From ' Don't Bother Me ' To ' Something ' -- George Harrison As A Songwriter

Not at 1966-era tax rates, they aren't. Sir Paul pays a much lower percentage than he did in '66.

 

..not a great song but it's one of those songs that works pretty well (for me)because it's THEM doing it. There are a few Lennon/McCartney songs that fall in the same category. The charisma they had as a group somehow tended to permeate their recordings and they naturally made an OK song pretty good or "charming" (I know haters of Maxwell will say much to the contrary)

 

Also:

The added sixth chord in She Loves You
The "Ah, look at all the lonely people" line in Eleanor Rigby
Some lines in Come Together (he's not said specifically which ones)
He helped piece together bits of John's songs like She Said She Said and Don't Let Me Down
And of course various riffs, fills, etc.

He's said he was there during the creation of I Feel Fine, but again was vague. For all his moaning he didn't say much about what he never got credit for unless pushed which is interesting to me.

 

He is an A-scale artist - right there with Lennon and McCartney, just a bit later (he was also a bit younger).

In my opinion, all artists have a peak period/era. With The Beatles, John peaked first (63-67) then Paul (65-69) and then George (68-71). Pick almost any artist and you'll probably find a handful of years you thought they were at their best/cutting edge/innovative. Sure, there are exceptions that come before or after, but the bulk is during the peak years.

 

My favorite songs are all about relationships. Never care for topical songs, whether I agree with them or not

 

What other early Beatles songs read like a series of not funny jokes?

 

My favorite lyrics are not about any particular topic, but they address whatever that topic may be in an interesting way. Lorenz Hart and Leonard Cohen wrote excellent relationship songs. The Beatles' relationship lyrics are, to me, juvenile and amateurish.

 

Did you not see which bit I highlighted? Regardless, there's a whole lotta misogyny in lyrics which are meant to be construed as cheeky.

I don't find John's attempts to take the piss out of fans particularly funny either.

 

I don't know about Blue Jay Way and Piggies, sir. I think people try to claim George wrote It Don't Come Easy because it's a hit. George got a credit for co-writing Photograph (a #1 hit). And there's a story that George helped Ringo write Octopus' Garden. So...

 

Nothing deep its true. Basic catchy pop song stuff. I like it.

Taxman is just dumb and annoying. Barely even reads like a song. But that's fine, I tune out the words and focus on the guitar and bass. It's a nice showcase for Paul.

 

He didn't get a credit for OG

 

I edited my post. I forgot about that. But you replied it before I hit the Save button.

 

I understand now. Yeah in general their attempts at humor in song fall flat for me.

But I think something like She Loves You is a great lyric. Tells a full story everyone can relate to in very few words.

 

Well that explains it. I outgrew catchy pop tunes decades ago.

 

I agree. And I think Octopus’s Garden is the most Beatley song on Abbey Road.

 

I outgrew a lot of songs that try to be significant about the same time. There was a phase as a teen when I thought topical songs were better.

 

I agree on it's "Beatleness". I feel the same way about Come Together and I Want You.

 

Agree with you there. I think it works with She Loves You. All My Loving is ok too.

 

The story is even better when sung in German...

 

You didn't bother reading my previous post, apparently.

 

yes a thousand times yes

 

Didn't connect them as being from the same person.

Yes Leonard Cohen wrote better lyrics than Lennon/McCartney. But I am hard pressed to think of any Harrison lyric I prefer to Lennon/McCartney.

Among Beatles songs only Something and Here Comea The Sun are about on their level. He wrote a lot of pretty painful ones trying to be deep though.

 

My point was that to me the subject or topic isn't what makes a good lyric - it is how the subject is handled. I don't like "Taxman" more than "Love Me Do" because the former is a "topical" song: I like it more because "Taxman" handles its topic better "Love Me Do" handles its topic.

 

I love "Don't Bother Me." George then wrote a couple of duds, but I love literally every song of his from Rubber Soul through Abbey Road. I don't care for his two Let it Be songs, though.

 

And while I don't care for topical songs, and particularly dislike the topic of this song - that is just a matter of personal taste and my critique of the Taxman lyric has nothing to do with the topic.

My critique is that it is a bunch of not funny attempts at humor thrown together pretty randomly. Apart from their couple "one line of repeated lyrics" tunes, I would say this is The Beatles weakest lyrical effort.