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Beatles forums => Songs => Song Of The Week Series => Topic started by: nimrod on September 19, 2013, 11:56:16 PM

Title: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: nimrod on September 19, 2013, 11:56:16 PM
Try to see it my way,
Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?
While you see it your way,
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.

We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Think of what you're saying.
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's all right.
Think of what I'm saying,
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.

We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it's a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long.

We can work it out,
We can work it out.





Surely one of the best examples of John & Paul working together, although it was apparently George's idea to change the middle eight to waltz time..
I always liked how they put the Harmonium in the bridge to make it sound a bit sad (or menacing) !

John;

"In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you've got Paul writing, 'We can work it out / We can work it out'—real optimistic, y'know, and me, impatient: 'Life is very short, and there's no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend.'

The Beatles recorded "We Can Work It Out" on 20 October 1965, four days after its accompanying single track, with an overdub session on 29 October.
They spent nearly 11 hours on the song, by far the longest expenditure of studio time up to that point.
In a discussion about what song to release as a single, Lennon argued "vociferously" for "Day Tripper", differing with the majority view that "We Can Work It Out" was a more commercial song.
As a result, the single was marketed as the first "double A-side," but airplay and point-of-sale requests soon proved "We Can Work It Out" to be more popular, and it reached No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

Music critic Ian MacDonald, said:
"[Lennon's] passages are so suited to his Salvation Army harmonium that it's hard to imagine them not being composed on it. The swell-pedal crescendos he adds to the verses are, on the other hand, textural washes added in the studio, the first of their kind on a Beatles record and signposts to the enriched sound-palette of Revolver.

Personnel

Paul McCartney – double-tracked vocal, bass
John Lennon – harmony vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar, harmonium
George Harrison – tambourine
Ringo Starr – drums
George Martin – producer
Norman Smith – engineer

Released - December 1965


The Beatles - We Can Work It Out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jlXnQEgbuw#)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: oldbrownshoe on September 20, 2013, 05:31:02 AM
An absolute gem. I always preferred it to its 'partner' 'Day Tripper'.
Remarkably, not content to give the world an all-new 14 track LP on the same day, not forgetting an Xmas Flexi for the Fan Club, the group churn out a double-A side as well!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Klang on September 20, 2013, 09:22:40 AM

Have to say at the time I preferred 'Day Tripper' since it was a rocker, but I enjoyed WCWIO nonetheless. Beautiful vocal harmonies, and another instance of complete originalty. Classic.

 :)

Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Dcazz on September 20, 2013, 11:24:33 AM
IMO it's one of the best songs anywhere. A good example of Paul going inside and writing heartfelt real stuff!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: blmeanie on September 20, 2013, 12:12:17 PM
Brilliant song often overlooked IMO.

You know it is a huge song if Chaka Khan and Big Time Rush cover it (source Wikipedia).
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: tkitna on September 20, 2013, 01:58:17 PM
Yeah, its an awesome song. I've always loved it and its one of those I never get tired of. Top notch tune.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: oldbrownshoe on September 20, 2013, 02:45:41 PM
Paul's run of 45s after this went - Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, (had a rest while John did All You Need Is Love!), Hello Goodbye, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude and Get Back.
Erm.....give that man a drink.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hombre_de_ningun_lugar on September 20, 2013, 11:57:15 PM
Paul's run of 45s after this went - Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, (had a rest while John did All You Need Is Love!), Hello Goodbye, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude and Get Back.
Erm.....give that man a drink.

The true A-side of the "Penny Lane" single was "Strawberry Fields Forever", at least in UK. It was a double A-side single anyway, but "Strawberry Fields" was intended as the virtual A-side.

John also had his good string of consecutive A-sides in 1964-1965: "A Hard Day's Night", "I Feel Fine", "Ticket To Ride", "Help!" and "Day Tripper".
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: KelMar on September 21, 2013, 04:48:56 AM
I can honestly say I never had heard of the harmonium before this song. It's absolutely perfect here though. The line "life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend" is so simple but meaningful. I seem to always hear this song just when I need to remember that.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Ovi on September 21, 2013, 10:36:09 AM
Love the song as well. I've always thought of it as a precursor to 'Hey Jude', thematically. The chorus is brilliant - the kind of melody that gets stuck in your head for hours after listening to it for the first time. Interesting that Wikipedia labels it as folk, as I've always associated it with the type of melodic pop Paul does best.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Normandie on September 24, 2013, 01:11:06 PM
The line "life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend" is so simple but meaningful. I seem to always hear this song just when I need to remember that.

I agree, Kelley; that is such a wonderful line! I love this song.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 24, 2013, 09:56:14 PM
The line "life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend" is so simple but meaningful. I seem to always hear this song just when I need to remember that.

I agree, Kelley; that is such a wonderful line! I love this song.

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.
     Charlotte Brontë

Let’s not allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. Remember “Life is too short to be little.”
     Dale Carnegie

There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all life is too short to be anything but happy.
     Karl Marx

Life it too short to deal with crazy people.
     Karen E. Quinones
     
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 24, 2013, 10:15:21 PM
This is one of my favorite Beatles songs.  And my favorite McCartney/Lennon collaboration.


Paul's demo...

The Alternate Rubber Soul - We can Work it Out [Demo] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsG1CaWMGFU#)


Take 1...

The Alternate Rubber Soul - We Can Work It Out [Take 1] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZRz7SH1xgw#)


Take 2 (Louder harmonium)...

The Alternate Rubber Soul - We Can Work It Out [Take 2] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7QYiP13F-M#)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: KelMar on September 24, 2013, 11:10:50 PM
Lots of good stuff to ponder there Barry! And I'm looking forward to listening to the alternates later.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 24, 2013, 11:38:03 PM
And I'm looking forward to listening to the alternates later.

You may delay, but time will not.
     Benjamin Franklin



 ;D
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: nimrod on September 25, 2013, 12:09:36 AM
Good stuff Baz ;)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 25, 2013, 05:27:37 AM
I love this song, Kev!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 25, 2013, 05:39:37 AM
Paul McCartney HD - UNPLUGGED - We Can Work it Out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbRuKPKZ7dM#ws)
1991
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: KelMar on September 25, 2013, 07:19:56 AM
You may delay, but time will not.
     Benjamin Franklin



 ;D

They were worth the wait. After all..."Patience is a virgin" Archie Bunker  ;)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: KelMar on September 25, 2013, 07:33:12 AM
The harmonium in all its glory, from the Granada TV special "The Music of Lennon and McCartney" (@2:05):

http://youtu.be/24Gc7XuqfJE (http://youtu.be/24Gc7XuqfJE)

"On We Can Work It Out John sits and plays a harmonium.
This instrument was used by Ena Sharples and taken from the set of The Rovers Return.
This is a fictional pub in Britain’s longest running soap opera Coronation Street.
The programme is still being produced at Granada TV studio’s although harmonium and Ena long gone!"
http://www.thebeatlesinmanchester.co.uk/page22.htm (http://www.thebeatlesinmanchester.co.uk/page22.htm)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Dcazz on September 25, 2013, 11:48:53 AM
 ha2ha
They were worth the wait. After all..."Patience is a virgin" Archie Bunker  ;)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Dcazz on September 25, 2013, 11:56:00 AM
I get a kick out of Ringo when they mime a song. He only hits the cymbals occasionally for effect! He did this on And I love Her as well.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 26, 2013, 02:43:48 AM
Sir Tom Jones...


Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" on The Ed Sullivan Show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGRZBa4cKWA#)


Tom Jones sings "We Can Work it Out" -- better than The Beatles! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6NWLgqK4-Q#)


Better?  No, but certainly fun!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Kaleidoscope_Eyes on September 26, 2013, 05:19:44 AM
Beautiful song! I love the random face in the video the John's facial expressions that make Paul laugh :)

The line "life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend" is so simple but meaningful.
Especially coming from John......
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Dcazz on September 26, 2013, 11:53:29 AM
Beautiful song! I love the random face in the video the John's facial expressions that make Paul laugh :)
Especially coming from John......
Did you notice the easel with the Pythonesque funny face to get them to laugh?!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Kaleidoscope_Eyes on September 27, 2013, 01:39:35 AM
Did you notice the easel with the Pythonesque funny face to get them to laugh?!
Indeed! It always made me laugh too! Does it have a story or a reason or is it just random?
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Hello Goodbye on September 27, 2013, 01:50:18 AM
Indeed! It always made me laugh too! Does it have a story or a reason or is it just random?

I always wondered about that picture too.  We need raxo!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - We Can Work It Out
Post by: Dcazz on September 27, 2013, 02:36:43 AM
Indeed! It always made me laugh too! Does it have a story or a reason or is it just random?
I once thought that maybe they were tired from touring' recording, miming and doing the shows so they put a funny face up there to get a few smiles.
I'm curious as to who drew the face!