In 2002, the internet was set abuzz by news that the Beatles had approached J.R.R. Tolkien about doing a film version of Lord of the Rings starring the Fab Four: Once upon a time, the Fab Four—having slain the pop charts—decided to set their sights on the Dark Lord Sauron by making a Lord . . . . Continue Reading »
Our main purpose in looking at this song is to better judge Eleanor Rigby, which to some commenters’ chagrin, I criticized in the last Songbook entry. The first contrast is that it is a song that doesnt grab you at firstin my experience, it takes about five or so . . . . Continue Reading »
The Songbook was analyzing a set of songs about Loneliness and Individualism, such as Simon and Garfunkels Sounds of Silence, before it got side-tracked into laying out my theory of modernitys sociological stages. Its time to return to the first task, which brings me . . . . Continue Reading »
It didnt become a hit, but this version does contain one of the bands better guitar solos, and what matters more for our purposes, anti-oligarchic lyrics. (Read my long post below to see what I mean by oligarchic.) Heres how it starts: You keep sayin no to her, Ever since . . . . Continue Reading »