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"I've Just Seen a Face" vs. "Yesterday"
21 December 2010
10.14pm
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MeanMrsMustard
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OK. Here's the deal.

Everyone loves “Yesterday .” They love it so much that the original “demo” version is sung on television. 

Yet I like the preceding track on the same album more. It has more energy, and I like the lyrics better. It's not just because it's a more upbeat track. It's because I think it's a better song. “Yesterday ” is good, but “I've Just Seen a Face” is better. (And “For No One ” is the best! a-hard-days-night-george-10

What do you guys think? Why does “Yesterday ” get so much attention? Is it the instrumentation, the fact that Paul sings it alone, or the way he writes it? Or is there some other factor I'm overlooking? How do you guys think they compare? 

If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.

21 December 2010
10.18pm
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Dear Prudence
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I've just seen a face has my vote. Thats how most romances start out.

Dear Prudence

Giving you quality -Facepalms- , since August 7, 2010.

21 December 2010
10.20pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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MeanMrs.Mustard said:

OK. Here's the deal.

Everyone loves “Yesterday .” They love it so much that the original “demo” version is sung on television. 

Yet I like the preceding track on the same album more. It has more energy, and I like the lyrics better. It's not just because it's a more upbeat track. It's because I think it's a better song. “Yesterday ” is good, but “I've Just Seen a Face” is better. 

What do you guys think? Why does “Yesterday ” get so much attention? Is it the instrumentation, the fact that Paul sings it alone, or the way he writes it? Or is there some other factor I'm overlooking? How do you guys think they compare? 

It is a combination all the factors you list, and the poignancy of the Lyrics of Yesterday

I agree with You however


As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

21 December 2010
10.25pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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Also, The 3 billion covers of Yesterday play a part.

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

21 December 2010
10.25pm
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MeanMrsMustard
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You mention poignancy, which is exactly my point. I don't think “Yesterday 's” lyrics are better or more true than “I've Just Seen a Face.” I think they're both poignant. Dear Prudence said, “That's how most relationships start out.” Well, “Yesterday ” is how most relationships end. So is it just that people are more drawn to sad lyrics than upbeat ones? 

I also came up with the fact that “Yesterday ” was a single, while “I've Just Seen a Face” was “tucked away” on Side Two of Help

If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.

21 December 2010
10.28pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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MeanMrs.Mustard said:

You mention poignancy, which is exactly my point. I don't think “Yesterday 's” lyrics are better or more true than “I've Just Seen a Face.” I think they're both poignant. Dear Prudence said, “That's how most relationships start out.” Well, “Yesterday ” is how most relationships end. So is it just that people are more drawn to sad lyrics than upbeat ones? 

I also came up with the fact that “Yesterday ” was a single, while “I've Just Seen a Face” was “tucked away” on Side Two of Help


First Off, The Public Find it more mature and are more drawn to sad lyrics and depressing music.

Also, Yesterday wasn't a single In The U.K. I Think The Fact It is In Front of Yesterday is important

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

21 December 2010
10.28pm
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MotherNaturesDaughter
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I think why Yesterday get's so much plays compared to other songs is really because of the way Paul sings it and the lyrics. When Paul sings this song you can here the emotion, and I think he sounds like he's actually going to break into tears. It's very touching and it can relate with a lot of people. I've been able to relate to this song a lot.

 

But I also enjoy I've Just Seen a Face better too. I'm more for the upbeat songs in general. I've Just Seen A Face is also very easy to get stuck in your head.

"I am definitely a mad man with a box."- Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor of Doctor Who (Episode 1 Season 5: The Eleventh Hour)

21 December 2010
10.29pm
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PennyLane
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I prefer I've Just Seen a Face. It was my first Beatle song that I really enjoyed.

Well we all shine on like the moon, the stars, and the sun.

21 December 2010
10.35pm
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MeanMrsMustard
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I wonder why people find sad lyrics to be more mature than happy ones…. 

Anyway, I also wonder if anyone who actually prefers “Yesterday ” is hanging around.

If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.

22 December 2010
2.10am
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GniknuS
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That's a tough one, I think because Yesterday is such a highly played song, people tend to dislike it the more they hear it and subsequently put other songs above it. But you could say that about most “overplayed” Beatle songs, I certainly don't think that Paperback Writer is a better song than Rain , but many would disagree. As for the question, I like I've Just Seen a Face better because it's more upbeat and I like the harmony. Yesterday obviously has one of the greatest melodies ever, but it does tend to bore me a bit. I think Blackbird is a much better “solo” Paul song.

I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine

22 December 2010
2.23am
mr. Sun king coming together
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YesterdY is Amazing, but the overplay contribute to the dislike of it.

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

22 December 2010
3.57am
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Von Bontee
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mr. Sun king coming together said:

Also, Yesterday wasn't a single In The U.K. I Think The Fact It is In Front of Yesterday is important


That's true. And similarly, until 1987 we North Americans thought of “…Face” as Rubber Soul 's opening track, as opposed to just some song buried on Side Two of Help !, so both of those songs were more prominent on this side of the pond. For what it's worth…
Why did “Yesterday ” become so iconic, and popular with 'straights' like Frank Sinatra and the like? The exquisite melody and string arrangement? The revelation that those juvenile moptops could do something of real quality and not just noisy yeah-yeah-yeah garbage? Probably a mixture of both together…

Both are great! But I like “…Face” better because it's rollicking and uptempo, and it's a full BAND effort. My only complaint: I would've liked to hear it with BEATLES harmonies, as fine as Paul's multitracked voices are. Paul gets two consecutive Help ! tracks with his voice and no-one else's. (And hey, didn't he famously record both of 'em on the VERY SAME DAY? Along with “I'm Down” to complete the feat – whatta multitalented mic-hog!)

Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.

         

22 December 2010
4.02am
sarah machinella
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I think I've Just Seen a Face and Yesterday go together really well.

I've Just Seen a Face is the sort of hopeful, happy beginning of a relationship, and then Yesterday is when his world has come crashing down, and he longs for how things used to be.

But that's just my two cents a-hard-days-night-paul-5

22 December 2010
6.18am
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Von Bontee
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Yeah, there are quite a few parallels now that you (all) mention it. They're both concerned with the near past, whether as little as a few minutes (seconds?) ago, or as much as an entire day. And hmm…now that I think of it, Paul's “The Night Before ” is yet another of his Help ! tracks dealing with the recent past, this time an indeterminate number of days. And emotionally it fits right in between those other two: The beginning of a happy relationship, followed by problems and uncertainty, followed by the devastating breakup.

Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.

         

22 December 2010
12.57pm
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robert
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I think the reasoning behind Yesterday 's popularity has to be dealt with in context.

All on its own it's a great song. And when it first came out and the Beatles were such an international phenom, the fact that the older generation could both love a song by the same act was pretty rare. Plus on top of that the fact that a lot establishment acts began covering the song in order to appear hip and relevant in a music business that was quickly moving away from them – add all of that together and what happened was that Yesterday gained a momentum that has yet to stop.

Very few songs in all of history ever get that opportunity.

"She looks more like him than I do."

22 December 2010
1.01pm
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robert
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Consider that Yesterday replaced White Christmas as the best selling song of all time and you get a sense of the iconic nature of the song. Is White Christmas the best Christmas song ever written? Probably not, but it picked up a momentum – right song at the right time by the right singer (Bing Crosby at his peak) – so every generation knows the song and it keeps getting done redone and over done.

Same deal with Yesterday . Best Beatle song ever? Probably not – but it hit a stream and never stopped.

"She looks more like him than I do."

22 December 2010
3.49pm
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kingjjj8
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I've Just seen a Face. Is amazing! But I love yesterday too! grrr… Why must you do this to me Msr. Mustard!

Rap music is just computerized crap. - George Harrison

22 December 2010
8.15pm
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Miss Winters
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I love both of these songs almost equally but unlike a lot of you I'm leaning more towards Yesterday , mostly for personal reasons. I can relate to this song a lot more than with I've Just Seen a Face.

I think a lot of the Beatle's early work is just simple “I love you” corny-ness (not that I don't like it) and Yesterday and I've Just Seen a Face were very big leaps for the band into more mature song writing. So although I'm leaning towards the former, I think both songs are amazing in their own way.

Please don't hurt me for liking Yesterday more. a-hard-days-night-paul-4

Blackbird singing in the dead of night...

_¸.·´¯¯`·-» take these broken wings and learn to fly

22 December 2010
8.18pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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We Won't Hurt you, But One question. What is so unique about the lyrics to I've Just Seen a Face that makes you deem it a “very big leap for the band into more mature song writing.”?

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

22 December 2010
10.11pm
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MeanMrsMustard
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mr. Sun king coming together said:

What is so unique about the lyrics to “I've Just Seen a Face” that makes you deem it a “very big leap for the band into more mature song writing”?


Well, think about it for a second. Take another song with a similar subject– “I Saw Her Standing There .” They both deal with Paul falling in love with a girl he's just met. In “I Saw…”, Paul talks about how she was good looking and single. In “I've Just Seen…”, Paul doesn't mention how good looking she is– in fact, he says, “Had it been another day, I might have looked the other way.” So there must have been something there more than just a face. Plus, I feel that he's being deliberately cheeky in “I've Just Seen…”. He's not debating the meaning of love: He's just singing about how great she's making his life: “I've been alone and I have missed things and kept out of sight, but other girls were never quite like this.”

I also like the way he describes how special she is: “I have never known the likes of this… other girls were never quite like this.” 

Paulrus said:

I think I've Just Seen a Face and Yesterday go together really well.

I've Just Seen a Face is the sort of hopeful, happy beginning of a relationship, and then Yesterday is when his world has come crashing down, and he longs for how things used to be.

But that's just my two cents a-hard-days-night-paul-5


That's funny. That's how I always saw it. So maybe I'm just more inclined to like songs about the beginning of things, as opposed to the end. 

Von Bontee said:

And hmm…now that I think of it, Paul's “The Night Before ” is yet another of his Help ! tracks dealing with the recent past, this time an indeterminate number of days. And emotionally it fits right in between those other two: The beginning of a happy relationship, followed by problems and uncertainty, followed by the devastating breakup.


I suddenly had mental images of “The Campaign for the Insertion of 'The Night Before ' in Between 'I've Just Seen a Face' and 'Yesterday .'” 

If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.

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