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"Sky of Blue and Sea of Green" or "In Defense of 'Yellow Submarine'"

September 7, 2007 5:18 AM

recognize that this may be controversial, but I would put "Yellow Submarine" in my personal top-five Beatles songs. In no particular order, I think the other four would be "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Love You To," "Yesterday," and maybe "All You Need Is Love." The last three are definitely up for discussion, but I won't budge on "Yellow Submarine" or While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

In the past, when I've told people about how much I like "Yellow Submarine," I've been laughed at and mocked. I don't really understand why. The song is awesome. In the dark days of high school, when I was interested only in music that rocked--and rocked hard--I didn't like The Beatles very much at all. In fact, I actively hated them. One day, having grown tired of being mocked for my musical ignorance, I asked my friend Santi to lend me a Beatles album. He leant me Revolver. Althought he album's been named one of the best of all time, and I have since come to appreciate it, I didn't like it as a whole very much at the time. But I loved "Love You To" and "Yellow Submarine." And "Eleanor Rigby," of course. But I can honestly say that my latter-day appreciation for The Beatles stems from my friend Santi and, more specifically, "Love You To" and "Yellow Submarine."

But let's get back to defending the song. It's mellow and happy. I know I don't usually go for that kind of stuff, but how could you not smile and sway when you hear "In the town where I was born . . . ." The chorus is awesome, too, with some vocal harmony and a nice little groove to it. And then there's all the other stuff: the random nautical sounds, the people talking, the glasses clinking. It's just so soothing. It may not be the pinnacle of artistic achievement--it's certainly no Beethoven's Ninth. But it's catchy and whimsical. And, for that, it will always be one of my all-time favorite Beatles songs.



3 Comments


tRJ said:

That's just wrong. You can't have a Ringo song as your favorite Beatles song!

September 7, 2007 9:03 AM



TheExpat said:

Not even Beethoven's 9th? Hell, it's not even Beethoven's piano sonata No. 76.

You are indeed brave to embrace Ringo. I like the song Act Naturally (that is the name, right?), due to the lyric's stunning resemblance to the drummer's own incredulous rise to stardom.

In defense of Ringo, he always seemed like a real down-to-earth cat, just like George. While John was Imagining and Paul was off in Paul Land (where else?), Ringo and George seemed approachable, even more likable than their counterparts.

I commend your choice, and throw in props to Tax Man, my fav from Revolver.

September 7, 2007 11:00 AM



Ismael Tapia II said:

tRJ,
First off, Ringo didn't write it, he just sang it. Paul wrote the thing. And you can't, as a rule, be down on Ringo songs--although "Octopus' Garden" might be a little lame, "With a Little Help From My Friends" is really, realy good.

Expat,
You know, I used to think Ringo was pretty much completely and utterly worthless. His drumming never struck me as particularly--what's the word I'm looking for--good. That began to change, though, when I spoke with my friend's father, a former drummer who played on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline. He essentially told me that Ringo was the ideal drummer for The Beatles--he was technically proficient without feeling the need to show off so that his beats fit perfectly and unobtrusively into that various things John, Paul, and George were doing.

That and, as you said, he seems like he might be the closest thing to a nice guy the group has to offer.

He's certainly the least awesome Beatle, but is that really saying much when at least two of the other members of the group were among the best songwriters of the millenium?

September 7, 2007 2:59 PM



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