Song Of The Week - Two Of Us

[Strawberry Field]

Him & John were at loggerheads at this stage, lots of backstabbing going on.....why would you write a nice song about someone who you really dont like ?

Who says Paul didn't like John at the time (1968-1969)? Paul has ALWAYS liked John, no matter the disagreements or separation they have had.

And why can't the lyrics to 'Two of Us' be looking back to a time when John and Paul did go driving around, "burning matches, lifting latches", years before.

Hell for all we know the song is about the (apparent) ending of his close relationship with John and the beginning of his relationship with Linda...at the same time, in the same song.

[nimrod]

Who says Paul didn't like John at the time (1968-1969)? Paul has ALWAYS liked John, no matter the disagreements or separation they have had.

And why can't the lyrics to 'Two of Us' be looking back to a time when John and Paul did go driving around, "burning matches, lifting latches", years before.

Hell for all we know the song is about the (apparent) ending of his close relationship with John and the beginning of his relationship with Linda...at the same time, in the same song.

Quote (Linda McCartney)

"As a kid I loved getting lost. I would say to my father - let's get lost. But you could never seem to be able to get really lost. All signs would eventually lead back to New York or wherever we were staying! Then, when I moved to England to be with Paul, we would put Martha in the back of the car and drive out of London. As soon as we were on the open road I'd say, 'Let's get lost' and we'd keep driving without looking at any signs. Hence the line in the song, 'Two of us going nowhere'.
Paul wrote Two Of Us on one of those days out. It's about us. We just pulled off in a wood somewhere and parked the car. I went off walking while Paul sat in the car and started writing. He also mentions the postcards because we used to send a lot of postcards to each other."

Linda McCartney
A Hard Day's Write, Steve Turner

[KelMar]

Quote (Linda McCartney)


Paul wrote Two Of Us on one of those days out. It's about us. We just pulled off in a wood somewhere and parked the car. I went off walking while Paul sat in the car and started writing. He also mentions the postcards because we used to send a lot of postcards to each other."

Linda McCartney
A Hard Day's Write, Steve Turner

Interesting Kevin. I always kind of dismissed the notion that this song could be about any pair other than Paul and John. I will buy that Paul and Linda's experiences were the inspiration but I still think his waning relationship with John figured in. Maybe this has nothing to do with it but it seems like John's essential harmonies are in the song for a reason. 

[Hello Goodbye]

This early version of the song appeared in the Let It Be film...


The Beatles - Two Of us (video - Let it Be)



Maybe it sounded like that because Yoko was standing there.   

[KelMar]

This early version of the song appeared in the Let It Be film...
Maybe it sounded like that because Yoko was standing there.   

Perhaps she bet them that they couldn't make her laugh. I think she won. 

[Hello Goodbye]

Perhaps she bet them that they couldn't make her laugh. I think she won. 

But I think she liked that song.  She covered it recently...


Yoko Ono Screaming at Art Show! (Original)

[KelMar]

But I think she liked that song.  She covered it recently...


Yoko Ono Screaming at Art Show! (Original)

I'm too scared to even listen!

[nimrod]

Interesting Kevin. I always kind of dismissed the notion that this song could be about any pair other than Paul and John. I will buy that Paul and Linda's experiences were the inspiration but I still think his waning relationship with John figured in. Maybe this has nothing to do with it but it seems like John's essential harmonies are in the song for a reason. 

For some reason Beatle fans WANT it to be a nice cuddly song about Paul & John

But it isnt, John was writing songs about Yoko and Paul was writing songs about Linda, they were all sick of the Beatles (even Ringo)

John was very good at harmonising with Paul singing the main melody (If I Fell/Love Me Do etc) and I think he enjoyed doing it on this song, it was one of Johns strengths.

[nimrod]

there is a strong resemblance between the melody that John is whistling at the end of this song and the "heba heba hello" chants at the end of Hello Goodbye?

[Strawberry Field]

For some reason Beatle fans WANT it to be a nice cuddly song about Paul & John

But it isnt, John was writing songs about Yoko and Paul was writing songs about Linda, they were all sick of the Beatles (even Ringo)

But if fans want to see 'Two of Us' as a song about John & Paul, that's okay. Even if Paul McCartney walked up to me today and said, "you berk, that song is about me and Linda and that's it", I wouldn't care, I'd still see it as a song about the past relationship between Paul and John in addition. Very often people are going to take your songs different ways than you originally intended. I know that from personal experience.

[Dcazz]

But if fans want to see 'Two of Us' as a song about John & Paul, that's okay. Even if Paul McCartney walked up to me today and said, "you berk, that song is about me and Linda and that's it", I wouldn't care, I'd still see it as a song about the past relationship between Paul and John in addition. Very often people are going to take your songs different ways than you originally intended. I know that from personal experience.

Us fans who were teenagers at the time really had no idea they were about to break up! So why wouldn't it seem to be about J&P. If it is about Linda so be it but...

[nimrod]

Us fans who were teenagers at the time really had no idea they were about to break up! So why wouldn't it seem to be about J&P. If it is about Linda so be it but...

Yes I think every Beatle fan thought it was about J & P Dave, as you say, why wouldnt they ?

I always loved the idea they wrote it together.

[Hello Goodbye]

Us fans who were teenagers at the time really had no idea they were about to break up! So why wouldn't it seem to be about J&P. If it is about Linda so be it but...

We knew as early as the fall of 1969 that The Beatles had broken up.  I remember reading Paul McCartney's interview in a November 1969 issue of LIFE magazine where he confirmed their breakup.

[Hello Goodbye]

I first heard Two Of Us when I bought the Let It Be album on its release in May 1970.  I saw the movie that summer.  I knew the songs on the album were recorded before The Beatles split up.  I bought the McCartney album a month before, in April. 

I thought the song was about Paul and Linda when I first heard it.

[Hello Goodbye]

I'm too scared to even listen!

Save it for Halloween!