1. 10 BEST BEATLES
SONGS
Made by: Benedict S. Gombocz

2. #1. “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has
Flown)”
 Released 3 December 1965 on Rubber Soul.
 Credited to Lennon-McCartney; written chiefly by John
Lennon, with middle eight and lyrical contributions by Paul
McCartney.
 First example of rock band playing sitar in one of their songs;
it was played by George Harrison.
 Lennon began writing the song on his acoustic guitar in
January 1965, while vacationing with then-wife Cynthia, in
Swiss Alps.
 Lennon later expounded that he wrote the song about an
affair he was having: “I was very careful and paranoid
because I didn't want my wife, Cyn, to know that there really
was something going on outside of the household. I'd always
had some kind of affairs going on, so I was trying to be
sophisticated in writing about an affair. But in such a smoke-
screen way that you couldn't tell. But I can't remember any
specific woman it had to do with”.

3. #2. “Let It Be”
 Released 6 March 1970 as single (and in alternative mix) as title track
for 12th and final studio album of same name, Let It Be, released 8 May
1970.
 Written by Paul McCartney, despite being credited to Lennon-
McCartney.
 Last single before McCartney declared his leave from the group
(Lennon preceded him in leaving).
 Both Let It Be and U.S. single “The Long and Winding Road” were
released after McCartney’s declared leave from and following break-up
of the band.
 Retains number-one spot on “The Fans’ Top 10” poll comprised in The
100 Best Beatles Songs: An Informed Fan’s Guide by Stephen J.
Spignesi and Michael Lewis.
 Number three in 100 Best Beatles Songs list, behind only “Strawberry
Fields Forever” and “A Day in the Life”.
 In 1987, the song was recorded by charity supergroup Ferry Aid
(including McCartney).
 Gained No. 1 on U.K. Singles Chart for three weeks , reaching top ten
in many other European nations.

4. #3. “Here Comes the Sun”
 Released 26 September 1969 on Abbey Road.
 Composed and sung by George Harrison.
 One of Harrison’s best-known contributions, together with
“Something” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.
 Year 1969 was a tough one for Harrison; he was arrested for
marijuana possession, had tonsils taken out, and left the band for a
limited time.
 In his autobiography, Harrison mentioned: "Here Comes the Sun"
was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where
we had to go and be businessmen: 'Sign this' and 'sign that'.
Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the
time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was
going to sag off Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton's house. The
relief of not having to go see all those dopey accountants was
wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric's
acoustic guitars and wrote "Here Comes the Sun".
 There is a missing picture from Anthology 3 of Harrison composing
the song, with capo on seventh fret.

5. #4. “Revolution”
 Written by John Lennon, but credited to Lennon-McCartney.
 Two separate arrangements of the song were released in
1968: hard-rock version as B-side of single “Hey Jude” and
slower version titled “Revolution 1” on eponymous album The
Beatles (popularly referred to as the “White Album”).
 Even though “Revolution” was released before “Revolution
1,” the former was recorded several weeks after the latter as
re-make explicitly created to be released as single.
 Third connected piece written by Lennon is experimental
“Revolution 9”, which unfolded from unused portion of
“Revolution 1”, also appearing on White Album.
 Was influenced by political protests early in 1968, much like
rival band the Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man”.

6. #5. “Yesterday”
 Released 6 August 1965 on Help!
 Sad acoustic guitar ballad detailing a break-up.
 First official recording by the Beatles relying on performance by single
member of the group, Paul McCartney, who was attended by string
quartet.
 Continues to be popular today with well over 1,600 cover versions,
making it one of the most covered songs in history of composed music.
 At its debut, it was released by the Beatles’ record company as single
in the U.S. but not in the U.K.; as a result, while it made American chart
in 1965, the song did not reach British Top 10 until ten months after
release of Help! in a cover version by Matt Monro.
 Voted best song of 20th century in 1999 BBC Radio 2 poll of music
experts and listeners; was also voted #1 Pop song of all time by MTV
and Rolling Stone magazine subsequent year.
 Admitted into Grammy Hall of Fame in 1997.
 Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) affirms that it was played more
than seven million times in 20th century alone.

7. #6. “Back in the U.S.S.R.”
 Released 22 November 1968; opening track on double-disc album
The Beatles, popularly called The White Album.
 Credited to songwriting partnership Lennon-McCartney, but only
work of Paul McCartney.
 Moves without interruption into subsequent song on The White
Album, “Dear Prudence”; this comes about likewise on the Rolling
Stones’ 1972 album Exile on Main St. when “Ventilator Blues”
segues into “I Just Want to See His Face”.
 Opens and closes with sounds of jet aircraft flying overhead,
referencing “dreadful” flight back to the U.S.S.R. from Miami Beach
in the U.S., on board B.O.A.C. aeroplane.
 Pushed throughout by McCartney’s uptempo playing of piano and
lead guitar riffs.
 Lyrics explore singer’s immense happiness on his return home,
where “the Ukraine girls really knock me out” and “the Moscow girls
make me sing and shout” (being invited to “Come and keep your
comrade warm”).

8. #7. “Come Together”
 Written by John Lennon; credited to Lennon-McCartney.
 Opening track on Abbey Road.
 Released in October 1969 as double A-sided single with
“Something”, twenty-first single in United Kingdom and
twenty-sixth in United States.
 Reached top of charts in U.S., peaking at number four in
U.K.
 Its history started when Lennon was influenced by
Timothy Leary’s campaign for Governor of California
with title “Come together, join the party” in opposition to
then California Governor Ronald Reagan, quickly ending
when Leary was imprisoned for marijuana possession.

9. #8. “Dear Prudence”
 Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon-McCartney.
 Released as second track on 1968 double-disc album The Beatles (or The White Album).
 Subject of the song is actress Mia Farrow’s sister, Prudence Farrow, who was present when the Beatles visited
India to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
 Farrow was so earnest about her meditation that she “turned into a near recluse” and “rarely came out” of the
cottage in which she was living.
 John Lennon was asked to “contact her and make sure she came out more often to socialize”; accordingly,
Lennon composed “Dear Prudence” and in the song, he asks Farrow to “open up your eyes” and “see the sunny
skies”, reminding her that she is “part of everything”.
 Was mentioned to be “a simple plea to a friend to ‘snap out of it’”.
 Lennon subsequently pointed out that “She’d been locked in for three weeks and was trying to reach God quicker
than anyone else”.
 According to Farrow: “I would always rush straight back to my room after lectures and meals so I could meditate.
John, George and Paul would all want to sit around jamming and having a good time and I’d be flying into my
room. They were all serious about what they were doing, but they just weren’t as fanatical as me”.
 Lennon did have the chance to play the song for Farrow while together in India.
 According to Farrow, “I was flattered. It was a beautiful thing to have done”.
 The song’s lyrics are plain and harmless and glorify the beauty of nature in the lines: “The sun is up. The sky is
blue. It’s beautiful, and so are you”.

10. #9. “Hey Jude”
 Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon-McCartney.
 The ballad unfolded from “Hey Jules”, a song accepted widely as being of comfort to
John Lennon’s son, Julian, during his parents’ split.
 This report, however, is universally not accepted, with McCartney providing conflicting
interpretations.
 Opens with verse-bridge structure based around McCartney’s vocal performance and
piano accompaniment; additional instrumentation is added as the song advances to
differentiate segments.
 Released on 26 August 1968 as the first single from the Beatles’ record label Apple
Records.
 Over seven minutes in duration, “Hey Jude” was, at that time, the lengthiest single ever
to top UK charts.
 Also spent nine weeks as number one in the U.S. – the longest run at top of American
charts for a Beatles single; tied record for lengthiest stay at number one (until the record
was surpassed by “You Light Up My Life”).
 Has sold almost eight million copies; commonly included on professional lists of the all-
time greatest songs.

11. #10. “Get Back”
 First released as single on 11 April 1969.
 Credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston”.
 Different mix of song subsequently became closing track of
Let It Be.
 Single version was subsequently released on CD on second
disc of Past Masters compilation.
 Gained number one in United Kingdom, United States,
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, West Germany,
and Mexico.
 Only single from the Beatles to credit another artist on
request.
 First Beatles single release in true studio in U.S.; in U.K., the
Beatles’ singles were left monaural until subsequent release
“The Ballad of John and Yoko”.