Topic: Is Yesterday Paul's Greatest Song? (Read 5260 times)

GreenApple · « **on:** December 06, 2006, 12:01:43 PM »

I recently saw a Yahoo! news item that Paul regards Yesterday as his greatest song, and he is still searching for that song that betters it. He said he doubts if ever he will better it, but takes a 'you never know' attitude to it. Is it really his greatest? I can think of a dozen Macca songs at least that are better. But, it's all subjective of course.

Bobber · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2006, 12:05:25 PM »

Quote from: 139

But, it's all subjective of course.

There is your answer. How do you measure what's 'best' or 'greatest'? His most well-known song? Might be. Is it his best rocksong? Probably not.

GreenApple · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2006, 12:25:04 PM »

Quote from: 139

Is it really his greatest? I can think of a dozen Macca songs at least that are better. But, it's all subjective of course.

HERE IS MY QUESTION!

What do members think?

Mairi · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2006, 01:19:38 PM »

I think it's a wonderful song (overplayed unfortunately) but he has written better songs. Hey Jude is one of them.

raxo · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2006, 01:39:55 PM »

Quote from: 139

I recently saw a Yahoo! news item that Paul regards Yesterday as his greatest song, and he is still searching for that song that betters it. He said he doubts if ever he will better it, but takes a 'you never know' attitude to it. Is it really his greatest? I can think of a dozen Macca songs at least that are better. But, it's all subjective of course.

It's curious but masterpieces seem to be written at young age ...

... I like it a lot but, as Mairi says, it's "overplayed unfortunately" ... it was a big step and it's what a would call a "standard" ... I think he tried several times to better it (most of the times using a similar "mood") in their following albums: Michelle, Here There And Everywhere, Eleanor Rigby, She's Leaving Home and many others ... I hope he's still trying to

...

GreenApple · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2006, 04:12:16 PM »

Quote from: 63

How do you measure what's 'best' or 'greatest'?

I'm trying to find out the measures of some others here.

I've made my own measure.

« **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2006, 06:27:44 PM »

Quote from: 218

I think it's a wonderful song (overplayed unfortunately) but he has written better songs. Hey Jude is one of them.

I would definatley not say hey jude is better than yesterday...yesterday is miles ahead in terms of structure,and musicianship..yesterday was an amazing composition for a young man in the sixties, but manages to get it sound like a mature, almost old man singing it..the lyrics are so much better and important, and hey jude has the extermley annoying 'la la la lalalala lalalala hey jude' repeated for like 4 minutes at the end, and i usually skip this track, when i hear it on '1'. Man, they way the music moves WITH the lyrics to yesterday gets me everytime, and as everyone knows this track (or most people i know), i'd say it's far more well known and sophisticated than hey jude, which is typical whiney mccartney dribble!

anyway, i'd say it's one of his greatest songs, although of course there are countless others, but it was the best one at that time in the Beatles, definatley, and stands out on help with a lot of the other great tracks.

Mairi · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2006, 11:06:18 PM »

I know this is a discussion for Yesterday and not Hey Jude, but I consider Hey Jude to be one of the best rock songs ever written. The lyrics are great, the melody is incredibly catchy, Paul's singing is spot-on (especially in those screamy Judey Judey... whoaaa! parts) and I happen to love the Na Na Na coda, which, as I recall, is exactly five minutes long.

As for Yesterday, I completely agree with what you've said. A lot of people diss it for being "soppy" or "over-wrought" but as you mentioned it's incredible that a young man in the sixties wrote the song. It was quite a departure for the group and the fact that it became so popular is a testament to its greatness. A lot of fans tend to hate the song because we follow the Beatles obsessively and tend to hear so much about "Yesterday this" and "Yesterday that" but that doesn't take away from its greatness. If you have a rock sensibility only, with no appreciation for something that's a little bit slower, then you probably won't enjoy this song.

Ha, if Ydoll/Maria were here (s)he'd probably have something (condescending) to say about all this.

tkitna · « **Reply #8 on:** December 07, 2006, 12:48:56 AM »

I probably have 100 songs of his that I like better. The whole point here is that Paul thinks its his best. He's the most proud of it and it obviously hits him somewhere that only he feels or knows about.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #9 on:** December 07, 2006, 03:03:32 AM »

Quote from: 373

I probably have 100 songs of his that I like better. The whole point here is that Paul thinks its his best. He's the most proud of it and it obviously hits him somewhere that only he feels or knows about.

Right.  We can only agree or disagree with him based on our own tastes.

I happen to agree with Paul.  It's a beautiful, sensitive song with meaningful lyrics (some feel that Paul may also be referring to his mother who he lost as a teenager).  He wrote the song by himself and although George Martin did the string quartet scoring, Paul rendered his input.  The other Beatles were against releasing Yesterday as a single (that took 11 years in the UK!) and were equally reluctant to put it on an album.  Paul would do the song solo in concerts.

I remember Yesterday when it was released.  I liked the Beatles until then.  When I heard Yesterday, I loved them.

No, Yesterday is not unique.  There were other songs years before with orchestral backing (Buddy Holly's True Love Ways comes to mind) and there were other classical and pop hybrid songs before and after, but for me, Yesterday is the most beautiful.

raxo · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2006, 03:13:12 AM »

Quote from: 59

[...]
No, Yesterday is not unique. There were other songs years before with orchestral backing (Buddy Holly's True Love Ways comes to mind) and there were other classical and pop hybrid songs before and after, but for me, Yesterday is the most beautiful.

The same can be said about using an orchestra in A Day In The Life ... it was not the first time in pop music: Phil Spector used one in Be My Baby ...

Kevin · « **Reply #11 on:** December 07, 2006, 10:01:48 AM »

The sparcity (?) of the arrangement I find very appealing. A lesser imaginative producer might have used the whole matovanni thing. It suits perfectly the lonelyness of the lyric.
I would like In My Life to have had the same type of treatment, with just John and his guitar (with the piano solo), to make it more plaintive.

GreenApple · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2006, 10:29:21 AM »

Quote from: 185

The sparcity (?) of the arrangement I find very appealing. A lesser imaginative producer might have used the whole matovanni thing. It suits perfectly the lonelyness of the lyric.
I would like In My Life to have had the same type of treatment, with just John and his guitar (with the piano solo), to make it more plaintive.

It would have sounded great with strings. But the speeded up piano sounds great too.

pc31 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2006, 11:52:09 AM »

no!!! its not his greastest...

BlueMeanie · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2007, 08:13:05 PM »

Quote from: 185

The sparcity (?) of the arrangement I find very appealing. A lesser imaginative producer might have used the whole matovanni thing. It suits perfectly the lonelyness of the lyric.
I would like In My Life to have had the same type of treatment, with just John and his guitar (with the piano solo), to make it more plaintive.

I always thought that George Martins's harpsichord pretty much wrecks In My Life. I'm used to it now, but it took a long time.

Personally I'm sick of the sound of Yesterday. I've heard it so many times over the years, plus all the awful cover versions. Bit like Staiway To Heaven really; greatest song? Possibly. Ever want to hear it again? Bloody hell NO!!!

Hey Jude on the other hand, is almost the perfect song. Simple is usually best. And most difficult to achieve. Whether it's his best song/Beatles song, I don't know.

Wordno · « **Reply #15 on:** January 06, 2007, 04:55:18 PM »

Well its his greatest in terms of popularity. 'Yesterday' still gets the same reaction as in the mid 60s when he starts playing it. The song will be eternal. Its a great song, but not his best. Its just his most popular song.

raxo · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2007, 05:08:57 PM »

Quote from: 403

Well its his greatest in terms of popularity. 'Yesterday' still gets the same reaction as in the mid 60s when he starts playing it. The song will be eternal. Its a great song, but not his best. Its just his most popular song.

And I think it will remain as an eternal song because of his simpli-city in the melody and words with some touch of comple-city in the arrangement ... certainly there's stuff on it for almost everyone ...

Wordno · « **Reply #17 on:** January 07, 2007, 04:06:54 AM »

Heres and awesome video of Paul singing 'Yesterday' throughout his career.
Enjoy!

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=WxVSi_G3nqQ" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtube.com/watch?v=WxVSi_G3nqQ</a>

adamzero · « **Reply #18 on:** January 07, 2007, 08:26:11 PM »

"Thank you, Ringo, that was wonderful."

McLennon · « **Reply #19 on:** January 18, 2007, 10:41:21 PM »

Quote from: 9

"Thank you, Ringo, that was wonderful."

LOL, so for Paul McCartney of Liverpool, oportunity knocks!!!

I feel Yesterday is one of the best songs ever wrote! it is one on my favorite! its just great in lots of ways!

News:

Author Topic: Is Yesterday Paul's Greatest Song? (Read 5260 times)

Bobber

BlueMeanie