(This is for Mr. Bobber.)
Beatles songs that are magical to me:
Hey Jude - I love it when the music seems to swell up as they burst into the "Na na na na" chorus.
Let It Be - The line: "And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me, shine until tomorrow, let it be"--it is so uplifting.
She Loves You - Hard to pick a moment here... The song's manic energy throughout is just magical. But I do love the harmony on "Yeaaah" at the very end of the song.
I Saw Her Standing There - Paul's opening: "One! Two! Three! Four!" Great start for a terrific song and album!
Penny Lane - Again, hard to pick a moment. Just listening to this song transports me to a different place (erm, Liverpool?)...that's why it's magical to me.
Something - The lyrics: "You're asking me will my love grow, I don't know, I don't know, just stick around now it may show, I don't know, I don't know" and the tender guitar solo.
Here Comes the Sun - It's the whole damn song for me that's amazing. The "tinkling" guitars and the lyrics are amazing...it just makes you feel like one is just waking up from a long period of unhappiness and discovering life all over again.
The ending medley of "Abbey Road" - The whole medley is great, but the closer is incredible: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make", plus the soaring vocals and the blend of instruments that come after that. What a way to end an album (let's ignore "Her Majesty"). It's HEAVEN.
Oh! Darling - Paul's gritty vocals, and his screaming at the very end.
Strawberry Fields Forever - The lyrics get to me... "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low" captures the feeling of alienation in a subtle and clever way.
If I Fell - The moment Paul joins John for the harmony. It's perfection.
Here, There and Everywhere - "Changing my life with a wave of her hand" and "There, running my hands through her hair", and the gorgeous cooing harmonies in the background.
Across the Universe - I have to give John Lennon kudos for his beautiful and surreal lyrics here: "Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes..." It's breathtaking imagery in words, and I always wait for that line to come while listening to the song.
The Night Before - "Last night is the night I will remember you by, when I think of things we did, it makes me wanna cry"--okay, this is completely stupid, but I like to dream that Paul is singing those lines to me. However, it's the things I
haven't done with Paul that makes me want to cry.
Julia - I love how John is softly calling his late mother's name in the song: "Julia, Julia..." It's very restrained but you can tell there are a lot of hidden emotions as he is trying to reach out to her.
Mother Nature's Son - "Swaying daisies sing a lazy song beneath the sun..." just takes me away from reality.
Real Love - The guitar solo and the "Real love" chorus make me feel emotional. Plus, you can't call a Threetle "reunion" with John anything but magical.
That Means a Lot (unreleased) - Just listen to the damn harmonies!
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Clapton guitar solos and the fact that the guitar really does sound like it's crying (duh).
In My Life - The opening: "There are places I remember, all my life though some have changed..." It just invites the listener into the song since it's something that everyone can relate to and understand.
A Hard Day's Night - The brash opening chord.
What You're Doing - I love Ringo's drums at the beginning and end!
Yesterday - Okay, this is not a moment, but God, Paul's voice is amazing.
Don't Let Me Down - "I'm in love for the first time" must've been quite a smack in the face to Cynthia, but I love the feeling in that line; John's sense of joy and liberation at finding his true love.
Hold Me Tight - "Don't know what it means to hold you tight, being here alone tonight with you, it feels so right now"--I start drooling when I hear that. It might sound like an innocuous pop track, but this song just screams sex to me. And sex with Paul can't be bad, right?
Because - Don't fault me for not choosing an exact moment here, because we all know the
entire song is magical.
Blackbird - I appreciate Paul's guitar work throughout the song...it is so intricate and delicate and suits the mood of the song so perfectly. I guess this isn't a moment, but...shut up.
Helter Skelter - I can't resist Paul's searing, screaming vocals: "And I see you agaaain..."
I Wanna Be Your Man - Paul's long scream towards the end.
Dear Prudence - I love the guitars and the drumming that come in at the last minute of the song, plus the lovely guitar opening.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - I've always adored how the electric guitar just cuts through the orchestral background noises.
A Day in the Life - All you Beatle fans should know exactly what I'm talking about here.
Beatles' covers that are magical:
Twist and Shout - The "Ahhh..." harmonies in the middle of the song, and the screams that follow. Love it.
Long Tall Sally - The "We're gonna have some fun tonight" ending with Paul shout-singing. I am clearly addicted to Paul's screaming.
Okay, that took forever. I've updated my list from my other post, but I'm still not sure if I have every "magical" song or snippet. Bobber, I expect you to send me a medal by tomorrow for doing this.