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4.00pm
17 May 2011
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Hi. First time long time.
My favorite Beatles song is “”The Word “
1. The lyrics are wonderful. “Give the word a chance to say that the word is just a way.” I think that's a fascinating, elegant summation of the more genuine aspirations of the entire love generation before it became co-opted. And make no mistake, aside from the Beatles' legacy, the love generation suffered a lopsided defeat at the hands of the “man”.
2. The arrangement. Wikipedia mentions that the song is in Dm, but it's not really clear if the song is in minor or major keys, since the rhythm guitar (I refer to the guitar stabs on beat 2 and 3+) plays D7#9, which includes both major and minor! The main vocal line implies minor but the arrangement is traditional 12 bar blues, and as you know, you can sing a blues melody in major and minor within the same measure if you please. Another contributing factor is the fact that McCartney's piano part is a major triad, and not minor at all. So minor melody, major piano, both in the guitar stabs. The song is in both.
3. The groove. It's a kind of funk. It's danceable. It can be soul, funk, pop, peace and love, anything you like.I love the drum sounds on Rubber Soul , and the bass guitar cuts anything recorded in the rock idiom before it, and for years to come. And when you look back on their contemporaries (even some of the black ones), what other act could so effortlessly create something like this? Of course, Lennon and McCartney confessed to being high when they wrote this, so there's that. But John Denver also smoked an awful lot of grass, and…
4. The vocals. Two of the greatest singers in popular music history. At 1:47 there's a slight lilt in McCartney's upper harmony (one of the two tracks) that makes it even more reminiscent of the divergence to come from pop to soul-pop made popular by certain Motown acts. By the final chorus, the harmonies commit to minor, but that clashes with the piano part. Ok, not to delve too deeply, but listen to the way the high harmony on the phrase “chance to say” descends to the 6th instead of the flat 7th (or flat 6th). That implies a major scale when coming from the tonic to the 5th. Listen to all that dissonance! I love it. The first time I heard it, even then it reached down and touched my inner rhythm like nothing I had ever heard. It still moves me. It really does. Lennon sings with such conviction and soul that it's hard not to want to come along.
I didn't mention the amazing guitar sound, the way they cut off the end of every phrase in the chorus to add to the…I don't even know the word (so to speak) to use aside from just “funky”.
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The following people thank PorcineDrone for this post:
Von Bontee5.08pm
1 May 2010
Offline Welcome! I’m Mith from Mexico. Why don’t you introduce yourself in the introduction thread?
https://www.beatlesbible.com/f…..49/#p35359
Speaking of the Word, I love that song. A friend of mine insists that a Dora The Explorer song is based on this one, but I’m not sure which song he talks about.
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
11.20pm
9 June 2010
Offline 
This song is one of the most danceable songs ever.
If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.
1.50am
1 May 2010
Offline I always start Rubber Soul at Think For Yourself because I can’t wait for that bass line. Maybe this song and Come Together were responsible for my eventual love of funk, who knows?
But really fantastic group effort, it’s hard to tell if I like Paul or Ringo more on this track. Ringo keeps the song driving at full speed, but Paul still keeps it cool. I also love Paul’s out of control harmony towards the end.
Another fantastic ’65 output for John that tends to get overlooked, but I always ask the question “who doesn’t like this song?” after hearing it.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
1.58am
19 September 2010
Offline Me. I don’t like the song that much. Lennon’s voice and the lyrics are really soft. Paul’s bass is great, but it isn’t even in RS’s top 10.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
2.03am
1 May 2010
Offline I have a feeling you’ll come around. 
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
2.13am
4 December 2010
Offline I'm not crazy about the song either. I really do like the harmonies on the chorus… that's about it.
*19*
Well we all shine on like the moon, the stars, and the sun.
2.21am
1 May 2010
Offline You guys should take paulsbass’s suggestion and listen to it very loudly in headphones.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
11.09am
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline 
I could not agree more. Is there any other way to listen to it?
To me, Think For Yourself and The Word back-to-back is the highlight of Rubber Soul . There may be better individual songs on the album, but those 2 together are fantastic.
The following people thank Zig for this post:
c64woodTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
11.35am
10 May 2011
Offline
…11.39pm
19 September 2010
Offline Really, I just don't like the line “It's so fine, it's sunshine.” It sounds better in headphones, but I certainly don't know what I was saying earlier. It is in my top 5 for RS, hell even my 1965 top 5.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
3.13am
4 December 2010
Offline mr. Sun king coming together said:
Really, I just don't like the line “It's so fine, it's sunshine.” It sounds better in headphones, but I certainly don't know what I was saying earlier. It is in my top 5 for RS, hell even my 1965 top 5.
I love that line. That is literally all I like in the song.
But this song is not in my top 5 for RS. It's like in my least favorite 5. Like 11 or 12th place.
Well we all shine on like the moon, the stars, and the sun.
9.31am
1 May 2010
Offline I’m still curious as to why you guys don’t like this one…is the message too cheesy? There’s just such an insanely good vibe to this song, I think we’ll convert you eventually.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
2.39pm
19 September 2010
Offline Gnik, I seriously wonder what made me post that I didn't like the song. I actually love it. I seriously don't get why I posted I didn't. But, I dislike the “It's so fine, it's sunshine” line.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
7.17pm
1 May 2010
Offline I agree, the lyrics aren’t fantastic especially that line.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
4.15am
18 November 2011
Offline I was listening to the isolated Rock Band tracks today, and I noticed that 
and 
are talking on the vocal track during the Harmonium solo. I can't quite make out what they're saying, but it sounds like they're joking about John's falsetto singing. Anyone with a better set of ears know what's being said?
11.49am
31 March 2008
Offline
Ooh, I’ve not noticed that. To save me rigging up the Wii, can anyone post a link/audio file?
Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
1.32pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Would back up Joe's call for a link. Love hearing these things.
Have recently downloaded the isolated 5.1 tracks from the Yellow Submarine DVD where you get to hear the left rear, right rear, centre, left front and right front channels separately and they are fascinating to hear. There is a tinkling bell in All Together Now that is being played insanely that i never knew was there. And have gained a much deeper understanding of the orchestral work in Eleanor Rigby as you can hear isolated sections playing over a faint Paul vocal, you can hear all the major and minor parts and how they really do add to the lyrics. And the crispness of the delivery of singing is incredible, even Ringo singing Yellow Submarine .
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.59pm
5 November 2011
Offline SoFineSunShine said:
I was listening to the isolated Rock Band tracks today, and I noticed that
and
Wow, I've never noticed that! I have got no as to what they are saying, but I think it sounds like someone is saying something about a cat. 
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
11.46am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline 
Found the Rubber Soul Rock Band multitrack files online, but The Word was incomplete (only 30 seconds). Damn!!
However found a site that has a number of the Rock Band files individually so took The Word from there. And i cant make out clearly what John and Paul are saying either. I'd agree that John is asking about the upcoming harmonies as Paul gives a quick blast because they sing. And it wouldnt be unlike John to be checking just before they sing.
So maybe someone else hear can figure it out.
Funny how you go searching for something and find it was where you were originally.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
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