THE BEATLES – “She Loves You”
Not that the Beatles’ lyrics are always irrelevant. The first piece of ‘rock criticism’ I can remember being really impressed by was in a Beatles book I’d taken out of the library. I didn’t like the band much back then, I thought I probably should. The writer talked about “She Loves You” and explained how really what underpinned the song was the sense of “but she might love me if you don’t watch it”. I thought he was very clever for noticing it and that the Beatles were very clever for putting it in.
Actually I think I prefer the song without that subtext, because while great songs about love and jealousy are common, great songs about friendship are not. And great songs about being friends with a couple who are on the rocks are very rare indeed. The urgency of the singer trying to hammer some sense into the sung-to is wonderfully captured (the coo-ing “apologise to her” slipping straight in to a newly frenetic “BECAUSE SHE LOVES YOU”), the record buzzes with the exasperation that comes when a friend is being a bonehead. Maybe there’s something more behind that, but there doesn’t have to be.
And even if you don’t fancy the words at all, you can still get off on Ringo’s exhilaration when he cuts loose on his kit ten seconds in.
8
First off, how is it that no one has commented on this song yet? It is like a total assault of happiness and even the Peter Sellers version (am I right?) is great. YES to Ringo’s drumming and the humor of “and you know that can’t be bad” and the general yeahs and oohs. This intensity couldn’t be sustained, it’s like an almost artificial high, but wow, it has lasted.
i 100% agree, lena.
I remember commenting on this song at the time (and it scares me that memory is over four years old already) – we seem to have lost some comments on older entries?
The curse of Haloscan.
Yup – a bunch of old haloscan comments expired – I don’t think haloscan even delete old comments anymore (but our new system is much much better anyway)
As I said back in the old Haloscan days, this is effectively Side One, Track One of my story in pop. My parents had the single – indeed, up until early 1966 it was their only pop single – and my father taught me how to shake my three-year-old head to it like a mop-top. For a brief formative while, “She Loves You” WAS pop music to me – and I still think it was a great place to start.
When I started listening to the lyrics a bit more attentively, I thought it was a very sad song – she loves you, and I love you too, in a manly fashion, but I’d give anything in the world for her to love me, and I wouldn’t throw it away if she dead. But maybe I’m just projecting again.
Firstly, this is where I came in, born on the 15th September 63. Secondly, I’d love to think this was playing on a radio as I came spewing out…its a great song, full of early Beatles vigour, harmonies and spark.
Thirdly, sorry Rosie, but Peter Sellers version was utterly dull. HAng on, no, wait, I’m thinking of his version of A Hard Days Night… not sure I know his “She Loves You”.
Huh? Wha? Somebody woke me up!
Tooncgull – that was Lena talking of Peter Sellers, not me.
Like Mike @ 6 this is my first pop memory. My parents had this single and no other pop singles in the early 60s as far as I can recall. The only other 7″ record I can remember was on red vinyl and had a musical version of Red Riding Hood on the other and Goldilocks on the reverse. She Loves You has something of the apparent simplicity of a nursery rhyme but also a compelling sense of urgency and desire that was missing from the simpering songs from fairy tales.
I was prompted to write by these recordings of the Fab Four in their early days:
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=555
DESERT ISLAND DISCS WATCH:
David Jacobs, broadcaster (1964)
Lavinia Young, Matron of Westminster Hospital, Nurse (1964)
Dennis Taylor, Snooker player (1986)
Robert Maxwell, businessman (1987)
Robin Knox-Johnston, sailor (1990)
Pete Waterman, record producer (1995)
Simon Weston, Falklands War Veteran (1996)
Bill Cullen, businessman (2003)
Stephen King, novelist (2006)
Neil Tenant, singer (2007).