Analytical Paper - Music

Mohamed Al Bahri

Music 109

The Beatles Creative Paper

From the first appearance of the Beatles, the history of the music world has changed.

Whether you agree or not, the great influence of the Beatles cannot be ignored since the Fab Four

created their historical songs which were globally recognized. The Beatles did not just change

the history of music but still in the hearts of many people who love music especially when we

mention an album like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which is the best of all time to

many. They could reach out our hearts by their enthusiasm and musical abilities so easily. “A

day in the life” in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club is my favorite of all time but in this paper, I

want to get the chance to discover other songs from other albums. I will try and do my best to

criticize and give my thoughts on these three songs. The three songs are “Hold Me Tight” by

John Lennon and Paul McCartney from the early periods of the Beatles, “Rock and Roll Music”

by Chuck Berry in the transitional period (late 1964 to 1965), and the last one is “Yellow

Submarine” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney from the new level of mastery (late 1965 to

1966). While I am just going to include these three, the journey of discovering the Beatles will

never stop as long as I can listen and feel the music.

“Hold Me Tight” is written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney even that some sources

refer it as McCartney’s and included in the Beatles’ second album With The Beatles. It was

released in November in 1963. The song was one of the originals by Lennon and McCartney and

looks like they did not get much of their time for it. We can see that from what McCartney said

that it is an album filler and a “work” song in 1988 when he was asked about it.

For me, I loved the song as a whole from the music to the lyrics. Even though the Beatles

could do more on it, I cannot understand why they tried to bring it down. The music as a whole

was done very well by the four and I think this song is a good example of how the Beatles mix

their music and creative harmony with the early rock and roll melodies. The lead guitar by

George Harrison and the rhythm guitar by John Lennon were so much perfect and they fit

together along with the handclaps by the four without ignoring the bass by McCartney and the

drums by Ringo Starr. The only thing I think could be better is the vocals by Paul as it looks like

they lack the experience maybe or he did not work on it so well and I feel like this is the reason

behind what he said about it.

The lyrics from my point of view were not one of the best I listened to but were not bad.

The Beatles could interact so good with the words. In the first script where they say “it feels so

right now, hold me tight” and then they moved to a single singer saying “tell me I am the only

one” with a different tune that might express love or ask for something missed. As it proceeds, it

looks like the singer insists that just “you-oo-oo-oo” and only you can help him. Then, they made

a question like they wonder what it means to hold tight but at the end, we can find that they

found the answer by saying “hold me tight…let me go on loving you” as I think the Beatles

meant to say holding tight means love. Also, when the question was made, the bass and drums

have stopped like there is something to focus on and think about but then they come back with an

enthusiastic and happy voice to be with “you” and “hold me tight” like the singer is saying

“forget about that!”

“Hold Me tight” is a very good song even that it was not very recognized like the others

and brought down by the four but still favorite of many.

The second one is “Rock and Roll Music” which is written by Chuck Berry. It was

recorded in October 1964 and released at the end of the same year. “Rock and Roll Music” is

from the transitional period (late 1964 to 1965) for the Beatles which led to a huge transition in

the history of music that resulted in the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club. The music

is originally included in Beatles for Sale and was recorded for several BBC shows like Pop Go

The Beatles and Saturday Club.

“Rock and Roll Music” was a big hit with the great performance by the group led by John

Lennon’s vocals, piano by Paul McCartney, drums by Ringo Starr, and George Harrison’s

acoustic guitar. The music was in the high level demonstrating the rock and roll original music

which influenced the Beatles and the writer Chuck Berry is one of the artists who influenced the

Beatles the most with Buddy Holly. The music started slow and calm with the screaming of the

audience and one of them saying “Hellow..Hellow” several times until it started with so much

enthusiasm showing the real spirit of rock and roll.

For the lyrics, which was a music in itself, they started with “Just let me hear some of that

rock and roll music” like they were a part of the audience. Then, “If you wanna dance with me”

and I believe that the desire of dance is the highest level of enthusiasm. Next part started with

“I’ve got no kick against modern jazz” and Lennon explains the exception and why. The

following was a response to the previous, “That’s why I go for rock and roll music” in “Any old

way you choose it”. The whole song was in a high level from its start until the end unless some

stops to emphasize some parts like “I took my lover on over `cross the tracks.”

“Rock and Roll Music” is one of the greatest performance by the Beatles and it was more

for the teenagers who loved rhythm and blues before which led to differ racial attitudes but

anyway this is not our topic. I loved “Rock and Roll Music” by the Beatles and this one made me

believe that the Beatles have really changed and improved. I feel how they were enthusiastic and

how the audience were interacting with them. The Beatles had a huge success in this period led

to the next astonishing level of mastery.

The last one is from the new level of mastery in the late 1965 and 1966 which is “Yellow

Submarine” which is written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song was recorded in

June 1966 and released in August of the same year. The song was included in Revolver and it

was the inspirational for its soundtrack album and the Beatles fourth movie. Its animation also

was spectacular.

This one is so much different than the previous one and you feel like another group did it.

It is a good example of the Beatles’ songs that have a really deep meaning and hidden meanings

cannot be understood from the first time you hear it. However, this song was meant for the

children. Many considered it as a weak song and I believe this is because of the

misunderstanding while many thought of it as a charming song for all ages. Paul McCartney said

that it was meant to be different and he was inspired by the children’s thoughts and imagination

and the idea of this song came to him when he was lying on his bed before falling asleep. That

time before you sleep, I believe, is one of the best time to write the ideas that comes to your mind

to create spectacular things.

“Yellow Submarine” was the Ringo Starr’s first lead vocal on a Beatle single. He was

singing it like he was telling a story for a child. The type of stories of children that have so many

imaginations. “In the town where I was born…” like just a beginning of a normal story of a

grandfather telling his grandchildren before they sleep until Ringo says “In the land of

submarines” where the child or any adult can start imagining this land. “So we sailed up to the

sun” Does that mean so far? Till we found a sea of green and did this really mean drugs as they

say? I actually could not figure that out.

“Yellow Submarine” shows at the end another children songs style where it repeats “a

yellow submarine” and this does not change my mind that this song was not just for children. It

is, without doubt, a different song than any song before showing children’s imagination but deep

meanings at the same time and I am with the team who thinks of it as a charming song and a new

type done by the Beatles.

All in all, the Beatles have always been great and there is no one can doubt their effect in

the history of modern music. The Fab Four wrote many songs and released many spectacular

albums that will never be forgotten throughout the history. Their songs were not just in one type;

they actually were influenced by previous types like rock and roll and created their own way of

doing the. “Hold Me Tight” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “Rock and Roll Music” by

Chuck Berry, and “Yellow Submarine” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney are the three songs

I wrote about. I feel like they are three different songs done by three different groups but the fact

they were all by the Beatles is astonishing, what would I feel when I view many others? This

what makes the Beatles great which is their ability to success in more than one type. The Beatles

creative paper was a chance to find out that the Beatles are not what we just viewed in the course

and I and our professor are not the only ones who love the Beatles. The Beatles music is one of

the great things I found after I learned English that is not in my culture.

Reference:

https://www.beatlesbible.com