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9.15pm
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1 May 2011
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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.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
10.09pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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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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12.50am
Reviewers
4 February 2014
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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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Oudis1.39pm
10 August 2011
Offline I’ve always taken the lyrics at face value, perhaps because I can personally relate to them in that way.
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11.54am
22 September 2014
Offline 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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8.24pm
3 August 2014
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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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Beatlebug1.45am
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline 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. 
It’s even more spoiled when you rewrite it as “…tears, cried For No Pun” in the Beatles puns thread. 
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4.42pm
1 November 2013
Offline 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”
4.56pm
5 February 2010
Offline Annadog40 said
Silly Girl said
putting it in third personI 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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4.57pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline Annadog40 stated
Silly Girl worded it
putting it in third personI though the song was from second person P.O.V since the singer refers to “you”
Er, yeah, something like that. Anyway, the point is it’s you and her, not me and her or me and you.
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5.28pm
1 December 2009
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Annadog40 said
Silly Girl said
putting it in third personI 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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5.41pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline vonbontee said from behind a mask
Annadog40 barked at the moon
Silly Girl spoke frivolously
putting it in third personI 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. 
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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5.57pm
1 December 2009
Offline OK, fair enough. And hey, you finally gave yourself an avatar! I like it.
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BeatlebugGEORGE: 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.
6.35pm
28 March 2014
Offline PeterWeatherby said
Annadog40 said
Silly Girl said
putting it in third personI 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….
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12.28pm
27 April 2015
Offline 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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1.24pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline 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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10.19pm
10 March 2017
Offline 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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4.35am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline The bass was overdubbed by Paul.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
3.09pm
10 March 2017
Offline You’re probably right on that one, it’s just weird that Paul played such a basic part.
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3.18pm
26 January 2017
Offline 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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