One of my favourite George moments: *George:* "The great thing about LSD is that you only need to take it once." *Interviewer:* "You only took it once?" *George:* "No, I took it many times, but I only needed it once."
My favourite ever Beatles song, my fave Lennon moment too. When he switches from drug addled adult confusion into a cathartic plea to return to childhood , when "everything was right"...that gets me every time.The switch from 4/4 to 3/4 time sounds so instinctive, Ringo at his very best too.
P.s. I totally love how excited you are about this track as I too have always felt so electrified by this song. Like Incense and Pepperments from the same era, the into is a forever Wow.
This is my favorite Beatles song on Revolver. Probably my favorite top 3 Beatles song. Sounds like a day would look like through orange colored glasses.
You have without question, the best, most in-depth, and most entertaining analysis of Beatles music I have ever seen. Very impressive. Please keep it coming.
"She Said She Said" is one of my all time favorite Beatles songs. At one point in my painting studio, I played it probably 25 times in a row. The song is mesmerizing. I must say, you have wonderful taste Fathom. Perfect analysis as usual.Am I complementing myself ? Ya, maybe a little bit.
WOW! Talk about going way beyond doing your homework! I thought I knew every creak of "my Beatles" but you also are able to put it all in context, with concrete references (other bands, before, during and after) amazing work! You are brilliant!
I'm absolutely convinced that John didn't adhere to time and changed when he felt the lyrics said what he wanted to say at that moment. He does this with his solo stuff too. Once the musicians get it, the transitions are quite smooth and necessary. Yeah, you hear the song writing divide from John and Paul from this album on.
I've been listening for The Beatles for 40 years and I thought I knew all bout their songs, but your insights on their songs have helped me to be enthusiastic again, almost like the first time I listened to them. Btw, I love She said she said because Ringo went full Keith Moon, playing fills while John was singing
Side 1 of Revolver is strongly in the running for the very best album side they ever made. No filler and the only Beatles album side that has 2 songs from George Harrison instead of his usual paltry allotment of 1. The rivals to me are Rubber Soul Side 1, Pepper Side 1 and Abbey Side 2. But pick just one track from this side? It isn't fair!! So I will say, She Said, Eleanor Rigby and I'm Only Sleeping. In no particular order. Please keep in mind that if you ask me again tomorrow, I am likely to give you a slightly different answer. Always happy to help and I hope that this makes it perfectly clear.
What a great analysis you have made! I have listened to this song a thousand times, but you’re making me hear new things. Thank you! Greetings from Sweden.
Leonard Bernstein spoke about "She Said She Said" in the 1967 documentary "Inside Pop." The whole documentary used to be available on RU-vid, but I can only find snippets now, and the sound is muted in places. Nonetheless I recommend watching the snippets that you can find. Bernstein was quite the Beatles fan-boy - for some of the same reasons that @fathommusicnz pointed to. His comment about the changing time signature: "Such oddities as this are not just tricks or show off devices ... in terms of pop music's "basic English," so to speak, they are real inventions."
Once again, you've knocked it out of the park! Everyone talks about Tomorrow Never Knows, but this song is criminally disregarded. It's long been one of my favorites (as if I could pick between Beatles songs.) I never realized George's role in this song. Makes me love him even more! Thank you!
The sound we are loving is more than just that. Back then, the distorted sound was just overdriven amps turned up loud. Keith Richards used a Maestro Fuzz-Tone that was marketed by saying you could make your guitar sound like horns. He said he laid down the guitar scratch track for Satisfaction so they could be replaced with horns (like on the Martha and the Vandellas song Nowhere to Run that came out earlier that year.) He was apparently shocked and initially upset when he heard the song on the radio with his guitar scratch track instead of horns. Eventhough I would love to hear the song as he originally intended, it is an iconic guitar sound. Maybe because of that and because the Beatles also liked the Stones, they got their own Fuzz pedal. According to pedal historian and pedal builder Josh Scott (of the JHS Show) the Beatles used the Rush Pepbox and the inventor's daughter said that the one that John Lennon was photographed with in '66 on the recording of Revolver was a pedal her father built. There is more to that story so check it out if you can. Anyway, I am confident that it is that unique sound described here. I have a weakness for overdrive pedals so in my 44+ pounds of pedals I have LOTS of them including a Rubber Soul pedal. Bet you can guess why I bought that one. However, on a side note, Lucy Rush ( daughter of the inventor of the Pepbox) did an interview with JHS called "The Most Legendary Fuzz Pedal You Don't Know (Rush Pepbox)" She is still making them like her dad used to and I think you can help her out by buying one, because she's making them by hand, keeping the family business alive. Getting one IS on my short list of pedals that I'm looking to get next!
I just ordered the Rush Pepbox. There are 3 versions of the pedal. 1.0 is exactly like the one that was made in '65 & '66 with a permanent output cable and is powered by a 9v battery. I ordered the 1.5 which is only different in that there is an output jack instead of the wired cable, because use (which I do plan on playing it quite a bit) can eventually damage the cable and I can just plug another cable in. Then there is the version 2.0 that has the classic circuit, but in a more modern case with a power plug in it as well as in and out jacks on the top. I almost got this one, but I like the look of the 1.5 and I can always get one later if the 9v battery changing gets old. I also decided to buy from the actual website so his daughter who is now building the pedals after her father passed in 2018, gets the money that would normally go to Reverb, Sweetwater or eBay seller. I like supporting a small business. Also, I haven't seen one for less yet, but definitely for more. I can't wait to give it a try when I get it 👍
Wow, I never would have made the “Beautiful Stranger” connection but it’s so obvious now that you state it; love that song also. It’s great how you thread psychedelic music through to today (esp UMO), and how you unpack the vocal melodies - you’re right, it’s not just double tracking John, it’s two different voices in a new combination.
I'm an instant fan of yours and your channel. Lots of people doing, "reaction videos" of Beatles songs and other songs of the '60s, but you obviously really love the music and although many of your insights about this music are ones that people my age have had, they can only be had if one really does love the music and the fact that you obviously do brings me a lot of joy. I will spread word about your channel for sure. Thanks!
@@nonrepublicrat Actually it isn't. But you still struggle to IGNORE the fact that "Cry for a Shadow" was NOT written by George. It was IN FACT written by JOHN and George. And in view of the fact that John was writing songs before George was in the picture, he was probably teaching George how to write a song. LYING in defense of George says everything about you and nothing about anything else including George. AND it insults the intelligence of actual "Beatles" FANS.
I have to say, much like a preacher can take one Bible verse and break it down for an hour, you are dissecting and elaborating virtually every note out of this song and it is delightful. Music appreciation is so underrated. I'm 66 years old, been a Beatles fan all my life and I've never learned how to pick them apart like you have. I'm seeing them in a fresh new perspective and I love it. I appreciate your musical insights for all musicians and their songs, but especially the Beatles.
'She said, she said' was two of Johns songs 'She said, she said' and 'When I was a boy' stitched together, the putting them together was George's idea, which John eagerly took up after Ringo said it was a great idea and he could handle it. Paul's idea were rejected as changing too much what John was hearing in his head, especially against the melodic bass Paul intended, and the softer edge sound he suggested - George was more in tune this time, and helped bring the whole together. Paul had a fit of pique and said 'Well, fuck off then!' (according to Mal Evans), and went home around the corner to Cavendish Avenue. As a result, George played the bass, both John and George exchanged lead guitar parts. When the track was done, they all went around to Paul's and made it up.
You mention a very significant fact about how the song came to be. George was essentially the arranger who organized John's ideas into the recording we have on Revolver. But nobody is interested in this because it has nothing to do with praising Paul.
It’s not true that George played bass on this song. Looking at the multi-track tapes the band laid down the basic track as a four piece live. Drums, bass and 2 guitars. It would be impossible for George to play one of the guitars and the bass at the same time. Paul did get in an argument and left the studio for the other guys to finish the song, but not until after he had played the bass part.
Just discovered you. Great analysis. This is my favorite track off my favorite album. Period. I think that for people who only know their hits, this is a mind-blowing hidden gem. So good. Interested in looking at your other posts. I think your view of the John George bromance is spot on.
You are the first person/channel I have ever subscribed. You are smart, funny, charming and witty . . . And, I love the Beatles too. I can’t help it, like falling in love, suddenly someone is pulling your pants off and you just don’t care anymore. Whoops. J.
Wow! Very glad this one's getting some deserved attention. I love the grinding treacley guitar wash and sinewy lead bends, the barnstorming drums, punchy drone bass and angelic vocals, as well as the weird lyrics. It's a great companion to other proto shoegaze/noise numbers like The Who's Circle's, The Kinks' See My Friends, The Stones' Have You Seen Your Mother, or the Byrds' What's Happening? There's a kind of chaotic off centredness in the order and, yes the guitar tone all over the record is stellar. This is my go-to track off the album if I just want to hear one. I really like the bromance theory. Paul conspicuously says he doesn't remember what the row was about that made him leave the session. When you think on't, they were super confident, unprecendently successful, intense and still only in their twenties; it's a wonder they didn't split a lot earlier. Been really enjoying these takes on one of my favourite records. Thanks again. Oh, almost forgot, I consider this to be a direct ancestor to I Want You (She's So Heavy).
Well stated! I was going to include a mention of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" when I was talking about tempo changes, but ended up raving about "Happiness" for so long that I decided to cut it.
Also check out "So How Come No One" off their Live at the BBC collection, and "You Really Got A Hold On Me", those two are John and George singing together in the very early years before acid.
Love your analysis also love your smile and hand gestures! You are so into it! I’ve watched a lot of Beatles stuff and right now your posts are the best.
@@fathommusicnz exactly, sooo deep!! Can't believe this was the result of these little toms you showed us, there must be some Martin/Emerick magic involved.
Hi Fathom! Great choice. This is probably my favorite song on my favorite album. But it's the "Big R"; all killer, no filler, so "favorite" is relative :) As an aside, I've always thought of George as a very good songwriter, but really not on the level of John or Paul, and I use this song, Rain and Tomorrow Never Knows as examples: when George writes a song based on the influences of Indian music, it more-or-less sounds pretty close to the traditional sound, but with Western Pop music lyrics, melody and structure. But John takes those influences and synthesizes an entirely unique and new musical vocabulary.
What makes George's "Don't Bother me" is the other three playing without singing, so their foci aren't divided. The bass lines changes with every verse. "The Beach Boys" never came close to getting out of their predictable rut.
Of course you will never accept George being on the same level as John and Paul. It is just too trendy to say that he isn't. You know all the Paul fanboys will says lots of nasty things about you if you admit anybody is his equal. Lennon admitted that George wrote the best songs on Abbey Road.
@@nonrepublicrat At the beginning he followed John and Paul around like a puppy dog looking to belong. In fact, his song writing was quite good, but for the longest time it WAS NOT on the lev\el of John and Paul. But he did luck in by witnessing, for free, how to write songs. Still, what marred George's songs was the arrogant and heavy-handedly judgmental religiosity.
@@jnagarya519 "Cry For A Shadow" demonstrates how excellent George's writing ability was from the beginning when given half a chance. "At the beginning he followed John and Paul around like a puppy dog looking to belong". Oh really?? I'm going to assume that you were not there hanging out with them at the time. I am always amazed at all the comments here on youtube from people who claim to know things about the Beatles history that are obviously just made up story telling.
@@nonrepublicrat " "Cry For A Shadow" demonstrates how excellent George's writing ability was from the beginning when given half a chance." This is how you prove my point -- you're exactly like a Trumper: you omit facts of which you are either ignorant, or that you don't like, in order to -- in this instance -- distort the fact -- if it is that -- to exaggerate George's talents. When I was buying records during the early and mid-1960s in junior and high school, I read absolutely everything on the record labels. As example, I _always_ noted that immediately under the title of the recording there were parentheses. And within the parentheses were the names of the writers of the song. "Cry for a Shadow" was written by JOHN LENNON AND George Harrison. And if you've actually LISTENED to the song, AND if you actually had experience PLAYING guitar, then you'd recognize that the lead guitar riff is extremely simple, and is repeated over and over and over and over again throughout the song. So in order to IGNORANTLY or DISHONESTLY exaggerate George's "talent" you ENTIRELY ERASE John Lennon, who'd been playing guitar longer than George, and had been writing songs before Geroge was even in the picture, and before George was writing songs at all. Some THREE YEARS later, for their "With The Beatles" LP, they recorded "Devil In Her Heart," which they'd played countless times before live. George sings lead, and George play lead. Search here on youtube for that song title and watch the video in which the guitarists breaks the song down into the individual parts. Watch in particular the lead guitar part by George. Some THREE YEARS after recording "Cry for a Shadow," and despite playing "Devil In Her Heart," George makes a major mistake during the recording.
It's interesting to me how some people don't appreciate Ringo's contributions to the Beatles. A good friend and Beatles fan bought into it and said that he was a mediocre drummer that got into a band with two and a half geniuses - slighting George too as he only "really" showed his genius during the latter half of the Beatles. I remember Billy Preston being on the Monkees' TV show at the end of one of the shorter skits as filler. He explained how Ringo brought R&B backbeat into popular music, thus breaking with the normal 4 (on the floor) edit* time keeping drums used on most pop songs. It was enlightening to me to have a name put on something that I heard and recognized, but didn't know how to explain. Like syncopation, something that is strictly feel thing. Listen to things like John Taylor's amazing syncopated bass line in Duran Duran's Rio for a cool example. Backbeat just makes things... better. Anyway, it's not like Ringo isn't appreciated - there are tons of professional rock drummers that talk about how unique his style is (Ringo writes it off as it just being because he's left handed) the way he seems to effortlessly pick out the right drum patterns for each song (Ringo says it just sounds right to him) and many other qualities, too numerous to list - though I have to at least mention how ALL the Beatles were so tight that they still played the songs nearly flawless, despite the fact that they couldn't hear each other over the sound of the screaming crowds. That's one of the reasons that Ringo gives as to why didn't include many fills in their touring days. He said he just had to hold on tight to the beat so he wouldn't lose it. I just don't get the dismissivness. Of course I find it hard to figure out people that dismiss the Beatles for whatever reason. I'm always thinking, but have you REALLY listened to them? Really?
She Said She Said is a sonic boom in rock. It's their heaviest song, only outdone by Revolution and maybe Helter Skelter in 1968. It's Led Zeppelin three years before Led Zeppelin. And those cymbal crashes are epic. Best song on all of Revolver.
I'm right along with her. This is such a great song. I think underappreciated b/c of its placement as the last song on side one, and it being the last track recorded for the album. Lucky for US (in the US) it was not one of the unincluded songs. (There were three.) The lead guitar part on this song floats by, as overture - giving it presence, like with And Your Bird Can Sing but slower & shorter.
16:05 i started to listen to the Beatles like 10 years ago and this is one of my favourites and I DIDN'T KNEW GEORGE SINGS IN THIS SONG i thought it was Paul and i thought in the last part John voice was double!! You never stop to learn about them❤
I had two older sisters. I remember them talking about Good Vibrations in the summer of 1966, saying how it took them 'so long' (90 hours) to record. That seems tame now. Since they were more teeny boppers, I lost track of The Beatles for awhile. When I rediscovered them in the 1970's I was overwhelmed by how the Ed Sullivan Show mop tops became psychedelic in just three years, (really two). The song Tomorrow Never Knows lets us know that the cute fab four mop tops were gone.
On that September school day in 1969, I was handed a 4 way tab of Purple haze by "friends''. I was told, "Share it ". I swallowed it all. I knew what it was like to be dead. A new and changed kid walked home after the school bus ride.
Interesting. This is also my favorite song on side B. But that has mainly to do with the fact that I connect it very strongly with my younger daughter Anne. I wish I could express my enthusiasm the way you do. Thank you for your great contributions. That's what someone who grew up with the Beatles tells you, so they're almost family.
Great episode Nancy! She Said is a fantastic song. Great walk through of the drone. Great explanation and examples. The Psych incredient. I really love your episodes. When you explain things. All thumps up!!!
My favorite track on side A of 'Revolver' would be, "Love You To', My favorite George Harrison Indian inspired song. It's beautiful yet heavy, and it rocks!!!
George was already playing sitar before all this. He had seen a sitar in a music shop and it piqued his curiosity, so he picked it up and started learning to play. That's what led to him playing on "Norwegian Wood," which had been released months before the infamous party and was likely the reason Crosby approached him recommending Ravi Shankar. (It's hard to imagine that if George had any interest in Indian music, he hadn't already known about Shankar, though Crosby wouldn't have known that.)
That's correct - I cover this is in a bit more depth in the Love You To episode. IIRC, although he doesn't name-drop specifically, George also refers explicitly to a friend telling him about Ravi Shankar in Anthology.
A really insightful breakdown of one of my favorite Beatles songs. The story of the genesis of She Said She Said was fascinating. I can't imagine being under the influence of LSD and having someone constantly telling me they know what it's like to be dead. I'm glad Fonda did because his conversation inspired such a great song. It's cool having John and George work so closely on a song. I wish they could have done more together. It is difficult to pick one song from Side 1 of Revolver. I think it is the most coherent album of their storied career. If I was forced to pick one I would go with She Said She Said but I love all of the others as well. Side 2 is a much easier choice for me. Tomorrow Never Knows is on my Top 10 Beatles songs list. I hope that is the one you are going to cover next!
Excellent deep dive. It's a wonderful conjecture that "She Said She Said" is a purposeful George/John collaboration, not an accident...as per Paul and even 'official' sources. I'll take that! It's a great pairing, too, because George brings out the "John-ness" of the track which, on REVOLVER especially, is a bonus. The other great John song on the album imho is "And Your Bird Can Sing," which is also George-heavy.
When you said the death and birth jab from Don't Interrupt the Sorrow and CONFIRMED to my brain the link it had made i knew i was gonna subscribe. Just discovered your channel and i'm adoring it
Sorry if you mentioned this and I missed it, but just to say that the melody of She Said is 1 to 5 and Rain Comes is 5 to 1, with similar vibes. You are brilliant, btw.
The middle eight (?) uses a trick John used on a few of his songs - From me To You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Yes It Is, etc.. You go to the five chord, switch it to a minor, and that leads to a key change, like in the key of D it would go - Am to D and then into the key of G. The trick itself is probably old as the hills, but The Beatles always minted everything fresh.
You are so right! I remember when this album came out. This record was a big transition for them. Their music began to reflect the counter culture ideals,eg psychedelia. Especially John's writing after this began having almost dream-like surreal qualities. Thank you so much for your wonderful insights.
Wow, so happy to see you've more than doubled your subs in just a month, though you deserve like a thousand times more. Also, I've been listening to all the Beatles albums all the way through for the first time while backpacking these last few months, and this song was one of my most delightful discoveries... now among my absolute favourite Beatles songs.
