Who wrote what songs? | Page 2 | Fab forum

Funny Paper said
Ah, interesting:  that's a C suspended chord.  Not surprisingly, the "Ultimate Guitar" website has the chords all different:  alternating from D7 to G7 (in the key of D apparently), then for the "But you can do something in between" line, they say it's just A.  Doesn't sound right; it does sound like a sus chord, as you say.

No, actually your source is right : it is an A chord obviously (both bass and guitar play it rather earnestly) but with the C, F and G notes sung on top of it, which makes it very bluesy because of C (bluesy third of the A chord) and F (bluesy third of D which is the key chord of the song).

They felt all of this by instinct, that's why we call them 'Fab'…

paulsbass said
Verses: It IS just Paul, imo, duetting with himself on the lower vocal. Listen to the third verse "I got no car", that deep stuff sounds very much like Paul.

On the "but I can show you a better time" George and John join in.

Chorus is sung by Paul, John and George who can be heard quite well.

The "maybe I love you" is DEFINITELY sung by Paul (maybe also George) and JOHN, who comes in from the left especially at that part, check it out.

Actually these 3 buddies blended SO well together that it's hard to tell…

Sooo… let's check it out and have a listen to the vocals only :

1) In the verses, Paul & undoubtedly John for the lower part

2) Last line of verses (note how well work C, F & G !) + chorus : Paul, George & John

3) BUT there's only one singer along with Paul on 'and maybe I'll love you' and from what I've always heard, it is George (especially after the words 'maybe' and 'I', sorry but his accent sounds different from John's !).

To be continued…

paulsbass said

You got it wrong imo, as I explained John is coming in from the left on that special part and is very clearly audible with his nasal and rough sound. If you hear and believe something different, so be it.

After listening very closely and several times to that particular line in the vocal track, I have to say the doubt is creeping in… I tried to leave any pre-conceived idea that George sings and I noticed that at the end of the line, the mysterious singer lets his 'you' last just a little longer than Paul's each of the 4 times. These 'you-a' sound very similar to John's final 'you' of 'If I Fell'… but George could also do so in the very same record (listen to his final 'you' in his own 'Think for yourself' !)

So I guess we can't be really sure at times, can we ?

(Anyway, still wondering why 15 pages of debate about the 'aaah' in 'A day in the life' while anyone with 2 ears should agree it's Paul ).

The point is, like you said, not every note has to be played (besides this is a great lesson : "less is more").

Drive My Car is built on the riff bass/guitar in unison all the way through, so the only places where proper chords are played is when the piano comes in. I've always found it intriguing when it stops on the A before the end of the chorus, letting the riff run its way : no need of more, we know where we are !

However, the reason why we can say the last line of the verses is in A major is because the riff tells us so (A – C# – E – F# – E – C#), interestingly enough after these dissonant sung notes.

Try and play D7 and G7 chords on top of the riff, it has something corny to it, except maybe in spare rhythmic accents like in the 'Love' medley where George's guitar from The Word comes on top of the Drive My Car riff.