Please consider registering
Guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed sp_TopicIcon
And Your Bird Can Sing
sp_BlogLink Read the original blog post
19 January 2015
6.13pm
Avatar
Ahhh Girl
sailing on a winedark open sea
Moderator

Moderators

Members

Reviewers
Forum Posts: 22688
Member Since:
20 August 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

While listening to this song this morning, I had this weird thought. It sounds like John is making a reply to a request from another rock group for John to join them. John is giving them a a-hard-days-night-paul-11 -type answer.

19 January 2015
6.54pm
Avatar
UnidentifiedFiendishThingy
Across The Universe
Carnegie Hall
Members
Forum Posts: 542
Member Since:
8 August 2014
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

 From what I have heard, the song is supposedly a jab at Mick Jagger who had been boasting that his girlfriend could sing, so John is responding to another rock groupa-hard-days-night-john-1

Look its a thingy! A fiendish thingy!

19 January 2015
7.07pm
Avatar
Starr Shine?
Waiting in the sky
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 16105
Member Since:
1 November 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I read a WMG that this song was about Paul.

 

Quote under spoiler


 

Conventional wisdom has it that this song is a diatribe directed at Mick Jagger, who as the story goes liked to brag about his “bird,” Marianne Faithfull. Provided that was true, it seems doubtful that John would even care enough to be piqued into taking the passive-aggressive route of writing a song about it, especially one so uppity and personally affected. “You don’t get me! You can’t see me! You can’t hear me!”

 

Meanwhile, in late 1965 and ’66 there was some strain on John and Paul’s relationship, for various reasons. One, Paul had decided to stay in London instead of moving out to Weybridge with John and the others. Even though they kept in constant touch (according to Cynthia Lennon, they would even sing and play to each other over the phone) and Paul regularly drove out for visits and/or songwriting sessions, this was a blow to John, since they had been virtually inseparable for almost ten years, and the Beatles were customarily a like-minded unit. Two, while John felt stuck in Surrey, Paul was swanning about the London art scene, befriending its inhabitants, attending plays and happenings, and living an enviable swinging bachelor life. Three, and perhaps most crucially, Paul kept balking at taking LSD with John in spite of increasing peer pressure and his willingness to take cocaine with Robert Fraser. (Not that it’s a total no-brainer that Paul would opt for coke over acid or anything.) So John vented his jealousy and frustration with Paul ca. 1966 through song, as he was wont to do— but couched it in metaphor, because he wouldn’t have wanted to really hurt Paul then. His care for his target comes through in spite of his put-downs: “When your prize possessions start to weigh you down, look in my direction. I’ll be ’round.”

 

On a minor note, the line “You say you’ve seen seven wonders,” which would be in response to Paul enthusing over the things he was seeing and doing in Swinging London, also reminds of his (hilariously amazing) pot-inspired epiphany the night Bob Dylan turned the Beatles on to cannabis that “THERE ARE SEVEN LEVELS.”

 

The lyrics are cryptic enough that Paul might not have noticed they were about him; if he suspected, it would be like him to just ignore it if it meant hedging a confrontation over such a difficult subject.

The following people thank Starr Shine? for this post:

Ahhh Girl, ewe2, Wigwam

https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

Brainwashed by RadiantCowbells.

If you can't log in and can't use the forum go here and someone will help you out.

19 January 2015
7.42pm
Avatar
Ahhh Girl
sailing on a winedark open sea
Moderator

Moderators

Members

Reviewers
Forum Posts: 22688
Member Since:
20 August 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Joe’s blog post does mention that it might be something re the Stones

While Lennon never revealed the inspiration behind the song, it is believed to refer to the rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Although the two groups were friends, Lennon saw the Stones as Beatles copyists, and the titular ‘bird’ may have been Marianne Faithfull.

I had read that before, but the song had never hit me the way it did this morning.

Interesting thought that it might be about Paul.

19 January 2015
9.45pm
Avatar
ewe2
Inside the beat
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 3033
Member Since:
8 January 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

There’s always been a bit of doubt as to whether the guitars are played in unison by George and/or John or they’re tracked by one of them. Lewisohn has no details beyond noting that this was the 10th take out of 13 and they edited the end of take 6 onto it (the bass doodles). It’s not impossible they played together, the number of takes might indicate that. I had hoped Emerick might have shed some light in his memoir but he completely ignores the song.

I'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe.  This has been true for 2016 & 2017 Sig-Badge.png but I may have to get more specific in the future.

aus-flag-v-small.png

20 January 2015
4.37am
Avatar
Into the Sky with Diamonds
New York
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 1984
Member Since:
10 August 2011
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

A wonderful example of a guitar solo not needing to be fast to be wonderful. (see also While My Guitar… and many others)

"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)

20 January 2015
11.22am
Avatar
meanmistermustard
Thankfully not where I am.
Moderator
Members

Reviewers


Moderators
Forum Posts: 25178
Member Since:
1 May 2011
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

For the remake Winn writes that “the backing of rhythm guitar and drums on one track, and Paul’s bass on another, was taped simultaneously… and a dual guitar solo from Paul and George completed things on the fourth track.”.

There is some thought that the song is about Frank Sinatra, Jonathan Hould covers it in ‘Can’t Buy Me Love : The Beatles, Britain, and America’.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

20 January 2015
1.10pm
Avatar
Starr Shine?
Waiting in the sky
Apple rooftop
Members
Forum Posts: 16105
Member Since:
1 November 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Plot Twist! It could be about an actually bird!

https://youtu.be/52nwiTs7bk8

Brainwashed by RadiantCowbells.

If you can't log in and can't use the forum go here and someone will help you out.

20 January 2015
2.21pm
Avatar
Ahhh Girl
sailing on a winedark open sea
Moderator

Moderators

Members

Reviewers
Forum Posts: 22688
Member Since:
20 August 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Annadog40 said

Plot Twist! It could be about an actually bird!

John was tripping on LSD and had a foreshadowing vision of Twitter. Look at the lyrics. It could be true.a-hard-days-night-john-3

The following people thank Ahhh Girl for this post:

Starr Shine?, I was the walrus
5 October 2015
11.21pm
LMW28IF
A Beginning
Members
Forum Posts: 10
Member Since:
6 May 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I have a different theory on who the bird is.  I think it is Ronnie Bennett (later Ronnie Spector, Phil Spector’s bird).  John had a deep crush on Ronnie.  He tried to hook up with her on the Beatles first visit to the states in 1964 and was rebuffed.  She claims in her biography that she was still a virgin at the time (your bird is green or inexperienced).  Phil Spector was very jealous and kind of overbearing in keeping her away from John.  The Ronettes toured with the Beatles on the 1966 U.S. tour, but Phil didn’t let Ronnie participate.  She had a stand in.  I think this song originated as John saying in effect to Phil, you may have Ronnie, and you may be a famous producer but you don’t get to produce the greatest act in pop and rock, the Beatles.  Of course, later he did produce Let It Be and some of John and George’s solo work.  By this time, John would not have said it was about Phil and Ronnie, because Phil was producing John’s recordings.  That would have been awkward.

The following people thank LMW28IF for this post:

Ahhh Girl
6 October 2015
6.16pm
Avatar
I was the walrus
The Cavern Club
Members
Forum Posts: 77
Member Since:
22 July 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I’ve always heard of this song being a jab at the stones as well, but why? Maybe I’m not interpreting the lyrics right, but when I listen to this song I really try to find jabs at the stones.  Anybody have any interpretations?? 

24 April 2024
5.19pm
Avatar
Ahhh Girl
sailing on a winedark open sea
Moderator

Moderators

Members

Reviewers
Forum Posts: 22688
Member Since:
20 August 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Currently I have this song set as my wake up alarm on my phone. I keep hearing the lines

You may be awoken
I’ll be ’round, I’ll be ’round

Now I keep thinking about people using the word “woke” as in “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues.” 

Was John saying he was “woke” and he’d be “there” in that zone when others finally “opened their eyes” to the disturbing facts in the world around them?

24 April 2024
11.09pm
Avatar
Timothy
Nutopia
Candlestick Park
Members
Forum Posts: 2214
Member Since:
14 June 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

You could have that meaning if you wanted. When their bird is broken (the bird could be whatever you want in this instance) I’m guessing it will make a crashing type noise after hitting the floor. Which is smart given the lyrics refer to that bringing you down. When that happens John will be there with comfort.

The following people thank Timothy for this post:

Rube

1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine

Most Avid John Fan 2020 and 2021: john.png john.png

Forum Timezone: Europe/London
Most Users Ever Online: 2057
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 264
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Starr Shine?: 16105
Ron Nasty: 12534
Zig: 9827
50yearslate: 8759
Necko: 8050
AppleScruffJunior: 7585
parlance: 7111
mr. Sun king coming together: 6394
Mr. Kite: 6147
trcanberra: 6064
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 88
Members: 2929
Moderators: 5
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 3
Forums: 44
Topics: 5559
Posts: 384199
Newest Members:
Topazthecat, Carr, Grace Animation, Denny Gracelyn, grimtraveller
Moderators: Joe: 5714, meanmistermustard: 25178, Ahhh Girl: 22688, Beatlebug: 18231, The Hole Got Fixed: 8410
Administrators: Joe: 5714