Ranking all 30 songs from The White Album | Page 4 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Great list, as always. Though I am rather disappointed that “Happiness Is A Warm Gun ” is ranked so low.

30) Don’t Pass Me By – worst songs by The Beatles. I think Ringo wasn’t a good composer. he only made two songs, and this one wasn’t even the good one. 0/10

29) Revolution 9 – well, it’s just a John play-around, and it definitely adds personality to the album and shows how envelope pushing he was in experimenting with new sounds. still I always skip it, so… 1/10

28) Wild Honey Pie – it’s a filler, a non-song. I find it funny and a… light interlude, that I don’t mind, but still, not very good. 1/10

27) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – I know there are outsiders that really like this song. I’m sadly not one of them. I like its anthem value, like a sing along, but I wouldn’t listen to it on my own, ever. 2/10

28) Piggies – I think Harrison at his worst. the song is worth something on its socio-political commentary I guess, but, if the music under your message is garbage, your music is garbage. 2/10

25) Long, Long, Long – I listened to it a couple of minutes ago so I could write this, and I don’t remember a single thing about it. it’s dragged out, anti-climatic, and boring, it really lives up to its title. but the melody is not dreadful and I don’t think there is something horrible to remember about it. I like its dreamy aesthetic, but, it’s just, not memorable. 3/10

24) The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – I don’t understand the hate for this one. I think it’s fun, and memorable. but not a bright spot on such a big album. the verses are interestingly melodic, and I like them. is the chorus that tears it for me. corny as hell, and not bonding with the verses at all. 4/10

23) Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? – another interlude. and a better one that Wild Honey Pie at that. I think it’s funny, catchy, and not trying to be anything that it isn’t, stupid. but a bit too stupid, and unnecessary. 4/10

22) Julia – conceptually, I think it works to perfection. John wanted to do a song that was: A) melancholic B) sad C) simple D) about his mother. and he did it. Julia adds to the versatility of the album, and it’s straight forward. but that’s about it. I think melodically it is still lacking. 4/10

21) I Will – at first I liked this track but listening to it over and over again, there’s just something about the arrangement that makes it sound like not as good as it could’ve been. if it was any longer, taking into account its simplicity, I would like it less, but I like the fact that as simple as it is. other than that is not really a highlight for me. 5/10

20) While My Guitar Gently Weeps – I know I’m gonna get butchered for this but hell, I think it’s not that big of a deal. I think this track has a lot of wasted potential. I listened recently to an alternative version of this song with strings on YouTube, and I thought it was better, and way more beautiful than the White Album version. the White Album version, I think, it’s rough, and unpolished, and though I’m a big Cream fan, I find Eric Clapton’s feature to be not outstanding. the chord progression on the verse I think works great, but when it goes to major on the chorus, it really loses me. which is a pity because I see everyone enjoying this song while I feel nothing listening to it. nothing. 5/10

19) Birthday – another no-brainer. well, I like it, to some degree. especially that part that goes “Yes we’re going to a party party – yes we’re going to a party party”. but I really dislike that part that goes “I would like you to dance, birthday – take a cha-cha-cha-chance, birthday”. so it’s a tie. 5/10

18) Helter Skelter – I’m a big fan of metal. I’m also a big fan of the idea that the Beatles invented metal with this song. other than that, I don’t care too much for it. the build up is great, and the vocal harmonies are also nice, but the vibe is overblown, and it goes on for too long. 6/10

17) Revolution 1 – I like it just as much as the single version, I don’t think there is a better one. then again, Revolution isn’t one of my favourites either. so no harm done, I’d sit through it. 6/10

16) Mother Nature’s Son – it sounds like a Blackbird reprise. and a good one at that. I’ve always thought that the White Album would’ve been better with less filler. and Mother Nature’s Son is a very good song. but it does sound like filler because it’s just yet another acoustic song by Paul McCartney . but, lately I find myself listening to it more than other songs on this album. 6/10

15) Glass Onion – lyrically, one of the best moments on the album. I think the referencing to other songs makes for one of Lennon’s brightest and most influential ideas on his catalogue. the music behind it is fine and well tuned, the riff is nice and I like every member’s little contribution to this track. yet, it’s not as good if you put it along with some of The Beatles’ best material. 6/10

14) Good Night – it’s difficult to rank this one. I think that, outside the album, it doesn’t work as anything. but it is an incredibly good idea conceptually coming after Revolution 9 and at the end. and picking Ringo as the voice that sings the lullaby while the rest of the Beatles turn the lights off I think is beautiful and ties up really well. but, you know, it has to be listened at the end of the album, otherwise, what’s the point? 6/10

13) Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey – I would say is the best one of the filler songs. or at least it feels that way to me. I think John could do better at writing. other than that, is a solid rock song, and unlike Helter Skelter , it knows it doesn’t need to be 4 minutes long. 6/10

12) Rocky Raccoon – this actually I started being on the fence with, but with time it grew on me. I think it’s fun and Paul really seems to have fun. it sounds like the type of song that John Lennon would’ve hated, so it kind of doesn’t get me as much, but… the chorus is well put together, and the melody is original, I guess. 7/10

11) Martha My Dear – when major chords start pumping the song after a kind of slow piano start, I get hyped. I like it because Paul is very romantic and it’s endearing. but also, not a highlight. 7/10

10) Savoy Truffle – this is a slow song, that sounds like the most Beatlesque song The Beatles ever did. it sounds like a song a fan of The Beatles would compose in an attempt to sound like The Beatles… and nailing it. it sounds good, and the start punches up the listener with a lyric so insane and with such an original and beatlesque delivery that it’s scary: “CREEEMEEE tangerine… and montelimar!” yeah, that’s the good stuff. 8/10

9) Back in the U.S.S.R. – creative as it can be, a hell of an opener, and an even better parody. it’s just hilarious to me that The Beatles were so uncompromising that they sang about the Soviet Union as if it was an old fun pop tune. I think it’s an idea sharp as a knife, and very cutting edge. yes, I like Back in the U.S.S.R. a lot, now that I think about it. 8/10

8) Sexy Sadie – grossly underrated. the chord progression is stellar. the lyrics feel inspired. the runtime is just right. I love to listen to it as what it’s TRYING to be. yet, and yes, there’s a “yet”, it feels as it was not taken into account as much, because the production feels a little rushed and rough on the ears. now if George Martin and John Lennon had taken more time to develop the sound of this song further, I think it could’ve been one of the best songs on the album. 8/10

7) Yer Blues – a good, intentionally rough, jamming session. I love it. Yer Blues shows the chameleon qualities the band had whenever they felt like it. they could be lovers, they could be fighters, they could be oldies, they could be youngsters, and, in this case, they could be rockers. I think the version that John recorded with Richards, Clapton and Mitchells is better than the one on the White Album , as much as anything on the White Album . yet, the album version is good, believe me, I like it, I like it a lot. just, not quite as good. 8/10

6) Honey Pie – yeah, I know, I know, “you’re gay”, whatever, screw you. not every fav track has to be an epic rock anthem or a moody love song. Honey Pie is funny as hell, very well produced, and proud of itself. I like it because it doesn’t sell itself as a god saving track that ends up disappointing (as is the case of While My Guitar Gently Weeps ). I’m a fan of old vocal jazz and swing of the 20s and 30s. and even thought Honey Pie feels like a joke song, it has me from the beginning slow part to the uplift latter bit, with an unashamed prick lyric such as “Honey Pie , you are making me crazy – I’m in love but I’m lazy”. haha, I love it. 9/10

5) Blackbird – is short, is simple, and it’s gorgeous in any way shape or form. if you don’t like this track, then do everybody a favor and like it. that’s all I will say. 9/10

4) Cry Baby Cry – a fantastic pseudo-closer. one of the most beautiful melodies John ever displayed, the recording is solid, and the instrumentation is creative. the lyrics are simplistic yet touching and cinematic, and the pacing is beautiful. one of the absolute best spots on the album. if it wasn’t for this song it would be less easy to listen to the album all the way through. 10/10

3) Happiness Is A Warm Gun – now this is what I’m talking about. the sweet stuff. Happiness Is A Warm Gun probably is one of the most inspired anthems the band ever put out. the lyrics on the first 40 seconds are sharp as hell: “She’s well-acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane – the man in the crowd with the multicolored mirrors on his hobnail boots”. that was written by a 27 year old. then the riff on the middle part is such a good riff I can’t even describe it, “I need a fix ’cause I’m going dooOooOown”, jesus christ. and the ending minute chorus is a change in pace, but still as good as it can be. 10/10

2) I’m So Tired – I think the reason why this song isn’t everybody’s favourite is because they don’t listen to it all the way through. the first 20 seconds are not that special. but if you listen to the vocal riffs after it, and the lyrics, and the melody, and just how everything closes up at the ending in a perfect ensemble, you’d understand that I couldn’t put this any lower than the top 10 spot. to me, it is one of their best songs. when the bass drum pumps up when John says “You’d say I’m putting you on – but it’s no joke, it’s doing me harm”, the delivery of that line, kills me every time and bring me back to life with a “You know I’d give you everything I’ve got for a little peace of mind!”. damn, it’s so good. maybe I’m overreacting but I can’t hide the love I hold for this song above the rest. 10/10

1) Dear Prudence – this song is so many things at the same time. it starts of slow, very pretty, and it turns into a soft-hard song, still very pretty, and then the vocal harmonies, singing “look around -round -round -round -round”, very very pretty, and then the slow drumming, very so very very pretty. Dear Prudence is pretty in a lot of ways, even more so to me than Blackbird . I love it, in many ways. I love the place it has as the follow up to the opening track, and its progression is so well thought out it makes me wonder if this track is really that great, or I’m just imagining sounds that are not really there. 10/10