If someone tells me that they don’t like the Beatles, I never say they’re wrong (even if it’s what I’m thinking!) but nobody is able to deny how unique and influential the band’s sound is. But here’s the tricky part: what is their sound? Sure, you often hear a song and recognise a Beatlesque edge to it, but can you define a singular sound that describes the entire musical output of the band? The only answer to this question is no – simply because the Beatles have had a range of different sounds throughout their career. When I praise the Beatles, it’s usually because of their love of experimenting with music. Again and again, they incorporated new elements into their music which made virtually every one of their songs different from the others (and if not every song, then definitely every album). Paul McCartney and John Lennon are definitely my favourite songwriters, just because they weren’t afraid of trying new things. In this article, I’ll discuss five of their songs to show how their style has changed and how this changing style made them the great band that they were.

 1.     Eight Days A Week: Listen Here

It’s probably best to discuss these songs in chronological order, so let’s start with the insanely catchy “Eight Days a Week.” This song was released on their 1964 album Beatles for Sale, and is probably one of their most widely known songs. Relatively close to the start of their career, this song is not extremely experimental and relies heavily on melodic and rhythmic hooks, although there are some aspects of the song which made it unique from other pop songs of this time. However, before I discuss these aspects, I’ll discuss the hooks first. The most obvious thing to state is that the title of the song is repeated in the lyrics over and over again, and it’s a clever and memorable title too. With a simple melody created around this title, it makes for a catchy hook. As well as this, the sequence of “Hold me, Love me” which is punctuated by two rapid hand claps is ridiculously catchy and is probably the best-known part of the song (not to mention my favourite part of it!). So, as you can see, this song was similar to other songs of the time in that it had its little hooks. However, there are some odd elements in here. For example, take a look at the bridge – the harmony is quite striking. This is due to the use of parallel fifths and parallel fourths in the vocal harmonies. It hits the ear in a strange way, as it’s a harmony that isn’t usually heard in pop music; it grabs the listener’s attention. Then, in the second half of the bridge, the harmony switches to parallel sixths and thirds, which is much more conventional and pleasing to the ear. In doing this, Lennon and McCartney create a bridge which is both strange and accessible to the listener. In short, this song is simple but very, very clever.

  2.     Girl: Listen Here

“Girl” is a lesser-known Beatles track from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. However, while it is not known as well as some of their other songs, it more or less typifies the sound and style of this album. At this time, folk music was becoming a very popular style of music (with the rise of artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell), particularly amongst the youth of the day. It was only natural that elements of this style would creep into the Beatles’ music, be it to keep up with popular trends or merely as an accident. Much of the music of this album employed a more rustic, folksy sound than what the Beatles had composed up to this point. In most people’s opinions, this was a good thing – it was comfortably similar to what the Beatles had released before, but still different enough to be interesting. These elements of folk music can most definitely be heard in “Girl.” The instrumentation is heavily acoustic, the lyrics are emotional and contain a hint of storytelling, and the counter-melody of the bridge is played by what sounds like a mandolin (but may be some kind of guitar). What sets this song apart from typical folk songs, however, is how the lyrics and music interact with each other. The verses suggest a minor key – which is where the sad lyrics are:

     “When I think of all the times I’ve tried so hard to leave her

     She will turn to me and start to cry,

     And she promises the earth to me and I believe her

     After all this time, I don’t know why”

However, the chorus then modulates to a major key, which indicates the singer’s desire for the girl regardless of what she has done. Coupled with the repetition of the one word “girl” that makes up the chorus, both music and lyrics indicate this desire. This tight relationship between music and lyrics had not been a big part of folk music of this time, so it created a unique song. It can be seen in this song that the Beatles didn’t merely just change their style to suit current trends, but rather used new styles to experiment with their songwriting.

  3.    Tomorrow Never Knows: Listen Here

There’s no way I couldn’t include this song. The final track on the 1966 album Revolver, it’s strange, unique, and considered one of the greatest songs of its time. Not long after the release of Rubber Soul, the Beatles responded to the counterculture in a big way. Invoking ideas of psychedelia and meditation, this song is just wonderfully weird. A number of strange things are combined in this song such as drones and tape loops. The drone (on C) begins at the start of the song, and is consistent throughout the remainder; it invokes an Indian element in the music which is quite unusual for any popular song at this place and time. The tape loops are an even stranger idea, but they work; there are guitar phrases which are reversed and sped up, a laughing voice sped up to sound like a seagull, an orchestral chord from a Sibelius symphony, and more. These all come together to form an incoherent but hypnotic sound. This hypnotic sound is added to in the vocals: Lennon’s vocals were played through revolving speakers to add another ethereal aspect to the music. The drum beat, along with the music itself, is repetitive which furthers this meditative feeling even more. To make a long story short, this song is just completely different to anything the Beatles had done up to this point. It’s completely experimental, and added a very unusual element to Revolver.

  4.     Glass Onion: Listen Here

Part of the 1968 album The Beatles, “Glass Onion” is unique primarily because of its lyrics. They have been interpreted in many ways, and it is unclear what way we should listen to them. The first thing you’ll notice about this song is that it is self-referential. What I mean by this is that it makes reference to past songs by the Beatles. Here’s some examples of what I mean:

     “I told you ‘bout strawberry fields,

     You know the place where nothing is real”

     “I told you ‘bout the walrus and me, man

     You know that we’re as close as can be, man”

Here, the lyrics have made explicit references to “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “I Am the Walrus.” What is interesting is that these two songs are also difficult to interpret lyrically. Many argue that Lennon wrote strange lyrics on purpose, as a reaction against those who had dissected his lyrics to find some kind of deeper meaning within them. He seems to be poking fun at them by hinting that “the walrus was Paul.” So is it a parody? A reaction against the people who analyze the lyrics too much? Does it even matter? These questions probably can’t be answered, and that’s the beauty of this song. The lyrics make you think, which makes them unique. This song really is a great example of the Beatles’ knack with writing lyrics.

  5.     Oh! Darling: Listen Here

There’s absolutely no way I could talk about the Beatles’ style without discussing a song from their 1969 album Abbey Road. I chose this song not because it is extremely strange and different, but more so because it could fit in to any period of the band’s style. Saying that, it’s still completely different and separate from any of their other songs. It’s a hybrid of sorts, combining heavy blues with a doo-wop sound. It stands apart from other blues-style songs in that it doesn’t follow the typical 12-bar blues form, which of course makes it discernible from other blues songs. This, combined with the doo-wop style, makes the song something fresh and new. This mix of styles is emphasized by the vocals. As the song starts, the vocals are relatively smooth and soft-sounding like a typical doo-wop vocal. However, as the song progresses, they become much more gritty and sound very much like what you’d expect a blues vocal to sound like. This song is admirable because even though the Beatles had already carried out greater experiments with music, they still tampered with classic styles and forms in an interesting but also aesthetically pleasing way.

The Beatles: L-R George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney

So there you have it; a brief outline of how the Beatles achieved uniqueness. Any songwriter, whether they like the Beatles or not, can learn from their constant musical experimentation. It’s important to try things you’ve never tried in a song before, to try borrowing from different styles, and to think outside the box. It can’t be denied that it definitely worked for the Beatles!

Justin Ryan.

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