‘All You Need Is Love’ was written by John Lennon especially for Our World, the world’s first televised satellite link-up between 25 countries worldwide. Its message perfectly encapsulated the optimistic mood of the Summer of Love, with a simplicity perfectly judged for their global audience.
We were big enough to command an audience of that size, and it was for love. It was for love and bloody peace. It was a fabulous time. I even get excited now when I realise that’s what it was for: peace and love, people putting flowers in guns.
Anthology
Our World
The BBC had suggested the idea of using new satellite relays to connect the national television networks of countries across the world, to make a live link-up on a scale previously unknown. The Beatles were the natural choice to represent Britain, and they decided to compose a new song especially for the broadcast.
I don’t know if they had prepared any ideas but they left it very late to write the song. John said, ‘Oh God, is it that close? I suppose we’d better write something.’
Our World took place on 25 June 1967; The Beatles began recording the backing track just 11 days before the transmission date. Coming just two weeks after the release of Sgt Pepper, The Beatles were clearly full of confidence, and took a the prospect of a potential audience of 400 million people in their stride.
‘All You Need Is Love’ was John’s song. I threw in a few ideas, as did the other members of the group, but it was largely ad libs like singing ‘She Loves You’ or ‘Greensleeves’ or silly things at the end and we made those up on the spot.The chorus, ‘All you need is love’, is simple, but the verse is quite complex; in fact I never really understood it, the message is rather complex. It was a good song that we had handy that had an anthemic chorus.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
A remix of ‘All You Need Is Love’ was the closing track on the Love album. The song’s ending featured vocals from ‘Baby You’re A Rich Man’, ‘Rain’, and ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, as well as the guitar riff from ‘Ticket To Ride’. The song segues into a brief orchestral snippet from ‘Good Night’, accompanied by a snippet of dialogue from The Beatles’ 1965 Christmas fan club recording.
The time got nearer and nearer and they still hadn’t written anything. Then, about three weeks before the programme, they sat down to write. The record was completed in 10 days.This is an inspired song, because they wrote it for a worldwide programme and they really wanted to give the world a message. It could hardly have been a better message. It is a wonderful, beautiful, spine-chilling record.
In the studio
The Beatles began recording ‘All You Need Is Love’ on 14 June 1967, at Olympic Sound Studios in Barnes, London. The group taped some vocals and played unconventional instruments: Lennon on harpsichord, McCartney on double bass, and Harrison playing a violin. Ringo Starr was the only member to stick to his usual instrument.
We just put a track down. Because I knew the chords I played it on whatever it was, harpsichord. George played a violin because we felt like doing it like that and Paul played a double bass. And they can’t play them, so we got some nice little noises coming out. It sounded like an orchestra, but it’s just them two playing the violin and that. So then we thought, ‘Ah, well, we’ll have some more orchestra around this little freaky orchestra that we’ve got.’ But there was no perception of how it sounded at the end until they did it that day, until the rehearsal. It still sounded a bit strange then.
Anthology
Five days later, back at Abbey Road, they overdubbed more drums, plus lead and backing vocals, piano played by George Martin and banjo by Lennon.
On 23 and 24 June they made last minute rehearsals and additional recording, including an orchestral overdub. There was also a press call on the morning of 24 June, which saw more than 100 journalists and photographers enter Abbey Road.
I’m afraid the mono mix of All You Need is Love didn’t appear on Yellow Submarine Mono LP because it’s a fold-down mix.
What if Ringo sang backing vocals on the Song? I would have loved it
AYNIL is also available on the 1967-1970 compilation (disk 1).
This song is an example of what many mean when they say genius is in simplicity. It is a masterpiece. A psychedelic english pub sing along. Pop art at its best. With Across the Universe it is probably the greatest Beatles track among many great ones. Thanks John.
The finest of songs to a world so in need of a totally committed, unconditional and heart felt sincere statement of ‘LOVE’. When I first heard this song I was so impressed by the ( professional ease), as it we’re, of The Beatles! Absolutely one of the greatest songs of ‘ love on love’ ever! Going far beyond the same type of song; ‘The Word’, Johns’ ability to literally syncopate poetry and preaching in a manner so effortlessly fluid, it surprises us it’s how truly hard this is to do sucessfully without being demeaning or demanding of our sensibilities. The Beatles truely came full circle ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah; reinventing even the pop beginnings of their own careers. The B-side ‘Baby Your A Rich Man’ even overflows with so much swagger and confidence we are literally cheering our ‘Pop-Heroes’ on! The sound produced by these songs is extremely inspiring, driving us all to believe we too can achieve our hearts desires when we believe and trust in the power of’ LOVE!’
Richard, your harmonious composition fed my soul with delight in your fulsome tribute to the Beatles. It would be wonderful to read more of your writings!
I think McCartney ad-libed from She Loves You.
McCartney didn’t sing She Loves You in All You Need Is Love, Mick Jagger did.
No, McCartney sang those lines.
Sorry Dylan but “John” sang She Loves You in All You Need Is Love. Watch the video on YouTube and you’ll see him. Quite remarkable
Is Mick Jagger from Liverpool then?
Clearly on audio and during the visual broadcast one can tell that it is John Lennon ad-libing She Loves You.
What are you talking about? Paul clearly sings it and John looks to him and they share a laugh over it.
Exactly, John Lennon
There’s actually a huge amount of debate over who ad-libs She Loves You during the broadcast, as most if not all of the Beatles are singing at that point; the real question is whose voice ended up on the recording.
It’s clear to me it’s John. His signature raspiness comes through.
On the visual broadcast, it’s difficult to decipher who is singing what. But audio? Every hardcore Beatle fan knows the distinctive timbres of the voices of John and Paul; it’s Paul singing the “She Loves You” bit.
Not only does it sound exactly like Paul, but John couldn’t sing that high. Indeed, John actually has said in interviews that there are songs HE wrote, where he had Paul sing, simply because he couldn’t hit the notes (the middle 8 of “A Hard Day’s Night, the lead of “Day Tripper,” the high melody of “If I Fell.”) And Paul has been quoted (indeed, earlier in this very article) that his contribution to the song was the She Loves You bit. FWIW, I think it’s a rare Paul misstep, and actually kind of detracts from the message of the song.
Umm Minus John they’re lip-syncing right? i don’t understand how people don’t see that. Pretty clear when paul “sings” All together now. And his bass track is NOT the same as on ideo. hence the need for Ringo’s headphones… there are definatley tracks being played that they aren’t playing live. hence the need for Ringo’s headphones.. ignore my horrible grammar please. 1 hour of sleep 🙁
Most people have never seen the complete clip of the performance. Before the song starts, George Martin is shown in the control booth starting a playback tape machine. The Beatles were playing over and singing over a pre-recorded backing track. The only things that were done live were the orchestra, Paul’s Rickenbacker bass, Ringo adding a back beat and all the vocals.
The complete clip is on Anthology.
I see.
Comments and debate are one thing, but you insinuate that anyone who believes the opposite of your opinion here is not only incorrect, but also, in your humble opinion, that person is not a “hardcore Beatle fan”.
What tommyrot!
I have always thought it was Paul, as when it first starts it sounds like him. However, as it goes on, it begins to sound more like John. To me it literally sounds like the voice morphed Paul to John, which obviously didn’t happen, but it is confusing. If I had to choose, I’d say John. Listen to the first “Yeah” the second time he says “She loves you YEAH yeah yeah”..It has a roughness to it much like John’s voice.
Hi Jake!
Check out the site Joe suggests and you’ll find you’re totally correct:
Paul starts alone, John joins in.
I agree 100% with Joe. Paul starts and John joins in right away no question.
I think it was John.
The ad-libs are from John, because that tune that is reached in the record ”saying Yesterday and She Loves You Yeah yeah, she loves you yeah yeah yeah”.
And in the complete full 7 minute version John is rehearshing saying fast ”She loves you yeah yeah, she loves you yeah yeah”.
Can anyone actually hear the banjo that John is supposedly playing?
Since I was “looking” for it I think I found it at around 2.09 doing the bass line after the “it’s easy”.
I think the banjo is pretty clear and audible throughout the last verse (from 1:56 to 2:10) intertwining with both harpsichord and bass. Sounds like a Brian Wilson-y thing.
Here in Canada,’All You Need is Love’ was the theme song for a show in the seventies. It was on the weekends (I can’t remember exactly when). The show featured kids that were available for adoption. Does anyone know the name of that show? It was on either ‘Global TV’, CBC or TVO. I’ve been racking my brains for a long time trying to figure this out.
I remember that show being here in Australia as well and cannot for the life of me remember the name of it. I do remember the island and a bouncing ball on the ocean. It was rather a strange show but we were addicted to it.
I seem to remember some plot about mind games or something. it is all a bit vague now.
The show with the giant ball was “The Prisoner,” a celebrated series from the 60s; AYNIL featured in the final episode. As for Canadian adoption programs, that’s beyond my ken.
JP: I’ve been trying to think of the name of this show for years! I remember the show. What a strange idea for a tv show lol.
I think it’s Paul singing the “she loves you” part and here’s why. In the second or third “she loves you” there’s a vocal trill that sounds like a technique that only Paul does. It’s on the “loves you” part – takes you and makes it two sylabbles long.
Also, I wonder if this is one of those moments John was referring to when he said that while Paul’s songs kept to a tight script – on his songs a whole air of experimentation seemed to open up and that John believed Paul would sabotage John’s songs in this way.
Could be. Or not.
I think this has been debated widely elsewhere on the web, so I’m slightly wary of having another discussion about it here (though the forum is always open). Have you seen this page? It suggests that it’s both John and Paul.
Cool!
That guy explains very eloquently my excact thoughts:
Paul started it, John joined in.
Please correct it.
Oh, this song brings me such joy!
Late to the party here but yes that link settles it. It is both of them. Great shout.
I’ll settle it once and for all.
It was Pete Best singing “She Loves You”.
There.
No, it was Billy Shears.
I think my ears must be a bit refined, because it’s clearly John, with no Paul. The accent guys the accent. You can hear John’s nasal quality right away. Before he sings “yeah yeah yeah” Paul throws in an “oh yeah” which is maybe part of the confusion. Also, it’s so John to do something meta like that, and not the only reference to Beatles songs within Beatles songs for John. Glass Onion comes to mind…
It’s definitely John John John no debate!!!
And I always thought it was Ringo singing the “She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah.”
having listened to the audio clip separated out -it is both – without doubt it’s both – Paul starts it and John joins right in.
Martin’s arrangement on this has been a profound influence on my entire approach to songwriting and production.
He is a master of this kind of pastiche, and I wish it was used more in popular music today.
Have never seen this written anywhere but I think it’s very interesting that they used La Marseillaise at the beginning. Given each country had a segment on the broadcast that was supposed to showcase their own country (e.g. Australia and trams in Melbourne I think), to start with the definitive French song I think must have been their sense of humor at work. You can imagine the broadcast saying, “And now from the United Kingdom…” and the first thing being the opening bars to the French national anthem.
THANK YOU for mentioning “La Marseillaise!” this song was the first time I had ever heard it, and ever since I found out what it was, I’ve wondered why they used it in this song. The explanation of John’s sense of humor makes good sense to mw.
That’s a good point, Johan, and certainly fits with John’s humor, and the general anti-French attitude by many Brits. But all the bits of other songs included on the track relate to the song’s general theme of “Love”: “Greensleeves”, “In The Mood”, “She Loves You”, etc. As for “La Marseillaise”, is not France supposed to be the world capital of romance? Or is this an expression of love from the Beatles (Britain) towards France…for the sake of peace? I can’t say I’ve ever read the definitive explanation.
I think your final thoughts are correct. I would think it is included to stress that the message of the song is international.
First let me express how I love the arrangement. Everything, starting with John’s harpsichord to the orchestra and the song snippets and the wonderful backing vocals is just mindblowingly beautiful and rich.
I never thought they really took the live recording for the single.
But in fact you can actually hear Lennon’s chewing throughout the song, most prominently at around 0.43!
And my thoughts on ANOTHER “Paul or John” debate (wich I LOVE!):
It’s clearly not John alone. Right before it there’s “Oh yeah” which is clearly Paul. The “She loves you part” sounds exactly like the “Oh yeah”, so it’s Paul doing it.
Seeing both of them singing it together there may very well be an addition of John, especially in the second “She loves you”.
Watch the original broadcast and note the 2:04-2:06 mark and you can see John practicing singing “she loves you.” Again at about the 6:05 you can clearly see him singing it and Paul is smiling off mic.
I totally agree with you. to me it is obvius it was john and not paul, and whoever thinks the first bit of ‘she loves you’ sounds the same as the ‘oh yeh’ bit sang by paul does not have a good ear. No offense to anyone but there’s no doubt it’s john. You can even clearly see it on the video, plus when he sings the she loves you bit you cannot hear his voice at the back singing ‘love is all you need’ which you can when he’s not doing the ad libs. No doubt to me it’s john.
Cheers
Did you read the article that Joe posted earlier?
Does John play an Elecric baldwin harpsichord or a regular one?
>>>>> 7/8 ! <<<<<
Didn't ANYbody notice the VERY unusual and remarkable metrics in this song???
Immediately after the horn-intro at 2:40 you can only count 4/4 + 3/4 = 7/8
And later on in ALL 3 verses were John sings these 2 lines at 3:59
"There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung"
The next line is the normal 8/8: ("Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game")
JUST COUNT with them and be astonished!!
In here Ringo can't play a pattern and is forced to beat on EVERY bar….
Must be rehearsed intensely because NOBODY makes the easy -1 bar too long- mistake.
THIS is all extremely RARE in music-history and another prove of their genius!
—–
I think my remarks are important enough to mention within the data of the song (at the studio or so) "build in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4"
(sorry for my poor english, I am dutch – please improve)
The Beatles used odd time signatures many times in their songs – possibly more often than you realise. There’s a thread on the subject in the Fab Forum.
Thanks for pointing that forum – very interesting!
Yes, those of us that were adults at the time when this song came out did notice at least some of the time signatures.
You’re correct that the time signature in the verses alternate between 4/4 and 3/4, but that is NOT the same as 7/8. Just saying.. 😉
Hello Beatle Detailists!
So here’s my question to you all: I KNOW I read somewhere (it could’ve been a sound interview but I feel like I read it…) that John said he began writing this lyric from a SARCASTIC point-of-view! Like “Oh yeah, ALL your problems will be solved with ‘love’…HA!”….. AND HE/I/YOU COULD SEE THAT! John was often sarcastic and he was quick to notice and talk (or sing) about various ironies in life. In that unknown/forgotten interview, he said that either after he wrote AYNIL, or perhaps during the process, he then looked at the lyric and realized that a more literal interpretation of the lofty concepts in AYNIL’s lyrics made amazing poetic sense, and, consequently, John had an about-face regarding the song’s meaning. As time went on, as I understand it, John came to view AYNIL as, in many respects, his SIGNATURE song, at least in terms of a message describing his deepest values and ideals (probably along with Give Peace A Chance). Ironic, no?!
I think the story that John wrote AYNIL ironically, and then changed his mind, is absolutely one of the ways that the lyrics of John & the Beatles came together. They had some inspiration, quickly put something down and then sooner or later realized the lyric worked in other ways.
However, has anyone else seen that interview?! I really don’t think I’m making this up or imagining it. Beatle sleuths: do your work!
Listen very carefully to near the end of the song – just before the opening notes of Green Sleeves (or Love is Blue) starts up. John distinctly says something that sounds like “Yes, he’s dead”. I have heard the song for years but didn’t notice it until now. It is eerie that once that statement is made Green Sleeves or Love is Blue (a popular hit at the time) dominates the end of the song changing it from happy, silly and hopeful to sad and melancholy.
That’s “Yesterday”, as in the Beatles song.
Hmmm… Possible, but I have my doubts. Like John’s statement “cranberry sauce” at the end of “Strawberry Fields Forever” this may be open to interpretation. I am intrigued by how clever they were with the PID “clues” in their music and graphics. Great web-site Joe – glad I found it.
Billy, give it a rest. Joe told you clearly what John sang. Its clear as a bell.
wow, how could ANY of you think that it is john singing the “she loves you” at the end..that’s paul..I’ve known that since i was 10
Give it a rest. I’ve known the last part sounds exactly like John since I was 8. Now, what?
It’s been explained above…
Yes, he’s dead, all my troubles seemed so far away
I always thought he said “yes, you get it”
I have always heard “Guess again”. Seems like the perfect Lennon-esque moment to me…?
I hear, Yes it is.
Always sounded like “get together” to me. There was a song out around that time with that title. Who knows….
I found your comment as I’m researching the same subject. I, too, remember either reading or hearing John say words to the effect that AYNIL was meant as sarcasm. I think the rather mocking-sounding descending chromatic horn lick in the chorus reinforces this attitude, the implied idea being: “yeah, sure — love, HARD WORK, AND / OR A LOT OF LUCK, is all you need!” Also, I’ve always felt John’s meaning in every verse line is INCORRECTLY perceived by most listeners to be encouraging, when it is actually a rather cynical, fatalistic message; i.e., taken literally, (and John seems usually very careful about every word he writes) “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done” does NOT mean ‘There’s nothing you can’t do’, but rather ‘If it can’t be done, you, or anyone, is not going to be able to do it.” This carries all the way to the last line, “…nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be”, meaning, ‘Wherever you are is where you’re supposed to be, so don’t try to change it’ (sort of a predestination statement). (the tails of the third lines, “…learn how to play the game” and “…learn how to be you inside” lead perfectly to the more encouraging idea of the Chorus.) I suppose the Chorus (“It’s easy, AYNIL”) is not sarcastic if taken to mean, “Life’s easy, if you don’t concern yourself with anything except having love in your life, because you can’t change the other circumstances”. (or, put another way, “Don’t fret over things over which you have no control; but you can ‘learn the game’ and ‘be yourself’ and be content with your station in life and focus on doing good to others (love)”.
I don’t mean to be nit-picky but I couldn’t help but notice that during this article’s description of the band’s friends who were invited to the “Our World” session Keith Richards’s name is spelled Keith Richard. It’s really Keith Richards.
Yes, but at the time he was known as Keith Richard.
I think John Lennon´s All You Need Is Love is the Beatles best song. The more you listen, the more you love it. It is seemingly simple. It starts with long anthemic so wonderful notes, it´s more like a hymn than pop music. Lennon could have been inspired by the divine service music he loved as a child. Then follows that for Lennon typical hammering on the same note in the refrain. Some people think it is repetitive, but the point is that this is a condition for fully appreciate the sudden following arise of two notes, the marvellous climax. Then the resolve. According to Albert Goldman, Lennon said that a good song must have a climax and a resolve. The ending is not good when everybody sings the refrain, the song loses a bit of it´s stringency.
Everybody who works with that song says the more you listen the more you love it.
George Martin had never quit the same understanding for Lennon´s music, than for McCartney´s. When Martin heard it the first time he leaned toward Paul and muttered: “Well, it´s certainly repetitive”, according to Bob Spitz´s book about the Beatles.
This song has less to do with divine service music than it does with Gene Vincent. The chorus is just a re-write of “Ain’t She Sweet” from the Bluejean Bop album.
Not sure where you get the ‘divine service’ info from. Coukd you oblige and post a link to your source?
Hey Slipper of the Yard.
Just listen. The hymns or psalms you sing in the church, on the divine services, are always melodies with long notes, like the bit “…love love love…” and more, in All You Need Is Love.
For me I cannot hear any song in “pop” music resembling this melody. As a matter of fact I even think that All You Need Is Love has big similarities with Wagners overtyre to Tannhäuser. Both melodies are magnificent and grand. And In Tannhäuser there are repeating three long notes in differrent shapes, very very typical for Lennon i many songs.
Like Yellow Submarine, the song sounds deceptively simple, yet is a stunningly complex composition. The orchestration, the harmonies, the time-changes… It’s so clever. It took me a few listens to appreciate that. John saying ‘I suppose we’d better write something,’ then coming up with this says it all, really.
I always heard it as “Yes, you can” but now that you have brought up Yes, he’s dead” I know that is how I am going to hear it from now until the end of time. Great tune.
I saw a rare recording of the song and saw john practicing the “she loves you” part. But when I listened to the song, it sounded like Paul… IDK guys it can be both of them xD
Not much more to be said, but I will add a couple of observations after watching the wonderful video of this song:
1) There’s a shot of Mick Jagger joylessly singing and clapping along. I may be imagining this but I get the feeling he is jealous of all the attention the Beatles are getting at this new career peak.
2) George’s solo has a distinctly slide-y feel. No doubt, its just the way he’s bending the notes, but it really does sound like his later slide work to me.
I share your perception of Jagger’s jealousy.
Great note on George’s guitar solo sound. Listening to this song, I had the feeling that this might be the first time George has been playing slide, although it is known that he started playing slide in December 1969.
George did utilize a slide guitar tape setting on the Mellotron on “Strawberry Fields Forever” and he was experimenting with slide guitar techniques as early as 1965 – there is also slide guitar on “Run for Your Life”, but according to Dave Rybaczewski’s page on the song http://www.beatlesebooks.com/run-for-your-life, George was pulling the chord position on his left hand and on his solo for “The End”, he was showcasing the earliest example of what was to become his signature slide guitar sound, if not with an actual slide.
Thanks for your comment. Right, Run For Your Life has to be the earliest case. Personally, I love this song. Fantastic guitar and vocals.
Great song & video, glad the Beatles did the first ever live Satellite show!
Peace and love, peace and love! That’s what Ringo would say! ????????
The perfect anthem for 1967, but this song is timeless as well. John Lennon custom made this for the TV broadcast. From the French national anthem to the great fade out this is a classic.
I knew Evan Watkins in the seventies when he was in Southampton as a Brass teacher and conductor of the Southampton Youth Orchestra. I didn`t realise until years after he died that he was part of this live studio performance with the Beatles.
He certainly never mentioned it as far as I know – but then he was the sort of musician and person who wouldn`t need to,
really!
Re the comment regarding the 4/4 – 3/4 content. I don’t know if anyone knows whether Ringo found that a problem or not – I suppose one could ask him – but that would not be showing love. I would have thought that he would cope, especially when you think of the number of times they must have gone through the number – albeit with the recording date drawing near. Is it not possible that Ringo was asked to keep the 4/4 going so that you had a gentle clash – then coming into sync again later when the 3/4 bars have actually “caught up”, so to speak, without going into the maths of it. Does anyone know the different influences that brought that alternate rhythm about? Could it have been John himself – I`d like to think so! He might have been going through it to himself and thought “to much gap – start a beat earlier” or even just find himself playing it like that without thinking, because it fitted better – then realised it was now a bar of 4 – then 3!. I suppose the possibilities are endless – but maybe someone else can clarify what actually happened. A very similar thing happens (for example) in “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff.
No, cdesim, you are not absolutely right. The interval between two two first notes in the chorus in “Aint She Sweet” is half, but in All You Need Is Love it is whole.
In his book about The Beatles, Jonathan Gould (2007) describes the year 1967 with The Beatles great singles: Strawberry Fields Forver, All You Need Is Love and I Am The Walrus — all are, as we know today, Lennon compositions.
But 1968
Ned Rorum in New York Review of Books, January 1968,
Readers Digest 1968,
The Pengiun Stereo Record Guide first edition,
and Das Grosse Lexikon der Musik 1978,
and many many others for many many years wrote that McCartney was the songwriter, or melody composer in The Beatles, not Lennon.
How could this happen? That contributed to the split of The Beatles.
Oh Johan, Johan, you are repeating yourself my friend. You said the same things in your post for “Across The Universe.” We get it, John was short changed and Paul unfairly received the lion’s share of credit for making The Beatles so great.
Both men were/are what made The Beatles along with George and Ringo. Minus any one of them and we have a very different history. John and Paul brought out the worst in each but, more importantly, the very best in each other. Enjoy their music and just Let It Be.
Great UK single. I love collecting the original UK stuff
I remember reading in a book that both John and Paul were asked to submit s song for the telecast. We obviously know the song that John submitted but did Paul offer Your Mother Should Know or was it Altogether Now or Hello Goodbye? If I’m wrong on all three songs,which song did Paul offer? I’ve read in one book that it may have been Your Mother Should Know. Would love someone to answer this one for me Thanks.
To Marc Pepin. It was Your Mother Should Know, according to Mark Hertsgaard in his book A Day In The Life, 1995.
Superficially heard the chorus “all you need is love” is monotonic, Lennon is singing on the same note, a little anthemic-like. But the point is that these same notes are necessary to fully to take part in the following little step upwards, a half interval, or a so called second, up.The effect is deeply moving, a cry from heart.
In Music history this step is called “the lamentation second”. You can hear it in the “tutti e finito-motif” in Macbeth by Verdi. The lamentation second is known since the baroque-period.
Lennon´s All You Need Is Love is The Beatles best song. It is moving and hypnotic.
When the Swedish king recently was honoured on his birthday, they were singing this melody. It was wunerful.
It’s a very fine song but I don’t know if it’s their very best. A great choice to play for the Swedish king I agree as “I Am The Walrus” or “Run For Your Life” would not have been as appropriate, though I dare say John Lennon himself would disagree and enjoy the laugh.
Actually, Cavalli has a point concerning Lennon’s inclination to write quite monotonous songs, or rather parts of songs to achieve a contrast between, say, verse and chorus. This is fairly common in pop music, and emanates from the classical tradition of composing; either a horizontal melody set to vertical harmonies, or the other way around: a vertical melody to horizontal harmonies. The chorus of “All You Need Is Love” and the verses of “I Am the Walrus”, for instance, are typical examples of the former, while a song like “Your Mother Should Know” is a good example of the latter.
Of course there are exceptions, and quite a lot of them in The Beatles’ catalogue; John’s “This Boy”, “If I Fell” and “I’ll Be Back” are certainly vertical melodies, for instance.
It’s harder to find horizontal (monotonous) melodies in Paul’s songs, but on the other hand he often achieved amazing results composing “the hard way” flawlessly; vertical melodies to vertical harmonies.
If anybody here doesn’t really understand my reasoning about this, I will try to explain i further 🙂
I don’t think you meant to use the word monotonous in your thoughtful explanation. Certainly, Mr. Cavalli would never, ever deem any of John’s music as monotonous, he might use it to describe Paul’s music which would also be a mistake.
Well, I’m not trying to diminish the value of a song because of it being monotonous in parts (like monotonous=boring). I believe a song like “Come Together”, for instance, owes its instant impact to the one note repetition in the verses, among other things, especially set in juxtaposition to the chorus.
But I admit, I’m trying to find redeeming factors in the very one-sided posts of mr Cavalli.. I have nothing but love and admiration for the works of all four Beatles.
I’m a Beatles fan, not a Lennon or McCartney fan 😉
I am with you. I have enjoyed/loved their music collectively and individually forever. I don’t care if its montonic or Greek chorus; who wrote which verse or that line, etc., etc. knowing that information is interesting but the bitter competition between some John/Paul and to a lesser extent George fans seems to take the fun out of it. My only regret is The Beatles disbanded so soon, though for them they had already been together a small lifetime and they never had an opportunity to consider getting back together due to John’s death. Otherwise all of their music is wonderful and great fun-even their “clunkers” -which are still pretty darn good. Continue to enjoy!!
Great point, in fact the melody to ‘If I Fell’ is arguably the most melodious song the Beatles ever recorded.
Thank you Hennyon. Your comment is the most interesting I´ve read here. I would really appreciate if you could give me some example on horizontal melodies to vertical harmonies. I have only one example, for the moment, except Lennon: In Puccinis Tosca there are several — opposed to Boheme — melodies with that structure. It´s wunderful.
Who cares who sang what and where it’s a beautiful song and will still be played long after we are all long gone.
Has anybody made a comment on Paul’s mistake in bass at the end if the song? Which he played live. As soon as he makes a mistake, he repeats it in order to get back on
1. Paul makes mistake with wrong note
2. John says “yesterday”
3. Paul repeats wrong note
4. Paul says “woh”
Hah, well spotted, though it sounds more like the bass was ‘dropped out’ at these points rather than a wrong note.
You’re wrong. Paul didn’t say “woh”, is John. And, John didn’t say “he’s dead”?
Sorry for the conspiration. I share the perception of Slipper.
In the video, you can see that someone moves the microphone away from him, tries to bring him closer first with one leg, then with his left hand
Why is the Our World video not available on U Tube ?
I know this is one of the Fabs’ most iconic songs… But I kind of hate it. From the Marseillaise at the beginning to the never-ending and far too busy outro, it’s too much of an assault to really enjoy it. This’ll probably earn me the scorn of Beatles fans the world over, but to me, this isn’t anywhere near the best song they ever made.
Never one of my favorites, either. It was simply a case of “right song, right time”.
Well, yeah. Not the best song they ever made. But, don’t you ever think, “they did this song too??” And don’t you get amazed at how Lennon had culled this idea, at such short notice, into what the four of them did?
No. Not really. It’s just a song. Some people love it; I don’t. It’s O.K., but I do skip it more often than not.
Hey, just noticed a young Eddie Kramer engineered on this session. He went on to Engineer for Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin sessions
Important note, according to John Ringo never actually played drums on this song. Apparently one of the Beatles held an upright bass while Ringo hit the strings with his drumsticks and another Beatle hit a tambourine. If you isolate one side of the record you can hear the wood of the drumsticks hitting the wood of the bass.
Jonah–I hear a drum kit, but that was exactly what I thought those clicks sounded like–sticks on an upright bass. Also, Mr. Joe–there’s tambourine in the song, not listed above 🙂
OK, listening to this, I believe it’s Paul drumming and hitting the upright with the bow. Check out how at 1:55 the bass notes are immediately replaced by the clicking. And then at 2:11, the drumming on the upright stops and is immediately replaced with plucked notes. Actually, at 0:17 the bowed bass note is replaced by the drumming too. I rest my case!
Can anyone definitively answer a question for me?:
All the online lyric listings I can find for AYNIL give the line as “you can learn how to be you in time,” but I’m hearing it as “you can learn how to be you inside.”
Which is it?
Yes.
LOL! I can make myself hear either. I really can’t tell.
George’s staccato lead guitar played against the beat is amazing.
wow … the more comments i read the more im convinced i should have stuck with my path towards a Psychology degree . wow … just wow …
That´s why I think “All You Need Is Love” is an absolut masterpiece.
A common mistake in commenting songs is to mix, or confound, lyrics with the melody. These two things are absolute NOT synonymous. As matter of fact, that´s two different kinds of art.
The lyrics in “All You Need Is Love” is a message. But the music is about something else. It´s a pleading and desperation.
Composed by John Lennon. Recorded in June 1967. Seemingly simple, but grows the more you listen to it. It can be devided in two parts, and the songs whole melody has an increasing tension.
It begins with a wonderful anthem like choir singing ”love love love”, suitable in a church, accompanied with strings. It is such an atmosphere ! (But music people call it ”rock”!)
Then follows a speaking by Lennon to a background music from the beginning.,That is interesting, because this is a tendency to rap, a little before his time. The background singing consists of these long legato line melody. This combination of rap, and the long notes in the background is today very common, as i hear it. The anthem feeling is maintained. In many covers f the song, that background choir singing is taken away. The singer believe just the singing is important.
After that a half speaking-singing followed by the chorus ”All you neeed is love”.
When you comes to the chorus, it arises another kind of music. The melody is not ”mobile”. Must a good melody always be ”mobile”? The question is instead, how to make the most expressive melody?
Lennon is s c r e a m i n g the chorus twice on the same notes. An a p p e a l i n g and desperate singing. Then it goes to a climax, wheh he sings “…all you need is love…” the third time, on a ittle note step up. That´s the climax. The little step up wouldn´t be so effective, if not the chorus twice were sung on the s a m e before. Then follows some resolving notes.
Lennon said that a good song “must have climax and fesolve”. That was called ”the lamentation second” during the baroque epoch. The music is marvellous and moving.
–When Lennon sang it the first time to George Martin, Martin didn´t understand, or liked it all. Martin preferred mobile songs like the songs from 1930s by Ifrwing Berlin, Bing Crosby. He leaned to McCartney and muttered ”Well, it is certainly is repetative”. George Martin preferred a long time McCartney´s meodies.
–What inpired Lennon to this music? The Beatles were just finished with the de-energized, boring and overrated album Sgt Pepper. Was this frech music a reaction to it. Or had he met Yoko at that time? No . One gets surprised of his broad talent. Engineer Geoff Emerick said about Lennon:
”…the depth of his abilities as both a songwriter and a performer, which was really astonishing. John Lennon wasn´t just a rock n roller, he had a lot of facets to him. He was a monumental talent”.
Today when I have heard “popular music” on the radio, and suddenly hear this song, I become complete astonished. So totally different to other melodies. This anrhem and pleading !!