his famous four-count, and that delivered the winning track, After lunch, the lads added handclaps to take nine as the only overdub. When all came to a close, George Martin decided he preferred take one as best. So, after all that extra work, Producer George had the fellows handclap near a hot mic one more time. Then, on February 25, the four-count from take 9 was edited onto take 1’s intro. If interested, click here for takes 6,7,8, and finally 9, which almost earned the final spot on the album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o0onN1M7Hw

Track 2 –Misery. A one-sided love song by John, based on the lyric portrayal he lost her for sure
and what a drag they wouldn’t see each other anymore. Unfortunately, all the singer has is memories of every little thing they’d done and how obvious she will always be his one true love. Everybody around him easily detects that without her he will live in misery. Background Fun Facts: Written in January 1963. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash of the Hollies offered a few suggested lines learning John and Paul got stuck and couldn’t finish the tune to their liking. This song developed as a consideration piece for Helen Shapiro before they were to sideline her promotional top billing 14-day tour in February. The day they met, she had no idea about any song titled Misery. Norrie Paramor, executive recording manager for EMI’s Columbia label, turned it down without letting Helen hear it. She was only sixteen and had reached the top ten UK charts since 1961 with two #1 singles after her first single climbed to #3. In 1962 her single, “Tell Me What He Said” reached #2 and she won higher fame after Englanders’ voted her Britain’s Top Female Singer.

Misery took place inside the recording studio on February 11, during the ten song in one day marathon for the lads prime timing rush to capitalize on their hit single. Take after take, attempts to get it right failed until the eleventh run-through, but decided take nine sounded best. On February 20, George Martin  added a piano over Harrison’s guitar lick at the bridge since younger George lost the right tempo from time to time.  

Tracks 3, 4, and 5 are cover songs.

Track 6 – Ask Me Why. A unified love song by John, based on the lyric portrayal he loves her cause she tells him things he wants to know, and his happiness, knowing she is his, makes him cry, but not from sadness do his tears shed. The true reason stems from the fact she is the only love he ever had. A love so powerful, he can’t believe it's happened, and can’t conceive of any more misery. Background Fun Facts: Written in 1962, at least seven months before the song, Misery. Notice the mix and match of words John uses with Track 2. On Misery, he never used to cry, but ever since losing his girl, the world seems to treat him badly––hence, sobbing appears at the drop of a hat. Whereas on Ask Me Why, the happiness his lover brings, also brings on tears, granted tears of joy. Another direct match forms in that both songs reveal that both girls the singer speak’s of are his only love. And finally, the even stronger match in that, the earlier of the two songs shows their love promises an impossibility of feeling miserable. Whereas, the later song leaves the singer in nothing but misery.

Track 7 – Please Please Me, released three months after their first top twenty chart buster, is a
one-sided love song by John, based on the lyric portrayal he knows his girlfriend never tries to please him like he pleases her. He doesn’t want to complain, but it’s so hard to reason with her, and because she won’t change, there is always rain in his heart, which makes him blue. Background Fun Facts: Written between June 7 and 8, 1962 after George Martin expressed to give him something better for an A-side single. Without any help from Paul, John wanted to write a song like, Only the Lonely, by Roy Orbison, so, inside his bedroom on Menlove Avenue, John conjured up a very dramatic and much slower version as we know it, even sounding like Orbison. George Martin, after hearing the slower tempo, made mighty strong suggestions to the piece now known as their first #1. Thank you, Mr. Martin. Recorded on November 26, 1962 live. Lennon added his harmonica as the only overdub and the whole process required eighteen takes. But in the end, Martin predicted the boys did in fact create their first #1 hit, and the convinced producer never again suggested the Beatles record a cover song for their following singles. Enjoy taking a step back in history about this phenomenon straight from the words of our heroes by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MnuNvzyfI4

Track 8 – Love Me Do: An unreciprocated love song by Paul, penned at the age of sixteen, based

on the lyrical portrayal all three verses plead, ‘So please, love me do.’ Also, lyrics within the bridge, written by John, uncover the potential of loving someone new. Background Fun Facts: Written around 1958 inside Paul’s parlor room on Frothlin Road and inspired by his then girlfriend Iris Caldwell, sister of Rory Storm. Rumors foretold this title spun from the Elvis Presley film, Love Me Tender released in 1957, and the beat duplicated Buddy Holly’s; Maybe Baby hit single released in 1958.

Brian had sent news to Hamburg about an audition for EMI and requested the lads work on new material clear up to their final show May 31, 1962. Part of the rework modernized McCartney’s Love Me Do arrangement. The key changed from A to G, easier strumming slowed the tempo some, and because of Bruce Channel’s newly #1 pop song, Hey Baby, John added harmonica, with hopes of being the first British Band incorporating the blues sound to their music.

First Recorded on June 6, 1962. When the song carried melody through the studio speakers, George Martin couldn’t fathom John singing the title without the word “do.” You see, after the long drawn out plea of vocalizing, PLEASE, John sang only two words––“love me,” and skipped the word, “do,” to blow out the notes on his harmonica. That hideous plan drove Martin crazy and immediately switched the lead to Paul right then and there inside the sound room. You can hear an unsettled very nervous Paul slip out the three words just after the first pause when the music abruptly stops on the Anthology 1 CD, track 22. Pete Best played the drums for this session.

Second time recorded on September 4, Martin had no idea Ringo joined the band, but to be safe, the producer hired session drummer Andy White for a third session rerecording the song on September 11, and Mr. Starr, feeling rejected, was demoted to playing tambourine. Eighteen takes finally captured a decent recording. However, version number two graced the A-side on the single released October 5, 1962, and Ringo couldn’t have been happier. Once the public fan base received notice, the single began climbing the charts in just two days and peaked at #17. Click here for a listen to version two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrkrOHn46qk

It should be noted version three with Andy White on drums appears on the Beatles debut LP. The added tambourine is a dead giveaway.

Track 9 – P.S. I Love You:  A unified love song by Paul, based on the lyric portrayal he sends all his love to her while away, and to treasure his promise until they’re together, staying in love forever, whether apart or beside one another. Background Fun Facts: Written in Hamburg, 1961. This track became the B-side for the lads for single backing Love Me Do. To show just how fanatic we American Beatle fans are, this song became a Capitol Records single and reached the top ten Billboard Charts three years after released in London. By the way, I always thought George Martin invented the trick of using the bridge of a song as the introduction (Can’t Buy Me Love), however, hear is the proof Paul started the unique gimmick.

Track 10 is a cover song

Track 11 – Do You Want To Know A Secret: A unified love song by John, based on the lyric portrayal the singer is deep in love and shall whisper a secret that nobody else can know––the very words his lover longs to hear, he’s in love with her. Background Fun Facts: Written August 1962 just after marriage vows between John and Cynthia took place. Brian Epstein had major concerns what a wedding ring would do to the growing female fan base and insisted the matrimony remain a secret. Secrets and promises not to tell reminded John of his mother, Julia, in that she used to sing the Snow White Wishing Well song to little John as a toddler. Both musical lyrics reveal identical phrases. John made a homemade demo of this song just with an acoustic guitar inside his bathroom. How does one know the demo came from the bathroom? A toilet flushes at the end of the song.

Track 12 is a cover song.

Track 13 – There’s A Place: A unified love song by John, based on the lyric portrayal he has a place in his mind he can always go to whenever he feels low and blue.  Once there, he thinks of her and the things she does and says, like, she loves only him and that alone is proof there are no sad tomorrows or mindful sorrows. Background Fun Facts: Written late January or early February 1963. With the huge success ‘Love Me Do’ excelled the band to popularity, both composers believed ‘There’s A Place’ would soar their careers not just to the next level, but above the top ten on the record charts, so when time came to return to the recording studio, this song received priority as the first tune for the new album. However, after ten takes, the excitement of the arrangement dithered to calling it a filler song. John claimed he tried to write a Motown type song and this is what bloomed. Years before, Paul had purchased a soundtrack copy of the 1957 musical, West Side Story, and hunting for ideas, was inspired by the beautiful score found on ‘Somewhere’, by means of those lyrics begin with, ‘There’s a place. A couple years later, Twist and Shout became a single in America, and yes,  the prioritized There's A Place' made it on the B-side, pushing the boys into the top of the charts, just liked they thought it would.  

Track 14 is a cover song.

There you have it, almost half original compositions follow the trait as unrequited love songs. 

Next week we will uncover what we can on the lads’ songwriting category throughout the hit album, With The Beatles. Your comments and corrections are welcomed.