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5 November 2014
9.15pm
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meanmistermustard
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Was listening to Emmylou’s cover of this earlier and i got wondering about the lines “she says that long ago she knew someone but now he’s gone she doesn’t need him.” Is the someone in that the “you” in the song who over the years has changed and become a different person who she doesn’t know anymore and therefore doesn’t need? It’s common in a relationship for one or both to change and the love to go. I’ve always taken it to mean there was someone else she knew but maybe its not.

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5 November 2014
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Ron Nasty
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I’ve always felt Paul wrote the song about Jane, and her growing independence of him. The young Beatles, as John admitted, were all quite chauvinistic, and were looking for the “wifey” at home to wait on them hand and foot. Paul was quite supportive of Jane’s career to begin with, as her having a “hobby” made her less demanding on his time. As her career took off though, she wasn’t as available to him as he wanted, and became less tolerant of his demands and expectations, becoming less and less supportive – and more and more jealous – of her career.

I think that’s what the song is about, a recognition on Paul’s part that his demands were driving them apart, and Jane questioning where the supportive man she’d fallen in love had gone. He switches it to make her the one who’d changed and lost sight of him, rather than admit he was the one who’d not kept up with her, and resented her hobby becoming a career.

You only need to look at how close he kept Linda, the one-legged one, and now Nancy. Linda is a good example, as she went from being a photographer to Paul’s partner, who occasionally took photos.

The song to me is Paul admitting making demands about the type of relationship he wanted, and not taking responsibility for that driving a wedge between them.

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6 November 2014
12.50am
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Mr. Kite
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I think RN got the analysis right.

As for that one line, I always thought he was referring to himself for some reason. It seemed to make sense in the poetic way Paul writes, and since he’s the one who’s changed (the person she knew is gone) that’s why the she in the song left.

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6 November 2014
1.39pm
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Into the Sky with Diamonds
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I’ve always taken the lyrics at face value, perhaps because I can personally relate to them in that way.

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19 February 2015
11.54am
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For some reason, the phrase “a love that should have lasted years” always struck me as so poignant.  Even as a kid hearing this song for the first time, the sense of loss and regret imbued in those words just stabbed me in the heart.  It’s strange, because of all the other beautiful and haunting lyrics in this song, this is the one that does it to me. *sob*

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19 February 2015
8.24pm
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Sugarplum fairy
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I reckon Ron’s astute take on this song could be right, but Paul produces songs out of disparate bits of anything he hears so who knows what was really in his head.  I really like that song and it’s nice to play on acoustic guitar. 

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9 March 2015
1.45am
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Beatlebug
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Beautiful song. The lyrical device is very interesting to me– putting it in third second person and talking about events from the outside in that curiously detached way makes it that much more poignant. And the irresolute ending is just icing on the cake. Of course, as soon as– no, before– the last notes have faded away I’m already expecting “Be ma friend a said you’d call Dr Robert,” which spoils the effect somewhat. a-hard-days-night-paul-7 It’s even more spoiled when you rewrite it as “…tears, cried For No Pun” in the Beatles puns threada-hard-days-night-george-9

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9 March 2015
4.42pm
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Starr Shine?
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Silly Girl said sarkasticaly
 putting it in third person

I thought the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

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9 March 2015
4.56pm
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PeterWeatherby
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Annadog40 said

Silly Girl said
 putting it in third person

I though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

It’s third person in the same sense as “She Loves You ” — the singer is reporting on or talking about two other people. It may not be proper “third person” in the grammatical sense, though.

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9 March 2015
4.57pm
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Beatlebug
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Annadog40 stated 

Silly Girl worded it 
 putting it in third person

I though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

Er, yeah, something like that. a-hard-days-night-george-9Anyway, the point is it’s you and her, not me and her or me and you. 

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9 March 2015
5.28pm
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vonbontee
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Annadog40 said

Silly Girl said
 putting it in third person

I though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

Exactly. Although if it’s actually Paul singing about himself like some feel, then a first-person claim cold also be made.

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GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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9 March 2015
5.41pm
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Beatlebug
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vonbontee said from behind a mask 

Annadog40 barked at the moon 

Silly Girl spoke frivolously   
 putting it in third person

I though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

Exactly. Although if it’s actually Paul singing about himself like some feel, then a first-person claim cold also be made.

Well, what I meant was that the narrator is telling the story from an outside point of view. Whether the narrator is Paul, or whether the narrator is Paul talking about/to himself from outside (why not? I talk to myself all the time.) is Another Girl — I mean, story. a-hard-days-night-george-10

The point (and not point of view) is that it makes the song sort of detached, like the person is sort of numb and disbelieving and he’s trying to make sense of “Why Did It Die?” 

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9 March 2015
5.57pm
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vonbontee
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OK, fair enough. And hey, you finally gave yourself an avatar! I like it. 

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GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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9 March 2015
6.35pm
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Bongo
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PeterWeatherby said

Annadog40 said

Silly Girl said
 putting it in third person

I though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”

It’s third person in the same sense as “She Loves You ” — the singer is reporting on or talking about two other people. It may not be proper “third person” in the grammatical sense, though.

Oh, oh, now I’m thinking about Sgt. Pepper and his lonely hearts club band….

stay-on-topic

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22 April 2016
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O Boogie
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One of (if not the) Paul’s finest moments. The exquisite beauty of this melody and the lyrics is just otherworldly. 

 

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22 April 2016
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I get chills every time I here the very end. I’m not sure who had the idea to end it with such soft abruptness (Paul? George M.?), but it is brilliant.

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5 July 2017
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Dark Overlord
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I just listened to Revolver and this is a real great track, a great baroque pop number but i was listening to the bass track and then i thought, is it possible that George played bass on this song, the bass is fairly simple and it would make sense considering how busy Paul is with the piano and vocals. If he did, it’s most likely that he used the Burns bass that he used earlier at the Paperback Writer sessions as well as for She Said, She Said.

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7 July 2017
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meanmistermustard
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The bass was overdubbed by Paul.

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7 July 2017
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Dark Overlord
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You’re probably right on that one, it’s just weird that Paul played such a basic part.

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7 July 2017
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sir walter raleigh
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Dark Overlord said
You’re probably right on that one, it’s just weird that Paul played such a basic part.  

It works with the song. The left hand on piano does most of the work. 

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