The Night Before – 3 of Swords (Lennon/McCartney) Help!, 1965 On the surface, there’s not much special about “The Night Before”. It’s a serviceable little song about a breakup, written and sung by Paul, from the movie Help! The melody, lyrics, and arrangement are all pretty unexceptional, at least by the lofty standards of the…
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! – The Magician (Lennon/McCartney) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967 Side 1 of Sgt. Pepper concludes with this two-and-a-half-minute kaleidoscopic dreamscape. Those hearing it for the first time probably weren’t sure what to expect looking at its odd title, but as the only Beatles song with an…
Only a Northern Song – Knight of Pentacles (Harrison) Yellow Submarine, 1969 This George composition is one of the strangest, ugliest, and most hilarious songs the Beatles ever made. It was originally intended to be George’s contribution to Sgt Pepper, but wasn’t included because producer George Martin didn’t feel it was a good fit. Nearly…
Dizzy Miss Lizzy– Knight of Wands (Williams) Help!, 1965 The album Help! was unofficially the last of the Beatles’ early period. (Things would change quite dramatically with the release of the follow up, Rubber Soul.) And as they had done with their very first album, the Beatles chose to close Help! with an energetic cover…
Birthday – 4 of Wands (Lennon/McCartney) The Beatles (The White Album), 1968 The second record of the White Album opens with one of the most recognizable and catchy riffs in rock music. This song is fun to sing along or dance to, perfectly befitting a birthday celebration. “Birthday” was primarily composed by Paul, whose girlfriend…
Tell Me Why – 5 of Cups (Lennon/McCartney) A Hard Day’s Night, 1964 The Beatles’ third album was the soundtrack to their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night. The film was a celebration of all things Beatlemania and served as a showcase of the Beatles’ remarkable wit and charm. It was the only album comprised…