I’ve said several times that the best rock/pop song I know of is “A Day in the Life,” the last track on the Beatles’ 1967 “Sgt. Pepper” album. As usual, its composition is credited to “Lennon/McCartney”, but in this case the lyrics and melody are mainly from Lennon. But McCartney and also Harrison and Ringo contributed, with important additions by producer George Martin. (I’ve put the released version at the bottom.)
The video below by David Hartley, called “The world’s greatest song that simply shouldn’t exist”, was put up only a month ago. It shows how the song was inspired and constructed, and includes verbal quotes from the Beatles (and George Martin), early takes of the song, and snippets of the final song itself.
Why shouldn’t it exist? You can see how a lot of accidents, both sung and played, found themselves into the song, with sporadic suggestions from Martin and the boys, and yet the song worked together not just as a whole, but as an “organic whole,” looking as if it were planned.
Far from it! At that time there were only four tracks available to mix for the final version, and a lot of manipulation was needed. The ending was particularly problematic, and how George Martin helped finish it, using half of a full orchestra at Ringo’s suggestion, is fantastic. (Martin actually wrote all the orchestral parts that sound like random noise.) Likewise for the final extended chord, which began as a sung note but wound up, at Paul’s suggestion, with a long instrumental chord played on three pianos and a harmonium.
If you like the song, this analysis is fascinating.
There’s also a breakdown of the song by Rick Beato, which you can see here (unlike wasn’t allowed to play snippets of the song). Beato calls it “the best Beatles song.” He’s right, which means it’s the best rock song ever.
I’ve put below a screenshot from Hartley’s video apparently showing an early take of the song, with Paul on Hammond Organ, John on piano, Ringo on congas, and George on guitar:
Here’s the final released version (official video):
Cool set of videos.
The song seemed epic length to me at first.
Now, it seems far too short.
I think this is a hallmark of exceptional music – it moves from one thing to the next and you can’t even tell how fast it’s going – please allow me a little extra words for this :
Consider – only the overtures – of e.g. Don Giovanni (off the top of my head).
Each moment, and the next, I’m totally absorbed.
When I turn around and look at it, I am always astonished how, exactly, it went from that, to that.. to THAT!?
Sometimes I can’t even remember what piece any theme is from.
Try this with any opera overture. So yeah, Day in the Life is, as best I see it, an overture. Maybe it holds up with Cosi Fan Tutti, Marriage of Figaro, or The Magic Flute too.
I remember quite vividly the scene in our dorm the first day after Thanksgiving vacation, 1963. One of the guys from NYC played a .45 record that he had somehow got hold of–‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There.’ Every single kid in the dorm made his way to that kid’s room to hear the record. And every single kid knew that this was something special.
However, after a week or so, the same kid went back to playing ‘Catch a Wave’ ad nauseum.
Well, I could listen to “Surf’s Up,” “Caroline No,” and “The Warmth of the Sun” ad nauseum.
Looks to me as though it is Sir Paul on the Hammond (left) and Sir John in the right foreground (piano not visible). At least the spectacles and the facial hair match the album cover! The guy on the organ has those “baby-face” proportions that made McCartney the “cute” Beatle back in the 60s
Yes, you are right, I think. I’ll change the caption.
On a Beatle tour bus in Liverpool I was late getting back after looking around Strawberry Field. Jogging up to the tour bus I sang that McCartney line to our guide (who was excellent) “woke up got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head… then not long after we parked right at the bus stop McCartney would have ran to at the end of his street.
Been a Beatle fanboy since a 10 yr old at the bottom of the world.
Sergeant Pepper was the first music I ever heard in stereo. A neighbour had what we called a radiogram at the time, like a piece of furniture with a speaker at each end. I thought it was amazing. Interestingly, The Beatles apparently couldn’t really care less about the stereo mix. They were only present for the mono mix with George Martin.
Among many audiophiles, the Beatles’ original mono records (on vinyl) capture them at their best. There have been innumerable reissues—even in mono—on high quality vinyl, including thick 200 gram slabs. I almost always prefer the spatiality of stereo, but to each his/her/its own.
Very interesting insights – but NOT GREAT MUSIC. “Here Comes the Sun” is a much better POP SONG. Or Elton’s “Sacrifice”, for my money…
I had watched this video a few weeks ago. The greatest rock/pop song isn’t my favorite such song, but I can well see how it can be the g.o.a.t owing to complexity and creativity. Amazing how so many odds and ends made it work.