Analytical Paper - Music

Music 109

The Beatles were a world renowned rock band, formed during 1960, in Liverpool, England. The band comprised of four members, namely John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The contribution of the band towards music in general, and its influence on culture and people in particular is noteworthy. The Beatles were significantly inspired by several different musical genres, namely beat, rock and roll, doo-wop, rhythm & blues, and skiffle, both old and new that led them to create their own unique version of music which is today referred to as pop or rock music. In their later years, the band engaged in experimenting with different musical styles, which ranged from Indian music and pop ballads to hard rock and psychedelic, usually assimilating traditional elements with unorthodox recording techniques. The Beatles received their breakthrough in 1963, when their extensive popularity first transpired as “Beatlemania,” with their music growing in sophistication over the following years. The Beatles were stylistically brilliant, and musically sophisticated, that is validated through several of their musical compositions from different periods in the band’s journey.

Twist and Shout (Early Period)

Lyrics

The lyrics of the song are very flirtatious and primarily consist of a man appreciating his girlfriend’s dance performance. The man persuades his girlfriend to twist a little closer to him, so he may appreciate the fact that she belongs to him. The wordings ‘C’mon,’ and ‘shake them,’ are sung in repetitive progression. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, inviting their audiences to indulge in the dancing extravaganza. Owing to simplicity in wording, and the persistent theme of romanticism, the lyrics are bound to form associations with individuals of all age. Additionally, the lyrics maintain a persuasive tonality throughout the song which would aid in uplifting the song performance.

Composition and Performance

“Twist and Shout,” is a song penned by Bert Berns and Phil Medley, recorded originally by The Top Notes, which became a hit for The Isley Brothers in the year 1962. This song was later covered by the Beatles in their first album titled Please, Please Me. Perhaps the unique aspect which separates The Beatles version of the song from the Isley Brothers was that the Beatles essentially transformed the song from a rhythm & blues/performance using hints of Latin influence into a hardcore rock and roll record (Rybaczewski, 2003). In their version of the song, the Beatles removed the section that comprised of a brass instrumental solo, replacing it with a guitar piece. The harmonies that had rhythm and blues characterization were substituted by British accents. An arpeggio and a stage conclusion replaced the recurring vocal which appeared towards the song’s end (Rybaczewski, 2003).

While Isley Brothers strived to take the “twist” craze into a rhythm & blues categorization, the Beatles guided the same song into a rock and roll performance. Compared to any other song in the album, in “Twist and Shout” one may see Ringo rock his drum as the song progresses. Ringo performs in tights accents both during arpeggios and towards the end of the song. Both Paul and George enthusiastically play their instruments, with their harmonies providing the much needed flavor and excitement to the overall song performance. “Twist and Shout” has a unique vocal quality, which can be attributed to Lennon’s sore throat during the song’s recording. The song represents the Beatles way of letting all go and submerging oneself into the melody. “Twist and Shout” maintains an upbeat tone throughout, making use of instrumentation like drums and guitar that adds eclectic sound to the songs and its performance. The repetition of the sound “Shake it, Shake it, Shake it up baby now,” further emphasizes letting go and indulging in a fun-time affair. Further, the organization of the song allows for the same chorus to be repeated periodically.

In the song’s performance the Beatles habitually maintain eye contact establishing deeper connect with their audience. Despite not having written the song, the Beatles made it their own using their signature stylistic performances and jubilant upbeat tone.

Yellow Submarine (A New Level of Mastery)

Lyrics

Since the song was primarily intended for the young audiences, it is devoid of any complexity in its lyrics. The song narrates the story of the singer from first person perspective. The singer encounters a sailor, who invites him on a journey to the land of submarines. They all then engage in sailing together, living a life of ease, content with what they have. The lyrics are soothing and simplistic, allowing its audiences to connect with ease. The prospect of traveling on a submarine with one’s friends would be particularly appealing to children, as intended. Further the lyrics combine colors with objects, “sky of blue and sea of green,” aiding in visualization. The song is constructed in a way that would allow children to pick up the words with ease and sing along.

Composition and Performance

The Beatles released the song “Yellow Submarine” in the year 1966, co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with lead vocals provided by Ringo Starr. The melody of the track as well as its lyrics is simplistic and pleasing. One unique characteristic of the song lies in chorus, which was not used much during the group’s earlier career. The song makes use of ‘verse/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ verse (instrumental)/ verse/ chorus/ chorus’ format.

“Yellow Submarine” begins with vocal of Ringo without any musical backing. Instrumentation along with sound effects has been used throughout the song, imposing the atmosphere of the story, as narrated through the lyric. Although the song varies subtly in arrangement and structure, it generally remains uniform in formatting. Throughout the song Lennon strikes the guitar strings, instrumentally stabilizing the song’s framework. Drumming is relatively simple, yet appropriately complements the feel of the song. The song is infused with several harmonic vocals as well as an intricate set of crew voices and other sound effects, painting a vivid picture that can accompany the storyline. The final verse eventually peels off the atmospheric sounds, revealing Ringo to complete his story on the top of an easygoing rhythm track which is acoustic based. The ending primarily consists of a male choir of singers who make use of repetitious lines, singing the chorus in unison. “Yellow Submarine” was unlike any other Beatles song from before, and left its audiences in awe.

Baby You're a Rich Man

Lyrics

Like most other Beatles songs, the lyrics of “Baby You’re a Rich Man” are simplistic. The song proposes several rhetorical questions to its audience and exemplifies outlooks of its makers. Directed to its audience, the first verse addresses them as “beautiful people,” inviting them to self-explore and evaluate the measure of the journeys they have undertaken. The second verse primarily labels its audience as “rich men” who keep their money hidden away. The third verse metaphorically presents the audience with a new opportunity to take advances in their lives. The lyrics brings that each individual may have all the things that matter, but the most valuable things are not materialistic. This reflects Beatles’ own ideology for despite being rich the members of the band never gave wealth an independent value.

Composition and Performance

“Baby You’re a Rich Man” was co-written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and released as B-side to the Beatles single “All You Need is Love,” in July 1967. The song peaked at 34th position on America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. The songs overall structure is standard for compositions by the Beatles, following a namely a 'verse/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus' format with an introduction and repeating conclusion added on. Owing to the speed in which it was put together, “Baby You’re a Rich Man” is a relatively simple song in terms of structure. The song bears several characteristic earmarks of its period, for the large number of effects and instruments utilized in its recording, comprising of numerous instruments. This song involved all four Beatles members in its making, playing on rhythm track, and multiple overdubs as well. With high team spirit, Paul plays on the piano and bass, John on clavioline and piano, George on tamboura and guitar, while a spirited Ringo plays drums and percussion. The song is well crafted and although it makes its audience question their identity, it is primarily full of vibrant energy.

The introduction of the song is eight measures long consisting primarily of a basic rhythm track of drums, guitar, and piano. With John’s clavioline fading away, we experience Paul and John’s high pitched vocals. The introduction’s instrumentation continuing throughout the verse, clavioline fills in the open spaces. The song’s high point is reached during the first twelve-measure chorus wherein John and Paul repeat the title of the song in an excited high pitch union, for the first three measures. The first two choruses are identical in terms of instruments used. The song’s conclusion is a repetition of the chorus’s first four measures until it eventually fades out.

Conclusion

Throughout their journey The Beatles experimented with the content of their music, in terms of both lyrics and composition. They sought to incorporate their own ideologies and beliefs into their music. Their musical journey showed their development as they dynamically performed with unorthodox musical devices and techniques that were never used by other rock musicians. They created innovative lyrics based on nostalgic, psychedelic, and political themes. Instead of focusing a particular niche crowd, The Beatles addressed their songs to different people ranging from working class men to disaffected youth. Their long journey highlighted their musical sophistication as well as their stylistic brilliance.

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