To qualify The White Album by the Beatles as the greatest album of its time may seem to some to be a lofty ambition. In fact, that is not even the actual name of the album. The original name of the album is simply “The Beatles.” “The White Album” applies more to the description of the album cover, rather than the actual name of the album. Recorded in 1968, this album was released to favorable reviews from some music critics, but others had mixed feelings. I am firmly on the side of the favorable reviewers!
What makes this album so great in my opinion? The songs have catchy, interesting lyrics, foot tapping, head bobbing beats, and feature songs recorded by each of the Beatles.
Some songs on this album are noted for having hidden messages in the lyrics. One in particular is “Glass Onion.” It was recorded with John Lennon on lead vocals. What makes this song so interesting is this part of the lyrics: I told you about the walrus and me, man. You know we’re as close as can be, man. Well, here’s another clue for you all. The walrus is Paul. This particular lyric points back to the controversy that Paul McCartney was killed in 1966 and replaced with a look alike. As the legend goes, Paul was killed in a motorcycle accident, and his death was covered up by Britain’s M15. That’s a story for another day, but it is almost impossible to hear these lyrics without wondering what if. . . https://youtu.be/2tSIZLuCKUI
| “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” is a fairly nonsensical title of a song recorded with Paul McCartney on lead vocals. I dare you to listen to this song without bobbing your head and tapping your foot. I dare you. It is also a lot of fun just saying Ob-la-di-, Ob-la-da. My mother used to drive us around in a Volkswagen Cabrio convertible with this song playing as loudly as she could get away with. Imagine two little kids singing, Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on,<some unintelligible noise>, la, la, la, la life goes on loudly with the wind whipping through their hair. I am sure we were very popular at stop lights. Good times. https://youtu.be/_J9NpHKrKMw |
Of course, not all the songs on this album have catchy lyrics, but they all have interesting lyrics for sure! Think about “Don’t Pass Me By.” This song credits Ringo Starr as the lead singer. It has a fun, head bobbing beat. Interestingly enough, this song also points right back to the “Paul McCartney is Dead” conspiracy. That reference is because of the fun little lyric that says You were in a car crash, and you lost your head. Paul was said to have literally lost his head in his crash. This song was another attempt to give the listeners a clue that Paul was really dead and replaced with an imposter. Like I said, that is a story for another day. http:// https://youtu.be/PTKEiQHHsuk
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is an iconic song recorded by George Harrison. This song has a much slower tempo than the others I have listed so far. The lyrics are not the important part of the song. What makes this song so notable is the guitar playing. Yes, the title of the song should give a clue as to the importance of this song, but it is easy to get caught up waiting for the fun lyrics like in some of the other songs. George Harrison was the lead guitarist of the Beatles, and this was his moment to shine. Paul and John were not as excited about this song as George, and George invited his friend Eric Clapton to play guitar on the song. When I was a little boy, I did not appreciate the music part quite as much as I do now. The words were more interesting to me, but now I can appreciate the genius of the guitar playing. Eric Clapton eventually married George Harrison’s ex-wife. I guess now I understand why his guitar gently weeps. https://youtu.be/YEMEAxlYL04
Another song on this album that speaks to me is “Helter Skelter.” Even though Charles Manson tried to interpret it to suit his twisted needs, it remains one of the best songs on this album. Some might argue that is spawned the whole heavy metal trend of the (then) future. I have a mental picture of some of the free loving hippies of the late 1960s banging their heads to this song. The Beatles recorded this song multiple times to find the version that was just right. At the end, you can hear Ringo say “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!” If the drummer got blisters on his fingers from recording so many times, I can only imagine how George Harrison felt! https://youtu.be/vWW2SzoAXMo
Another fun song from this album is “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey.” I always thought this was a fun song with a catchy beat. I was not sure of the story behind it, so I looked it up. John Lennon wrote the song and said it was about how he and Yoko Ono were in love and open to everyone. He said all the other people were casting side eyes at Yoko wondering why she kept hanging around while the Beatles were recording, while John & Yoko were just free and open and in love with everything. Paul went on to say that he thought it was about heroin, which is apparently also related to a monkey. It seems John & Yoko were not strangers to heroin, while the other members of the Beatles did not use it. Either way- heroin, Yoko Ono– both devils. Both likely contributed to the eventual demise of the Beatles. https://youtu.be/eyV3zCq1OHM
I suppose it would be interesting to analyze some of the lyrics from this album. It would also be so cool to actually figure out how to play the songs backwards and listen for the hidden clues. I have never understood how that would actually work. You would almost have to have a record player that was not attached to electricity and try to spin the record backwards at just the right speed. But I digress. This album is full of thought provoking lyrics, but I appreciate it mostly for the fun tunes and lyrics that can get stuck in your head at strange hours of the day and night. I also appreciate this album because it give all the Beatles a chance to showcase their amazing talents.
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