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gardenschedule · 8 months ago

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Paul trying and sometimes failing to be chill about Yoko

“I told John on the phone the other day that at the beginning of last year I was annoyed with him. I was jealous because of Yoko, and afraid about the break-up of a great musical partnership.”

1970, Paul to Ray Connolly in the Evening Standard

I’d been able to accept Yoko in the studio, sitting on a blanket in front of my amp. I’d worked hard to come to terms with that. But then when we broke up and everyone was now flailing around, John turned nasty. I don’t really understand why. Maybe because we grew up in Liverpool, where it was always good to get in the first punch of a fight.

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

"It just became impossible for me to work with Yoko sitting there watching us," says Paul. "I wanted to write simple things like 'I love you girl' and every time I knew she was listening I felt I had to come out with someone clever and avant garde! "I'm not blaming Yoko -- I'm blaming me. It was no more John's fault for falling in love with Yoko than it was mine for falling in love with Linda. It just meant that we didn't work together anymore. We tried but it didn't work."

Paul McCartney, in his first magazine interview since the split, tells FLIP's Keith Altham... "THE BEATLES ARE FINISHED!"

We didn’t accept Yoko totally, but like I say, how many groups do you know, these days [who would]? I mean, it’s a joke. It’s like Spinal Tap! I mean, it’s Spinal Tap! A joke!

September, 1986 (MPL Communications, London)

And in John’s thing, you know, when as – you obviously know – he was going through a lot of pain when he said a lot of that stuff. And he felt that we were, um, being kind of vindictive towards him and Yoko. In actual fact I just answered a question on an American TV thing – I think we were quite good, looking back on it, and knowing people in life. Many people would’ve just downed tools with a situation like that and just have said: “Look man, she’s not sitting on our amps while we’re making a film.” I mean, that wouldn’t be unheard of. I mean, Sean Penn... do you know what I mean? Most people would just say, “We’re not having this person here. Don’t care how much you love her.”

But we were actually quite supportive. Not supportive enough, you know; it would have been nice to have been really supportive because then we could look back and say, “Weren’t we really terrific?” But looking back on it, I think we were okay. We were never really that mean to them. But I think a lot of the time John suspected meanness where it wasn’t really there.

September, 1986 (MPL Communications, London)

I’ve already mentioned how in September 1969 we were in a meeting and talking about future plans, and John said, ‘Well, I’m not doing it. I’m leaving. Bye.’ In the ensuing moments, he was giggling and saying how this felt really thrilling, like telling someone you’re going to divorce them and then laughing. At the time, obviously, that was wildly hurtful. Talk about a knockout blow. You’re lying on the canvas, and he’s giggling and telling you how good it feels to have just knocked you out. It took a while, but I suppose I eventually got with the programme. This was my best mate from my youth, the collaborator with whom I’d done some of the best work of the twentieth century (he said, modestly). If he fell in love with this woman, what did that have to do with me? Not only did I have to let him do it, but I had to admire him for doing it. That was the position I eventually reached. There was nothing else I could do but be cool with it.

Paul McCartney, on “Get Back”. In The Lyrics (2021).

MANSFIELD: But, you know, [after John showed me the pictures of himself and Yoko nude for the album cover of Two Virgins], I asked Paul about this. And this, to me, is indicative of their relationship, maybe as much as anything I [had] ever heard. I said, “Paul, you know, what do you think about this?” And Paul says, “I don’t know.” He said, “I don’t really agree with John. But I just am going to figure that John’s ahead of me on this, and that someday I’ll understand and I’ll catch up. So, you know, I’m okay.” ROSEN: And what did that reaction tell you about their relationship? MANSFIELD: That it was an extremely deep relationship.

Ken Mansfield (record label executive and Apple Records U.S. manager), interview w/ James Rosen for Fox News. (December 4th-5th, 2007)

John and Yoko had to visit Sir Joseph Lockwood of EMI with the nude photos to ensure that he would allow their use and there wouldn’t be any censorship problems. Although he personally didn’t like the album or photographs, Paul accompanied the two of them to their meeting. Sir Joseph thought that the fans would be outraged and the Beatles’ reputation would be damaged, but Yoko told him: ‘It’s art.’ Lockwood said: ‘Well, I should find some better bodies to put on the cover than your two. They’re not very attractive. Paul McCartney would look better naked than you.”

The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia by Bill Harry. (also... rekt lmao)

So that – I think, in order to kind of say to Yoko, “Look, my life is now yours,” he had to say things like, “The Beatles were bastards, we were total jerks, we never wrote anything good…” Which I think was rubbish, basically. And as I say, you have to realize that some of that time he was on heroin – so he’s not going to be just talking absolutely lucidly all the time, there. Some of the times, he was having other sorts of problems…

1989, Paul

And I think we would all have continued the Beatles, but Yoko came along, John fell wildly in love with her, he needed a big, big change in his life and he got it! He came to live in New York, he kind of threw over all his English [pause] contacts and everything. And, you know, can’t blame him! If that’s what he wants to do in his life! So we had to kind of, fade into the background to allow them to have their relationship. What were we gonna do, ringin’ him up? ‘Hey John, you know, hey, come and see me! Leave Yoko!’ No, that obviously never gonna happen. [pause] See, you had to let him do what he wanted, and he- he did you know… And he enjoyed it.

Paul McCartney on John’s early 70′s attacks as a sign of his feelings towards him. Interviewed by Bob Costa, 1991.

“. . . I mean, I think really what it was, really all that happened was that John fell in love. With Yoko. And so, with such a powerful alliance like that, it was difficult for him to still be seeing me. It was as if I was another girlfriend, almost. Our relationship was a strong relationship. And if he was to start a new relationship, he had to put this other one away. And I understood that. I mean, I couldn’t stand in the way of someone who’d fallen in love. You can’t say, “Who’s this?” You can’t really do that. If I was a girl, maybe I could go out and… But you know I mean in this case I just sort of said, right – I mean, I didn’t say anything, but I could see that was the way it was going to go, and that Yoko would be very sort of powerful for him. So um, we all had to get out the way.”

Paul McCartney, interview with German tv program Exclusiv, April 1985.

PAUL: ‘Cause she’s very much to do with it from John’s angle, that’s the thing, you know. And I – the thing is that I – there’s— Again, like, there’s always only two answers. One is to fight it, and fight her, and try and get The Beatles back to four people without Yoko, and sort of ask her to sit down at the board meetings. Or else, the other thing is to just realize that she’s there, you know. And he’s not gonna sort of – split with her, just for our sakes.

Twickenham, January 13th, 1969

PAUL: Yeah, see, that’s the thing. The only one time we’ve actually done it, she’s agreed. She really is alright. It’s like, it’s the thought of her being there when some of— [faltering] And then you don’t talk to John, so then he doesn’t talk to you, you know. And it’s like, you can screw it up just as much because she’s there, as – as John’s relying on her because she’s there. So that’s the thing. You know, but I mean, like, you’ll notice, if John – if you’re onto a beam with John about something, then he really isn’t, you know, he really won’t let Yoko talk about it. Because he knows when you’re on a beam, and he knows about it, and you’ll – you can talk straighter to him.

Twickenham, January 13th, 1969

‘All new wives don’t like their husband’s old friends or cronies,’ he replies. ‘I don’t think [Yoko] liked Paul. I think Paul was ready to like Yoko. Maybe she saw Paul as a threat. It was a partnership. The partnership should have been John and Yoko, not John and Paul. I am not saying it was a deliberate process, but it was a natural process. John had a new partner: she. Yoko Ono. It was going to be John and Yoko’s songs and not Paul and John’s songs.’

Don Short (newsman), c/o Sandra Shevey, The Other Side of Lennon.(1990)

As the meeting was drawing to a weary close, John, not this day with Yoko, who hadn’t seemed particularly connected with what was going on, said he wanted to play us a tape he and Yoko had made. He got up and put the cassette into the tape machine and stood beside it as we listened. The soft murmuring voices did not at first signal their purpose. It was a man and a woman but hard to hear, the microphone having been at a distance. I wondered if the lack of clarity was the point. Were we even meant to understand what was going on, was it a kind of artwork where we would not be able to put the voices into a context, and was context important? I felt perhaps this was something John and Yoko were examining. But then, after a few minutes, it became clear. John and Yoko were making love, with endearments, giggles, heavy breathing, both real and satirical, and the occasional more direct sounds of pleasure reaching for climax, all recorded by the faraway microphone. But there was something innocent about it too, as though they were engaged in a sweet serious game. John clicked the off button and turned again to look toward the table, his eyebrows quizzical above his round glasses, seemingly genuinely curious about what reaction his little tape would elicit. However often they’d shared small rooms in Hamburg, whatever they knew of each other’s love and sex lives, this tape seemed to have stopped the other three cold. Perhaps it touched a reserve of residual Northern reticence. After a palpable silence, Paul said, “Well, that’s an interesting one.” The others muttered something and the meeting was over. It occured to me as I was walking down the stairs that what we’d heard could have been an expression of 1960s freedom and openness but was it more likely that it was as if a gauntlet had been thrown down? “You need to understand that this is where she and I are now. I don’t want to hold your hand anymore.”

Michael Lindsay-Hogg (filmmaker), Luck and Circumstance: A Coming of Age in Hollywood, New York, and Points Beyond. (2011)

“Paul, in his usual way, tried to be the nice guy and was open-minded about John’s weird choice,” says Brown. “He invited them to stay at [his house in] Cavendish Avenue for a while.” The day after Cynthia’s return, they moved into the second-floor guest bedroom and made themselves at home. “But the problem was that Yoko wasn’t a very warm person—not even able to say thank you in response to anything Paul did for them. And he went miles out of his way to make them feel welcome, being a nice guy. So that didn’t last very long.”

The Beatles – Bob Spitz

Examples of failure to be chill:

PAUL: But it’s just funny to sort of realise that after this is all over, you’ll be off in a black bag somewhere – on the Albert Hall, you know. JOHN: Yes. PAUL: And sort of doing shows and stuff, and you know, digging— JOHN: Yeah, but I— PAUL: —digging that thing of it.

January 25th, 1969 (Apple Studios, London)

Yoko had evidently approached Paul McCartney about appearing in the film, as the Beatles' road manager Mal Evans penned in his diary: "PAUL HAS APPOINTMENT WITH JAPANESE LADY WHO WANTS TO PHOTOGRAPH HIS BOTTOM." Presumably Paul declined, and one must wonder if the same invitation might have been extended to John.

Chip Madinger, Lennonology Volume 1: Strange Days Indeed. (2015) (note: unforgivable rudeness on Paul's part to both Yoko and all of us who would have benefited from him featuring in "Bottoms")

“I was in India meditating about the album, when it suddenly hit me. I wrote Yoko telling her that I planned to have her in the nude on the cover. She was quite surprised, but nowhere near as much as George and Paul. “Paul gave me long lectures about it, and said ‘Is there really any need for this? ‘It took me five months to persuade them.

NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS, JUNE 7, 1969

He wasn’t happy. But the big things that were driving him mad were beyond me. He kept on working and writing, but when John came over, all he could talk about was how much he loved Yoko. That disturbed Paul. In spite of John’s obvious happiness, Paul stifled his jealousy with not-very-cute bursts of racist crap.

Francie Schwartz - Body Count

John & Yoko's perspective:

It’s the same. You can quote Paul, it’s probably in the papers, he said it many times at first he hated Yoko and then he got to like her. But, it’s too late for me. I’m for Yoko. Why should she take that kind of shit from those people? They were writing about her looking miserable in the Let It Be film, but you sit through 60 sessions with the most bigheaded, up-tight people on earth and see what its fuckin’ like and be insulted — just because you love someone — and George, shit, insulted her right to her face in the Apple office at the beginning, just being ‘straight-forward,’ you know that game of ‘I’m going to be up front,’ because this is what we’ve heard and Dylan and a few people said she’d got a lousy name in New York, and you give off bad vibes. That’s what George said to her! And we both sat through it. I didn’t hit him, I don’t know why.

I was always hoping that they would come around. I couldn’t believe it, and they all sat there with their wives, like a fucking jury and judged us and the only thing I did was write that piece (Rolling Stone, April 16th, 1970) about “some of our beast friends” in my usual way — because I was never honest enough, I always had to write in that gobbly-gook — and that’s what they did to us.

Ringo was all right, so was Maureen, but the other two really gave it to us. I’ll never forgive them, I don’t care what fuckin’ shit about Hare Krishna and God and Paul with his “Well, I’ve changed me mind.” I can’t forgive ’em for that, really. Although I can’t help still loving them either.

John Lennon: The Rolling Stone Interview, Part One

JOHN: But I understand how they felt, because if it had been Paul or George and Ringo that had fallen in love with somebody and gotten totally involved, suddenly… It wasn’t like, you know, somebody – George coming in and saying, “I’m going to work with Eric Clapton in a band now, and screw you.” It wasn’t that kind of thing at all. It was just suddenly this involvement.

December 6th, 1980: Andy Peebles talks to John and Yoko

“Lennon stated that “there’s some underlying thing about Yoko in [Get Back]”, saying that McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang “Get back to where you once belonged””

David Sheff, All We are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono

TRYNKA: ‘The Ballad of John And Yoko’, with Paul playing drums and bass, seemed like Paul’s tribute to you. Was that the case? YOKO: Yeah. I thought that was beautiful. Paul was trying to be diplomatic about the situation, try to make it well... He meant well. There were other instances where he’d do things that were meant well.

Yoko Ono, interview w/ Paul Trynka for MOJO. (May, 2003)

YOKO: Even now, I just read that Paul said, “I understand that he wants to be with her, but why does he have to be with her all the time?” JOHN: Yoko, do you still have to carry that cross? That was years ago. YOKO: No, no, no. He said it recently. I mean, what happened with John is that I sort of went to bed with this guy that I liked and suddenly the next morning I see these three guys standing there with resentful eyes. SHEFF: Do you think that kind of attitude from people was also jealousy? JOHN: It’s a kind of jealousy. People can’t stand people being in love. They absolutely can’t stand it. They want to pull you down in the hole they’re in.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, interview w/ David Sheff for Playboy. (September, 1980)

‘He wanted me to be part of the group,’ Yoko says. ‘He created the group, so he thought the others should accept that. I didn’t particularly want to be part of them… I couldn’t see how I would fit in, but John was certain I would. He kept saying, ‘They’re very sensitive … Paul is into Stockhausen… They can do your thing…’ He thought the other Beatles would go for it; he was trying to persuade me.’”

Philip Norman’s 2008 biography Lennon

After the initial embarrassment, that how Paul is being very nice to me, he’s nice and a very, str- on the level, straight, sense, like wherever there’s something like happening at the Apple, he explains to me, as if I should know. And also whenever there’s something like they need a light man, or something like that he asks me if I know of anybody, things like that. And like I can see that he’s just now suddenly changing his attitude, like his being, he’s treating me with respect, not because it’s me, but because I belong to John. I hope that’s what it is because that would be nice. And I feel like he’s my younger brother or something like that. I’m sure that if he had been a woman or something, he would have been a great threat, because there’s something definitely very strong with me, John, and Paul.

Revolution Chaos Tape – Yoko Ono, June 4, 1968

"The line [the walrus was Paul] was put in partly because I was feeling guilty because I was with Yoko and I was leaving Paul. It's a very perverse way of saying to Paul: 'here, have this crumb, this illusion, this stroke - because I'm leaving.'" -John

Playboy, 1980

JOHN: And throwing in the line “the Walrus was Paul” just to confuse everybody a bit more. And because I felt slightly guilty because I’d got Yoko, and he’d got nothing, and I was gonna quit. [laughs; bleak] And so I thought ‘Walrus’ has now become [in] meaning, “I am the one.” It didn’t mean that in the song, originally. It just meant I’m the – it could have been I’m the – “I’m The Fox Terrier,” you know. I mean, it’s just a bit of poetry.

August, 1980: John talks to Playboy writer David Sheff about ‘Glass Onion’.

“Still, the real reason that people disliked Yoko was because she ordered them about and sent them on errands in a particularly rude way; she was brought up with servants, and that’s how she treated the staff of Apple. George found it particularly galling that she never gave the Beatles their definite article. He told me, ‘She would say, “Beatles do this” and “Beatles do that”, and we would say, “Uh, it’s the Beatles actually, love.” She’d look at you and say, “Beatles do this.”’ And he laughed and shrugged his shoulders. Whether Yoko was ever aware of the disruption her presence caused to the Beatles’ working practices I don’t know. Some people thought she was so involved in her own work and self-interest that she didn’t notice; others thought that it was a deliberate ploy to separate John off from the others.”

Barry Miles, The Zapple Diaries. (2015)

#the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #mclennon #he could only play nice for so long #the bag thing pissed him off too much

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javelinbk · 1 year ago

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Ad on Paul McCartney’s instagram page for the paperback version of ‘THE LYRICS: 1956 to the Present’, 7th November 2023

#paul mccartney #and they say he can’t act

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illdowhatiwantthanks · 6 months ago

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HOT 100 HCs: Emily Prentiss

Friends. Colleagues. I am starting a new thing (but not ending any old things, don't worry babes). I'm calling it HOT 100 Headcanons. Basically, I've created playlists for characters that include all the songs that they love and/or have shaped them in some way. I take cues from the canon characters (for example, canon Emily was a rocker in high school, so her playlist includes quite a bit of rock).

I don't know if anyone else will enjoy this or care about it and, frankly, I don't care. I really enjoyed making it, and I really do believe it's doing deep dives like this that help you really get to know a character (or your HC of them, anyway). Enjoy, if you're into that kind of thing!

HOT 100 HCs: Emily Prentiss

Note(s): When I think of the Criminal Minds characters, I always think of them as being Elite Team-age in the present. If Paget Brewster’s age roughly equals Emily’s, then Emily joined the BAU when she was 36/37. If we move the Elite Team timeline up so it starts in 2024, she’d have been born in 1987. That’s the date I work from when calculating these Hot 100 Lists.

(Also, the first parentheses is the date the song was released. The second is the age Emily was when it was released.)

Nat King Cole, “Nature Boy” (March 29, 1948) (N/A)

Emily’s grandfather didn’t have tapes or CDs at his chalet in the French Alps, but he did have a turntable, and Nat King Cole was one of his favorites to spin. Now it always reminds Emily of him. She still likes to spin Nat King Cole and dance with you in the living room.

2. Édith Piaf, “Milord” (May 8, 1949) (N/A)

Another record straight from her grandfather’s house. They listened to a lot of Édith Piaf, but this was her favorite as a little girl. She thought it was funny, and it helped her learn how to do uvular trills, since French wasn’t her first language.

3. Juliette Gréco, “Sur les quais du vieux Paris” (October 1951) (N/A)

Little Emily didn’t get to go to Paris much, mostly just as a stopover on the way to her grandfather’s. But whenever her grandfather brought her back to her mom, he’d take her around Paris for a day, and she always thought it was the most magical place in the world.

4. Georges Brassens, “Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit” (February 2, 1956) (N/A)

Her grandfather played classical-style guitar and loved the work of Georges Brassens. He often played it and sang for Emily. Georges Brassens was a significantly better singer than her grandfather was, but sometimes Emily wishes she had a recording of her grandfather instead of Brassens. Nevertheless, listening to it still reminds her of sitting with him on the hillsides while he played.

5. Léo Ferré, “L’affiche rouge” (February 1961) (N/A)

Another favorite of Emily’s grandfather. He was a star of French chanson, a folk music tradition driven heavily by lyrics, almost like poetry put to music. Her grandfather would sometimes read her the poems first and then play her the songs afterward.

6. Marie Laforêt, “Marie douceur, Marie colère” (1966) (N/A)

One of Emily’s first favorite rock songs. She heard this version long before she even knew who Mick Jagger was and, to this day, she could defend in a dissertation-length essay why Marie Laforêt’s lyrics are better than the original.

7. Jacqueline Taieb, “Le cœur au bout des doigts” (1967) (N/A)

A dancing-in-the-living-room standby for Emily at her grandfather’s.

8. Patty Pravo, “La bambola” (May 1968) (N/A)

Emily didn’t discover this one until she lived in Italy, but it’s a perfect sad song, great for dramatically belting in your room or in the car. Which is exactly what she did for months after the asshole of a boy who knocked her up dropped her and she had to go through the abortion process almost alone.

9. Maxime Le Forestier, “San Francisco” (1971) (N/A)

One of the “newest” records her grandfather owned. He only conceded to buying it because Maxime Le Forestier covered so much of Georges Brassens’ work. He ended up loving it. Emily’s first instinct is still to pronounce “San Francisco” like Le Forestier does in this song.

10. Meat Loaf, “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (October 21, 1977) (N/A)

Inexplicably, Meat Loaf is one of the only English-speaking artists that Emily’s grandfather liked.

11. Lio, “Le Banana Split” (November 1979) (N/A)

Her grandfather hated this song so much, but she loved it, so he bought it for her anyway. Teeny baby Emily could not get enough of the word “banana,” in any language.

12. Grover Washington, Jr., “Just the Two of Us (feat. Bill Withers)” (1980) (N/A)

Emily’s mom loves Bill Withers. One of Emily’s best memories of childhood is dancing to this song with her mom. Now her favorite memory is dancing to it with you at your wedding.

13. Yazoo, “Only You” (August 16, 1982) (N/A)

A regular on Emily’s mom’s boom box when Emily was young.

14. Metallica, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (July 27, 1984) (N/A)

Discovered during *Emily's teen rock era.*

15. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (July 15, 1985) (N/A)

Emily’s mom is a big Madonna fan, so there was a lot of Madonna in little Emily’s house.

16. Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Cities in Dust” (April 21, 1986) (N/A)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

17. Berlin, “Take My Breath Away” (May 13, 1986) (N/A)

Top Gun was Emily’s mom’s favorite movie for a solid decade of her childhood, so Emily was very familiar with the music. This song was her favorite.

18. Alannah Myles, “Black Velvet” (March 14, 1989) (1)

Emily will tell you that she remembers being young and trying on her mom’s makeup in front of the mirror to this song.

19. Metallica, “Enter Sandman” (August 12, 1991) (3)

Discovered during *Emily's teen rock era.*

20. Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (September 26, 1991) (3)

Didn’t discover Nirvana until her teen years, but Nevermind remains one of her favorite albums of all time.

21. Lara Fabian, “Je Suis Malade” (1994) (6)

Tiny little Emily heard this in a café in Paris with her mom and begged her mom to buy it on vinyl so she could bring it to her grandfather’s. Her mom obliged, mostly to shut her up, and Emily spent all summer listening to it. It was the first song that ever gave her chills. She still knows every word, still loves to belt it in the car, and still swears up and down that Lara Fabian’s version is better than Celine Dion’s.

22. Tori Amos, “Cornflake Girl” (January 31, 1994) (6)

Emily’s mom went through a real Tori Amos phase. Little Emily genuinely thought this song was about cereal and asked her mom to play it over and over again.

23. Beck, “Loser” (March 1, 1994) (6)

Little Emily loved the slide guitar and that the song said “loser,” which her mom did not let her call anyone.

24. Bush, “Comedown” (December 6, 1994) (7)

Emily was late to discover a lot of ‘90s and 2000s rock because it was hard to access non-mainstream American music abroad, but when iTunes came around when she was 13 or 14, she spent an ungodly amount of her mom’s money buying songs and albums, including this one.

25. Collective Soul, “December” (March 15, 1995) (7)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

26. April March, “Le Temps de l’amour” (October 20, 1995) (8)

Another favorite from her French summers. A sneak peak of later punk rock Emily.

27. April March, “Chick Habit” (October 20, 1995) (8)

Emily lords it over every gay she knows that she knew this song from the original album and not from But I’m a Cheerleader. But she does love But I’m a Cheerleader… This was her favorite CD for a solid year or more.

28. The Smashing Pumpkins, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” (October 23, 1995) (8)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

29. OMC, “How Bizarre” (January 1, 1996) (8)

A favorite track on Emily’s favorite CD, Now That’s What I Call Music! 3.

30. Backstreet Boys, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” (May 6, 1996) (8)

All the kids knew this one, in any country Emily visited or lived in.

31. Khaled, “Aïcha” (November 1996) (9)

Emily’s mom was the U.S. ambassador to Oman for a few years during Emily’s childhood. Emily learned Arabic quickly and tried very hard, as she did in all the places she lived, to fit in seamlessly with the people around her. So, of course, the songs she sang and danced to with her friends were the ones popular in Oman at the time.

32. Third Eye Blind, “Jumper” (April 8, 1997)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

33. Rachid Taha, “Ya Rayah” (August 5, 1997) (9)

Another favorite of Emily and her friends during her time in Oman. They even had a little choreographed dance they did all together.

34. Will Smith, “Miami” (October 3, 1997) (9)

Tiny Emily genuinely thought she was the baddest little bitch in the world for knowing all these lyrics, despite having never been to Miami or a club or anything.

35. Britney Spears, “...Baby One More Time” (January 12, 1999) (9)

Honestly, what ‘90s kid didn’t have a formative moment with a Britney Spears song?

36. Buena Vista Social Club, “Chan Chan” (September 16, 1997) (9)

Emily was an adult when she discovered Buena Vista Social Club, but they’re one of her very favorites on vinyl now. She started listening to them while she learned Spanish in college.

37. Green Day, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (October 4, 1997) (9)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

38. Hakim, “Wala Wahed” (1998) (10)

Emily’s mom was transferred to Cairo in 1998, where Emily had to start over again–but thankfully not with a completely new language. She really liked sha’bi music, and her best friend’s dad played drums in a jeel band.

39. Less Than Jake, “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” (January 1, 1998) (11)

One of Emily’s earlier alt finds. She loved it.

40. Cher, “Believe” (October 19, 1998) (11)

Another favorite of Emily’s mom’s. On repeat in little Emily’s kitchen in Cairo.

41. Alaa Zalzali, “Akli Tar” (1999) (11)

Emily was obsessed with this song and the whole album because it combined two languages she knew and loved: Arabic and French.

42. Crazy Town, “Butterfly” (November 4, 1999) (12)

Emily loved this song so much, and she jokes that looking back it should have been a huge flag that she was gay.

43. A Perfect Circle, “Judith” (January 1, 2000) (12)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

44. Anastacia, “I’m Outta Love” (February 29, 2000) (12)

Even Emily’s hard little rock heart still loved a pop anthem.

45. Pascale Machaalani, “Nour El Chams” (June 25, 2000) (12)

All the girls in Cairo wanted to be Pascale Machaalani. Think of her as the Beyoncé of Emily’s preteen years.

46. Rage Against The Machine, “Renegades” (December 5, 2000) (13)

One of the first rock songs Emily discovered and fell in love with. She still knows all the words.

47. Staind, “Outside” (May 22, 2001) (13)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

48. System of a Down, “Toxicity” (September 4, 2001) (13)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

49. Noir Désir, “La vent nous portera” (September 11, 2001) (13)

Even when she lived in the Middle East, Emily still spent summers with her grandfather in France. As always, he’d let her have a day in Paris when she flew in, and she always visited a music store to buy all the new French alt albums she could find.

50. Hoobastank, “Crawling In The Dark” (November 20, 2001) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

51. Saliva, “Always” (January 1, 2002) (14)

Emily’s mom considered sending her to therapy because she listened to this song so much.

52. Seether, “Driven Under” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

53. Seether, “Fine Again” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

54. Sum 41, “The Hell Song” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

55. Mango, “La rondine” (July 9, 2002) (14)

Wildly popular while Emily lived in Italy. Think of him as the Peter Gabriel of Italian music.

56. Chevelle, “The Red” (October 8, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

57. Audioslave, “Cochise” (November 17, 2002) (15)

Italy Emily was baby rocker Emily, but she wasn’t very external about it because the Catholic church was not a fan.

58. Evanescence, “Bring Me To Life” (March 4, 2003) (15)

Another song that was on repeat for Emily post-abortion. Sweet baby Emily was so depressed and honestly really needed to go to therapy. She wouldn’t say she likes the song now, exactly, but it brings her back to a specific time and place that were very formative for her.

59. Linkin Park, “Lying from You” (March 25, 2003) (15)

A classic teenager Linkin Park moment.

60. The Darkness, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” (July 7, 2003) (15)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

61. Three Days Grace, “I Hate Everything About You” (July 22, 2003) (15)

Emily will tell you that this song is what she felt like most of the time in Italy, trying really hard to fit in, trying to like boys, really liking girls, all-in-all having a terrible time.

62. Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” (September 15, 2003) (15)

Emily jokes that this one also should have been a dead giveaway that she liked girls.

63. Keane, “Somewhere Only We Know” (May 10, 2004) (16)

She will never admit it, but this song still makes her cry.

64. Seether, “Remedy” (January 1, 2005) (17)

Emily is a little embarrassed about liking Seether so much, but she really does.

65. Negrita, “Rotolando Verso Sud” (January 21, 2005) (17)

A favorite of Emily’s after she and her mom moved back to the States in 2004. She felt very out of place, which makes sense considering she’d grown up across several countries. She found a lot of comfort in listening to music in her other languages, since she didn’t really get to hear it spoken anymore.

66. Negramaro, “Estate” (February 7, 2005) (17)

By this point, Emily's deep in her rebellious rocker phase. Because it’s Emily, her dramatic rocker music is in several languages, though.

67. System of a Down, “Lonely Day” (November 22, 2005) (18)

Technically not a teenager anymore, an adult. But now her music taste is pretty solidly set on rock (with some variations here and there).

68. Rihanna, “SOS” (April 10, 2006) (18)

Not usually a big pop fan, but she has a huge soft spot for Rihanna. Particularly this song because she says that’s how obsessive she is about you. It always makes you laugh.

69. AFI, “Prelude 12/21” (June 6, 2006) (18)

She’s a drama queen, she just won’t admit it.

70. My Chemical Romance, “Teenagers” (19)

*Emily’s adult rock era*

71. Fall Out Boy, “Thnks fr th Mmrs” (January 1, 2007) (19)

Yes, even Emily likes listening to Fall Out Boy sometimes.

72. Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend” (April 17, 2007) (19)

Okay, but who doesn’t love Avril Lavigne?

73. Linkin Park, “Given Up” (May 14, 2007) (19)

Adult Emily still loves Linkin Park. It’s nostalgic now.

74. Vampire Weekend, “A-Punk” (January 29, 2008) (20)

*Emily’s adult rock era* (but make it less dramatic and depressing than usual)

75. Max Gazzè, “Il Solito Sesso” (February 29, 2008) (20)

Sure, she’s in college, but she still loves Italian music and keeps up with her friends from Italy. Plus, she’s starting to accept that she likes girls, and the girls love it when she speaks Italian.

76. Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl” (June 17, 2008) (20)

Loves this song for very obvious reasons. Plus, when this came out there wasn’t really much queer girl music and Emily was in her feral, fresh-out-of-the-closet baby lesbian era.

77. Halestorm, “Mz. Hyde” (April 9, 2012) (24)

Oof. Big ol’ crush on Lzzy Hale.

78. Superheaven, “Youngest Daughter” (April 5, 2013) (25)

Once a rocker, always a rocker.

79. Indila, “Tourner Dans Le Vide” (February 24, 2014) (26)

Emily is a huge fan of Indila because her music sounds like a combination of French and Arabic, and it reminds of her childhood.

80. Highly Suspect, “Lydia” (July 17, 2015) (27)

Big fan of Highly Suspect.

81. K. Flay, “Blood In The Cut” (April 17, 2017) (29)

Hearkening back to her dramatic-ass punk-rock youth.

82. Polo & Pan, “Cœur croisé” (May 19, 2017) (29)

Emily loves Polo & Pan. They’re her go-to for international air travel. Something about their music just feels like whimsy and adventure to her.

83. Pomme, “Ceux qui rêvent” (October 6, 2017) (29)

Emily is a dramatic French woman at heart, and you love her for it.

84. Beck, “Dreams” (October 13, 2017) (30)

Beck? Of course she loves Beck. She’s loved Beck since “Loser” came out when she was six.

85. Death Cab for Cutie, “Northern Lights” (August 17, 2018) (30)

For when she’s in her feels.

86. Muse, “Pressure (feat. UCLA Bruin Marching Band)” (November 9, 2018) (31)

It’s Muse. Duh.

87. Alice Merton, “Roots” (January 29, 2019) (31)

Loves this because (a) it’s a fun song and (b) she really relates to the lyrics.

88. Vanille, “Suivre le soleil” (June 7, 2019) (31)

Her go-to for when you’re driving on vacation in the French Riviera. Coincidentally, you don’t know that she’s ever been more attractive driving a convertible with a sun hat on blaring French music that she knows all the words too while treating you to a vacation on the Mediterranean Sea.

89. The Black Keys, “Go” (June 28, 2019) (31)

The Black Keys lean a little blues-rock for Emily usually, but their music is just so damn catchy. Plus, you love them, and that makes her love them.

90. Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar” (December 13, 2019)

Loves this song for one reason and one reason only: she heard it was about eating a girl out. She hasn’t heard Billie Eilish’s “LUNCH” yet and, honestly, you’re afraid to show her.

91. The Strokes, “Why Are Sundays So Depressing” (April 10, 2020)

She loves The Strokes. And, also, she thinks Sundays are depressing because she knows she’ll have to leave you and go back to work the next day.

92. cleopatrick, “THE DRAKE” (March 11, 2021) (33)

A current fave. Plus she likes that their Spotify artist description is just “guitar band.” She thinks that’s hilarious.

93. Halestorm, “Back From The Dead” (August 18, 2021) (33)

Emily is, through and through, a Lzzy Hale girl. She was 21 when their first album came out and had a massive crush on Lzzy. Didn’t know if she wanted to be her or be with her. Lowkey still doesn’t know. You tease her about it relentlessly.

94. Muse, “Will Of The People” (June 1, 2022) (34)

Muse, because duh.

95. Madelline, “dopamine - Version Française” (May 12, 2023) (35)

Still a sucker for French pop all these years later.

96. KennyHoopla, “YOU NEEDED A HIT//” (May 19, 2023) (35)

KennyHoopla brings her straight back to her 2000s rock roots, and she’s obsessed.

97. Mother Mother, “To My Heart” (September 15, 2023) (35)

A new discovery for Emily, but she’s really into them right now.

98. Mammothor, “Inside Out” (December 15, 2023) (36)

*Emily’s adult rock era*

99. St. Vincent, “Broken Man” (February 29, 2024) (36)

Emily loves St. Vincent. She’s not much of a concert person, but you did take her to see St. Vincent for her birthday once and she was over the moon.

100. Doña Manteca, “Tengo una Debilidad” (May 10, 2024) (36)

You found them on TikTok before their album came out and sent it to her. She pre-ordered their album on vinyl, and it’s her favorite thing to dance with you to right now.

#emily prentiss #emily prentiss hcs #emily prentiss headcanons #emily prentiss fanfic #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic

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ladyjaneasherr · 18 days ago

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Jane Asher portrayed by her boyfriend, Paul McCartney, late 1963. ❤️

Picture 1- 7 shared on his latest book “Eyes of the storm: 63’-64’”. Including my colourisations.

Picture 8-10 from his book The lyrics 1956 to the present.

#jane asher #the beatles #60s #beatles girls #actress #lady jane asher #model #something about jane asher #redhead #beatles women #1963 #red hair #muse #beatles girl #explore page

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cosmicbeatles · 11 months ago

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We don't talk about Dear Friend enough

“ At the time of writing this song, in early 1971, he’d called the McCartney album ‘rubbish’ in Rolling Stone magazine. It was a really difficult time. I just felt sad about the breakdown in our friendship, and this song kind of came flowing out. ”

“So, I’m having to read all this stuff, and on the one hand I’m thinking, ‘Oh fuck off, you fucking idiot,’ but on the other hand I’m thinking, ‘Why would you say that? Are you annoyed at me or are you jealous or what?”

“I was sort of answering him here, asking, ‘Does it need to be this hurtful?’ I think this is a good line: ‘Are you afraid, or is it true?’ – meaning, ‘Why is this argument going on? Is it because you’re afraid of something? Are you afraid of the split-up? Are you afraid of my doing something without you? Are you afraid of the consequences of your actions?”

“I would imagine he heard it. I think he listened to my records when they came out, but he never responded directly to me. That was not his way. We were guys; it wasn’t like a boy and girl. In those days you didn’t release much emotion with each other.”

Paul McCartney on "Dear Friend", The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

...

Things that I want to scream about:

This boy math nonsense of thinking men can never show any emotion for one another while simultaneously putting out the lyrics "I'm in love with a friend of mine" in a song that is clearly about said estranged ex-best friend.

The way that that Paul completely leaves out any commentary on "I'm in love with a friend of mine" AND "Really truly, young and newly wed" despite there being only 8 lyrics in this entire song. That's literally 1/4th of the song. I'm not kidding.

"Are you afraid of the consequences of your actions?" Damn, Paul😭

#too many people wishes she were her #everyone wants to talk about I’m in love with a friend of mine #but what about really truly young and newly wed #hello???#the beatles #paul mccartney #john lennon #dear friend #mine #screaming into the void

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hooked-on-elvis · 1 month ago

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"Little Cabin On The Hill" (1956/1970-1971)

Recorded on June 4, 1970 at RCA’s Studio B, Nashville. Released on the album "Elvis Country" on January 1971.

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Here we have young Elvis (21) singing the song during the Million Dollar Quartet jam session (December 1956, with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash):

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LYRICS — "Little Cabin On The Hill" Songwriters: Bill Monroe/Lester Flatt Tonight I'm alone without you my dear It seems that there's a longing for you still Oh but I just keep it there so I won't be alone In our little cabin on the hill Oh someone has taken you from me And left me here all alone To listen to the rain beat on our window pane In our little cabin on the hill Oh someone has taken you from me And left me here all alone To listen to the rain beat on our window pane In our little cabin on the hill Oh someone has taken you from me And left me here all alone To listen to the rain beat on our window pane In our little cabin on the hill In our little cabin on the hill

How many years that song traveled with Elvis before being officially recorded, huh? Thank God he recorded it in studio! It's a great tune.

I LOVE when I get to listen songs he recorded in the 70s being performed by him still in the 50s. We can clearly see how Elvis' voice matured as the years went by. I can hear the hillbilly tone in his words in the 50s recording much more present compared to the 70s one, for example.

What is your favorite? 50s or 70s?

Elvis (1) on December 1, 1956 in New York; and (2) on June 4, 1970 in Nashville.

#Spotify #elvis presley #elvis history #elvis music #elvis songs #little cabin on the hill #elvis recording sessions #million dollar quartet #1956 #nashville #1970 #elvis discography #elvis country #1971 #elvis #50s elvis #70s elvis #elvis the king #Youtube

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scotianostra · 2 months ago

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Happy Birthday Brian Alexander (B.A) Robertson born 12th September, 1956, in Glasgow.

On a day that so far looks quiet on the anniversary front I am thankful I have a post I myself can really appreciate, mainly due to the musical content.

Educated at the former Allan Glen's School in the city, B.A had a number of hit singles in the late 70's/80's beforehand though he wrote a few songs for others, the most notable being two Cliff Richard songs, Carrie and Wired for Sound. I wonder how many remember the BBC Scotland show Maggie? Well Robertson wrote the theme to that as well as the theme to Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and "their" hit song as Brown Sauce the 20 hit, I Wanna Be a Winner.

B.A's first big hit single was "Bang Bang, it reached number 2 in 1979, he also had a big hit with Maggie Bell, of a cover version of Hold Me and dueted with Frida Lyngstad, of Abba, on the song Time.

As I said earlier he is better known in the business for writing songs for others, he went back to this when his own hits dried up, I am sure many of you will know Mike + The Mechanics, well Robertson penned their lyrics for hits Silent Running and The Living Years The latter was written after Robertson's father died twelve weeks before the birth of his own son, many people mistakenly believe Paul Carrack wrote the song, which topped the US Billboard charts as well as hitting the top in Canada, Australia and Japan. Mike Rutherford helped with the arrangement and music.

The Living Years won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically & Lyrically in 1989,and was nominated for four Grammy awards in 1990, including Record and Song of the Year, as well as Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Video.

In 1996, famed composer Burt Bacharach opined that the song was one of the finest lyrics of the last ten years, fine praise indeed.

I hope you listen to this and see B A Robertson as something other than just a novelty act, which his main hits certainly were.

I can't leave a post about B.A Robertson without mentioning, arguably the best song by A Scottish World Cup Squad, "We Have a Dream" that got to number 5 in the charts!

Robertson also had a go at presenting, and looking back on him now it is pretty painful, including a spat with Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow, others he "interviewed" were Billy Mackenzie with the Associates, and Alex Harvey.

In July 2022 B A released an accoustic version of Silent Running in aid of charity, it resonates for the people of Ukraine, it really speaks of the chaos for Ukrainian victims of war. It reached number 10 on the itunes singer/songwriter charts and was the eighth biggest gainer in sales on Amazon Music within hours.

Its release came about thanks to the involvement of Robertson’s friend Steve Cullen, whose partner Lorri Hales convinced him to use it to help the people of Ukraine. Penned in 1985, this version of Silent Running was recorded at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh during the 2004 festival at one of BA’s rare live gigs.

Take the children and yourself

And hide out in the cellar

By now the fighting will be close at hand

Don't believe the church and state

And everything they tell you

Believe in me, I'm with the high command

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

There's a gun and ammunition Just inside the doorway

Use it only in emergency

Better you should pray to God The Father and the Spirit

Will guide you and protect from up here

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

Swear allegiance to the flag

Whatever flag they offer

Never hint at what you really feel

Teach the children quietly

For some day sons and daughters

Will rise up and fight while we stood still

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?

#scotland #scottish #history #singer songwriter #musician #happy birthday #Youtube

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anotherkindofmindpod · 11 months ago

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The AKOM Holiday Shopping Guide!

Here are some items we enjoyed this year, great choices for yourself or that Special Beatle Person in your life.

The Lost Weekend A Love Story (DVD, Blu-Ray, Streaming) 🥤 The McCartney Legacy by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair (Hardback and audio book!) 🐏

The Fifth Beatle (10th Anniversary edition) by Vivek Tiwary 🍏 Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans by Kenneth Womack ⏰

Now and Then, new Beatles single!! 📀

The Lyrics: 1956 to Present by Paul McCartney and Paul Muldoon (now in Paperback) 🎁 Eyes of the Storm by Paul McCartney 📸

Related AKOM podcasts: Reclaimed Weekend AKOM Talks w/ May Pang Frankensongs! AKOM Talks w/ Adrian Sinclair and Allan Kozinn The Fifth Beatle AKOM Talks w/ Vivek Tiwary The Mal Evans Story AKOM Talks w/ Ken Womack Eleanor Rigby: (The Lyrics podcast) Now and Then Reactions (IamtheEggpod)

#AKOM #recs #we aren't getting kickbacks #LOL #just thought we'd share our recs #another kind of mind #beatles

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thestarsarecool · 2 years ago

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The Show Must Go Wrong: A collection of Paul McCartney quotes for your consideration

“That whole period weighed on me to such an extent that I even began to think it was all tied in with the idea of original sin. Even though my mum had christened me as a Catholic, we weren’t brought up Catholic, so I didn’t buy into the concept of original sin on a day-to-day basis. It’s really very depressing to think that you were born a loser.”

— Paul McCartney, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (2021), on “Carry That Weight”

“‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ was my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does, as I was beginning to find out at that time in my life.”

— Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now (1997) by Barry Miles

Q: What scares you?

McCARTNEY: I suppose the way you can’t nail life down. You grow up thinking that if you learn enough stuff and get the right education then you’ll be able to nail life. I’ll know what’s going on. One thing you discover is that the goalposts are always changing. The rules change. The world changes. When that happens, you realize you still don’t have a clue. And it shocks you. You think, “I don’t have the information I need to deal with this.” That scares me.

VICE, A Pure Conversation with Paul McCartney, Interview by Joe Zadeh, June 13th, 2016

“It’s rather serious — life. And you can’t live as if you have nine lives. I find myself doing that often. I think everybody does, saying in his mind, ‘I’ll get it tomorrow.’ But I can’t do that anymore. Take One with the Beatles should have been like I said, with a puff of smoke and magic robes and envelopes. But we missed Take One, so now we do Take Two. And in the disappointment of Take Two — I feel I can always find something good in the bad — the good thing is that it really has made me come to terms more with my life.”

— Paul McCartney, LIFE Magazine, April 16th, 1971

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven / All good children go to heaven

“You Never Give Me Your Money” (1969)

#the rapid realization that you are in a tragedy #and it is inescapable #and maybe then it was never right #maybe it was always doomed #maybe it was dumb to think you were ever going to be ok #you may think the last quote is incongruous #but no it isn’t #the good children go to heaven #but what about the rest of us?#i.e. everyone the song is talking about #also it’s a nursery rhyme so something something loss of innocence #that last refrain #that is that saddest part of the song #by the way #my quotes #the beatles #paul mccartney

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kjoy678 · 10 months ago

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new hq pictures of john lennon in paris from paul mccartney's new book "from the lyrics: 1956 to the present"

📷 paul mccartney

#john lennon #the beatles

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sleeplessgreaser · 1 year ago

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The Music of Chapter 7

To begin with, I want to give full disclosure: I didn't know shit about vinyl records until like 2 days ago, and there was a lot I had to learn about records and stereos so I could be as accurate as possible. In this post I'll go over the music that Johnny and Dally buy at the record store in chapter 7 of my fic, "I Don't Think He's Ever Seen a Sunset".

Before I could start writing, I did a thorough search on the musical artists greasers listened to in the 50s and 60s. Of course, Elvis Presley was an obvious answer, but I wanted more than that. According to what I found, greasers' taste in music had a good variety; mostly depending on where they were located in the United States and what circles they ran in. An important note to remember is that greasers are just a "genre" of people, and their taste in music is decided on a communal as well as personal scale. So I tried to stick with a few artists whose names just kept popping up. Those artists were: Eddie Cochran, Johnny Burnette, and Chuck Berry.

The first song mentioned in chapter 7 is "The Train Kept A-Rollin'", specifically the cover done by Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio in 1956. In the chapter, Johnny hears Dally mention Tiny Bradshaw to the store clerk. Tiny Bradshaw was the original artist of the song, however Johnny Burnette's version is a rockabilly rendition of it. A fun fact about Johnny Burnette's version is that it's believed to have been the first use of an intentionally distorted guitar in the rock music genre. (Of course, let's not forget that the use of an intentionally distorted guitar had already been present in blues music! Remember: Rockabilly was heavily inspired by black music, and we should always remember to give credit to the original creators, especially when those creators aren't well credited in the first place.)

I truly believe that "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Johnny Burnette would be one of Dally's favorite songs. It reminds me of him in so many ways, and I just think it fits his entire persona.

On the flip side of that single was "Honey Hush" and I won't lie to you, this song is very problematic. This song was also a rockabilly rendition of a previous blues song, this one being written by Big Joe Turner. The lyrics to this one are heavily sexist and even involve implications of domestic violence. I'll say this once, and then just put an asterisk next to any other songs that this applies to: I only included this song because my autist brain would never allow me to be untrue to these original pieces of history.

The next songs to be mentioned are from Elvis's second studio album, also from 1956. This album is absolutely beautiful and I love every song on it; excluding Old Shep, because that song is Depressing As Hell. I won't go through every song on this album, but I'll talk about the ones I mentioned in my fic.

"Rip It Up" is the first song on the A side of the record, and to me it is the epitome of a young adult's life in the 50s and 60s. This song, as well as "Paralyzed" and "So Glad You're Mine" just feel like Johnny's kind of music to me. Upbeat with a hint of dramatics, paired with romanticism as well as the idea of living a happy life despite having pretty blatant problems. (Also, "I'm gay every morning, and at night I'm still the same" just kills me every time I hear it.)

The second single the boys find is Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" from 1958, which I feel is just an absolutely perfect song for The Outsiders as a whole. It's an example of a song that both greasers and socs could enjoy and find understanding in, though I think a greaser would definitely find more enjoyment in it than a soc would given that it's a rockabilly song about struggling with money issues. Now, in chapter 7 I remarked that the boys would most likely not enjoy the flipside of this single, "Love Again", but I need you to understand: I am in love with this song. The lyrics are very clearly aimed towards Cochran's female audience, which explains why the boys wouldn't like it, but (as a man) I have to say that the melody is just so nice.

After that they found another one of Eddie Cochran's singles, "Twenty Flight Rock" from 1957, and I tell a short story about Dally, Johnny, Steve, and Two-Bit going to see the movie "The Girl Can't Help It". I mention the actress known as Jayne Mansfield, who was apparently quite the sexual icon back then! It would make sense that Two-Bit would be obsessed with this platinum blonde woman, who was featured in Playboy magazines and starred in some very spicy movies. Also, here's a fun fact that I just learned while writing this: She's Mariska Hargitay's mom?? You know, as in the actress of Olivia Benson from Law & Order: SVU???? I'm absolutely stunned by this because I found this woman under very different circumstances, but Mariska Hargitay is my QUEEN.

Okay, sorry for that tangent, back to the music…

"Twenty Flight Rock" was first featured in the movie "The Girl Can't Help It" and was later released as a single a year later, with a flipside of "Cradle Baby". Once again, the B side song is problematic, but hey: *

Last but not least we have Chuck Berry's album Chuck Berry is on Top, released in 1959. Again, I won't talk about every song on this album, just the few I mentioned. "Sweet Little Rock and Roller" is a good greaser-esque song about, well, a sweet little rock and roller dame. Then there's "Roll Over Beethoven" which is about someone wanting to hear a certain song on the radio. And finally, "Johnny B. Goode". This is a classic song that everybody knows, and when I had the idea of the guys using it to poke fun at Johnny I just had to include it. Besides, let's be honest, with that guitar riff?? That's a greaser magnet! Disclaimer, though: Chuck Berry is actually a pretty shitty person apparently, so…

Now, as you might have noticed, all of the songs and albums I listed were released after 1955 and before 1960. I'll be honest, I didn't do this on purpose - but, I will say it sort of makes sense! Not every song is going to be a greaser hit, and I imagine when groups find songs they like they hold on to them for years. I also believe that, based on their upbringing, the gang is likely a little "behind" when it comes to music. From my own experiences growing up, I always managed to find songs well after they were released, but I'd fall in love with them nonetheless. Also, during this time, music from Britain had begun creeping into the US, and I don't think our All American Boys would enjoy that very much. True American rockabilly was starting to get drowned out by British rock and roll, and that would make it hard to find new music a greaser would proudly enjoy.

So, this has been my deep-dive on the music I included in chapter 7! My personal favorite songs are: The Train Kept A-Rollin' by Johnny Burnette (and the Rock and Roll Trio), and Love Again by Eddie Cochran. If you have any songs from this time period that you want to bring to light, please tell me about them!!

Finally: Here's the playlist, please enjoy :)

#i wrote this in a manic state #im posting this 2 seconds before i post the chapter #the outsiders 1983 #no sleep for greasers #sleepless writes #jally #elvis presley #johnny burnette #eddie cochran #chuck berry #50s music #60s music #music

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paperlovesadness · 2 years ago

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"Shavambacu" - Miles Kane song theory

Back at it again! I truly didn't expect the positive feedback I'd gotten from my previous (Star Treatment) theory - so encouraged by it all I'm giving this another go. Join me as I unleash my crazy thoughts! Disclaimer: Some of these little interpretations are a little bit out there. But this is all in the name of good fun. And I'm not at all claiming that I believe this is actually true. It's just what I feel when I listen to it.

Ghost eyes fall upon my baby doll Ghost eyes love to watch me too Ghost eyes don't say much but they see it all, yeah

Alright - let's start at the basis of this little theory. The way I interpret the "ghost eyes". Ghost eyes - someone observing you, while remaining unseen. They're in a way present in your life, but not literally. And you can only feel/assume their presence. Along with the other lyrics (I'll expand on this below) of this song I see these eyes as belonging to a woman, who is currently involved with someone Miles was involved with / there was a period they were involved with them at the same time (so implied cheating)

Maybe this is getting to specific - but I also feel this may involve social media? I'll explain later. So, overall: Miles is involved with someone - his "baby doll". A few observations - the term isn't gendered. Doll - puppet? (it's a stretch). Doll/baby doll is also kind of a retro term of enderament. Personally it kind of transports me to like a US 1950s/greaser era (there's even a 1956 movie titled "Baby doll"). And the greaser persona brings to mind one person, doesn't it? (yes, Alex Turner) The woman sees and knows everythings that's going on/went on, but is silent about it, chooses to ignore.

Ghost eyes sleep beside my baby doll All night when I'm in bed with you

Okay, so either this is just again emphasizing that this is some sort of affair/non-monogamous deal: Miles spends the night with the person, but it's the woman who falls asleep next to them on a daily basis. Or, again: Miles is sleeping with this person, but the woman keeps her thoughts on them through it all. Knows everything. Maybe also quite literally - Miles is in bed with "baby doll", and beside them, on the bedside table lays the phone, that's 'home' to the ghost eyes. (This sounds super complicated, I'm sorry! Hope it's understandable)

Sunrise never sets on baby doll

Baby doll isn't just an anonymous person. They're known - people observe them, talk about them all over the world. Thus - the sun never sets on baby doll. Someone is always writing, talking, thinking about or listening to them. (Heartthrob frontman of a famous band? *wink wink*)

Her ghost tears, some call it rain Well I'm crying for just one name

This hurts the woman. But Miles also only cares about baby doll - it's the only name that truly matters to him.

I made it up in a dream I had My French is bad, some say "Je t'aime beaucoup" I say, my darling "Shavambacu"

So the story from an interview goes: Miles took "shavambacu" from his mum, who used it as a term of enderament - learning it from his grandma. Turned out she just misheard "Je t'aime beaucoup" in a song she loved. ANYWAY - it's a family-derived term of enderment Miles said he used it with the ex, who inspired the CDG album. Seems like a big deal honestly, to use such a significant term with someone. Had to be someone super special. (both shavambacu and little darling aren't gendered either)

Also, if we're talking Alex (that's how I see it) - I've thought a lot about how Miles may be using french phrases and references in his songs when talking about him? Because of how special France was to them (french countryside; recording their first TLSP album together). See: Coup de Grace, TLSP's Everything you've come to expect and how they chose to cover Paris Summer (I really feel there was more? My mind went blank though). Alex is also kind of obsessed with France/french cinema/old french music etc.

I can't stand to see another day I'm not in L.A. to have my way with you My little darling shavambacu, oh honey I love you

First off - this is so tender, I could cry. Also: person lives in LA (checks out for that time period) Honey - still no gendered terms. They're apart - either just because Miles isn't the main partner - but more probable - they're not continuing with the romantic part of their relationship (cause you know. This is a breakup album after all)

Her ghost eyes float around my empty room They're your eyes, but I can't tell it's you

Guys, I know this might sound ridiculous - it's just what my mind automatically went to when I first heard this song. So I'll just share: This part is why my mind went to social media. The woman follows Miles and watches him closely - everything he posts. BUT - this could also be her boyfriend - who uses her account (anonimity? doesn't have social media himself?) to see what he's up to now, as they're apart. But he couldn't tell, he just sees it's her account.

Well I try, but I can't see for baby doll Her ghost tears, some call it rain Well I'm crying for just one name

It's either continuing on the last thing - he can't know who it is keeping tabs on him. Or: he tries but can't care about anybody besides this one person, loves them too much. And then we have the dadada's / chorus bits for the outro. What do you guys think? I feel like if I tried I could have many more interpretations of the "ghost eyes". Like this one: Maybe it's not the girl at all? Maybe it's the audience - the fans, media: everyone who is involved in their lives due to them being famous. No matter how much they hide their relationship someone might be there to see it. They do - there's theories about them being together floating all over the internet already. They see it all. So it's hard to stay together if they wanted it to be anonymous. Eyes are always on them. These are my main ones: just stuff I felt/popped into my mind back when I was listening to the album for the first time. I'd be super happy if you shared any of your own theories on this song! Hope to do more MK/TLSP/AM theories soon. Peace & love!

#Miles Kane #Miles Kane song theory #Miles Kane lyric interpretations #song theories #lyric interpretations #Coup de grace album #Shavambacu #my posts

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