Make your own ode to love | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

 So, in this topic you can try to combine all the Beatles songs AND the respective solo songs. The goal is to create an album that celebrates Love in general, in any form and however adequate you think is appropriate. I’d rather stick to happy songs but you can make a solemn album, too. The only limit is 14 songs + 2 bonus tracks if you’d put that at all.

Try to capture the pure essence of it – there’s quite a lot of songs to choose from. Since Beatles sang so much about love… and I believe their different personalities really allow some interesting combinations… you might make a pretty nice ode to Love. Capital L, not the album.

1. I Want To Hold Your Hand – This is my choice for the album opener. I sometimes like to use the term “small love”. It’s the innocent, teenage kind of love, but not much more. It’s the floating kind of feeling, and what a better choice for the opener than this song, both thematically and chronologically?

2. All My Loving – This one follows the same formula as the first one. Very simple and a classic.

3. In My Life – A beautiful overview of someone’s life, and how someone means the same to you. Beautiful falsetto at the end, simple enough, nostalgic… what’s not to like?

4. Here, There And Everywhere – This song is here just because of this: “running my hands through her hair”. You don’t need to write down what this means, you just feel it through Paul’s voice.

5. Something – Do I have to say anything more?

6. Don’t Let Me Down – To change the tempo a bit, here’s some more insecure feelings. Simple, but effective refrain.

7. Hey Jude – If songs were horses, this would be the carriage of Zeus that stomps everything in its way. Majestic, upbeat and ultimately positive. One of the best songs to grace this planet.

8. My Sweet Lord (George Harrison ) – If you believe God is love, this is it. The purest message, one of the best odes to Him.

9. Silly Love Songs (Paul McCartney ) – Again, to bring back the matter of love to simpler grounds. It’s just a silly love song, but the message is so much more. People like to overblow the meaning of love, ask for more and be suspicious, they don’t open up enough for it. And it’s just love. Simple as that.

10. Maybe I’m Amazed (Paul McCartney ) – More Paul. I have to admit, if I were a woman I’d wish someone had written song like this for me. Lucky Linda!

11. Woman (John Lennon ) – Brilliant, peaceful song about Yoko. Applies to anyone else, of course. Great statement of appreciation for women, especially since it’s from John.

12. Just Like Starting Over (John Lennon ) – Ahhhh, that melody! There’s nothing else to say but this: it perfectly describes the feeling of falling in love, over and over again!

13. You (George Harrison ) – Soooooo simple it hurts. “I love you” and “You love me” takes a reasonable part of this song? You bet. Listen to it. Opposite of “Don’t Let Me Down ” – this one is a sense of ridiculous security. 

14. All You Need Is Love – In my opinion, the one and only album closer. You might not like the song itself; repetitive and simple (altho, not THAT simple – watch for the 7/4 signature!). As Brian said, its message cannot be misinterpreted. All You Need Is Love and that is it. 

For bonus tracks? My choices would be I Will and She Loves You . First one is a beautiful, underrated Paul’s gem and the second one is, heh, back to square one: that floating, almost stupid teenage love. Yay!