MovieChat Forums > Magical Mystery Tour (1967) Discussion > Worst Beatles Song Ever

Worst Beatles Song Ever

posted 20 years ago by Shaolin_Apu
186 replies | jump to latest

The Question is: what would be the Beatles song that never should really have been written?

There should be some criteria first.

Worst early song?

Worst late 60's song?

Worst solo album song?

For early songs the worst could be I Need You, You Like Me Too Much or Hold Me Tight. I shouldn't really choose any early Harrison songs, because he was just practicing song making, but they are not really good songs. 'Hold Me Tight' just don't work: Paul had intended to do a Motown song and probably nobody wanted to co-operate with him.

For later 60's songs there would be Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite, 'cos it really sounds bad. It's like a nightmare about circus. Or rather if you have a bad flu and try to sleep, and you're dreaming about circus and you have to cough and wipe your nose, and you don't really know whether you're wake or dreaming.

Worst solo album songs for John would be 'Remember' on his first solo album. It's too simple and monotonic. It's so bad that even I could have done better song and lyrics.

Paul's worst song might be 'Average person' on album 'Pipes of Peace'. Paul is master of melodies, but this is silly stuff. Another almost as bad is 'Famous Groupies' on 'London Town'. I remember there is some really odd song on the 'Back to the Egg' album, but luckily I don't recall its name.

[–] mikecool1 18 years ago

You haven't got the SLIGHTEST idea how incredibly shocked I am that Good Day Sunshine has not once shown up on this list. It is EASILY my least favorite Beatle's song. It's the only one I would classify as pure and utter garbage.

I like most of the songs that are commonly hated by you guys, such as Mr. Moonlight, Wild Honey Pie, and Ob-la-di Ob-la-da. Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much are two of the greatest sensations my ears have had the pleasure of experiencing. There isn't a Beatle's song written by George Harrison that I don't like, and only a few I don't love.

Aside from Good Day Sunshine, the bottom of the Beatles barrel in my book includes most McCartney ballads (The Long and Winding Road, Yesterday), Yellow Submarine, any of their more country-inspired numbers, and a few others.

I don't know what it was called, but John sang a song with Elton John (I'm not thinking of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, but something else.) It sounded terrible.

Of George I have Wonderwall Music (utter perfection) and All Things Must Pass. I'd say all of the songs on ATMP with slide guitar were pretty bad.

I haven't heard enough solo McCartney or Starkey to judge.

Oh, I'm sorry, did I break your concentration?
HAIL QUENTIN

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shawnl 18 years ago

Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, that was the one with Elton John; you're right, not a good song, it sounded like an early Saturday Night Live theme.

[–] bredlau3 18 years ago

I pretty much hate "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "The Long And Winding Road" (any version)...and I love the Beatles, but those two songs just make me ill (ok not that extreme)

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bredlau3 18 years ago

i wouldn't go that far..it's a matter of taste not understanding. I like the song though

[–] muurahainen 18 years ago

yes the matter of taste... what do you even understand in it? It's all straight from a circus poster.... funny words and names only...

the annoying fish.

[–] unkle_weaser 18 years ago

My vote goes to REVOLUTION #9. No lyrics, or discernable melody. It was the Fabs making noises while on drugs, as close as I can tell. One trivia note: The voice saying, "Number nine... Number nine..." was Peter Sellers. He did it (and other words) at Apple Studios, I think. There are bootlegs of him saying other things into a microphone.

[–] Shaolin_Apu 18 years ago

My vote goes to REVOLUTION #9. No lyrics, or discernable melody. It was the Fabs making noises while on drugs, as close as I can tell. One trivia note: The voice saying, "Number nine... Number nine..." was Peter Sellers. He did it (and other words) at Apple Studios, I think. There are bootlegs of him saying other things into a microphone.

The track was made during the white album sessions without all the Beatles participating. The track has nothing to do with drugs, it's all experiment with tape loops. I don't believe that Peter Sellers had anything to do with reciting "Number 9"; I thought too at first that Sellers appeared on "You Know My Name" but it was just John's Goon Show imitation. There is a so called Peter Seller's bootleg but the actor does not appear on the record, except for the lame discussion track in the end. In an interview from late 1970's John says that the "Number 9" was ordinary engineers announcement in the beginning of some track and John cut it off for his use.

The Apple Scruffs Corps, 05
If Lennon was alive he'd turn in his grave

[–] unkle_weaser 18 years ago

Thanx, Shaolin, I sit corrected.
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay..."

[–] dimension8 18 years ago

Worst Early song: Kansas City or Can't Buy me Love or Act Naturally

Worst late 60's song(s): Octopuses Garden or Good Morning or Get Back

Worst John Solo: TWO VIRGINS song & album. The only time it's possibly comprehended slightly is when spaced out, then i'd change my mind and say WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT.

Even though I listed these as worst songs, they are still good. That's how good The Beatles are.

[–] muurahainen 18 years ago

Worst Early song: Kansas City or Can't Buy me Love or Act Naturally

Worst late 60's song(s): Octopuses Garden or Good Morning or Get Back

Worst John Solo: TWO VIRGINS song & album. The only time it's possibly comprehended slightly is when spaced out, then i'd change my mind and say WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT.

Even though I listed these as worst songs, they are still good. That's how good The Beatles are.

whatare you talking about! you have to remember that the octopus's garden is ringo's song! and have you heard the LOVE version???? LOVELy!!!!!!!! but ok.... it is your opinnion..... and the beatles really are great! you silly you....

the annoying fish.

[–] dimension8 18 years ago

Yes, I know Octopusses garden is a Ringo song-so is Act Naturally. They gave him some of the bad oddities. He does some good songs though. Like "Don't Pass me by" and "Good Night".

Also, I have heard the 'love' version. I've heard MANY versions...I bought many bootleg records at at Beatlefest conventions. I'm just saying i'm not a huge fan of that song is all, nothing bad.

[–] muurahainen 18 years ago

yes I understand...... I really do. I didn't doubt that you wouldn't know that it's ringo's song but I just reminded you... :> that is a nice song tough... but not the best beatles song... yes yes yees....

the annoying fish.

[–] matchboxgirl 18 years ago

Woah! There are so many songs listed in this thread that I love!
Ticket to Ride? Act Naturally? Can't Buy Me Love? I Need You? All great! For me, at least. And I don't see everyone's problem with Ob La Di. I know it's...different, but the music is so cool! I also love Girl, Wait, and Run For Your Life. I don't know why John didn't like them.

I haven't heard a lot of the last couple Beatle records, but do think that I Want You is pretty bad.

[–] dimension8 18 years ago

I Want You (she's so heavy) is an awesome song. The lyrics get awfully repeatitive, but the music is great. Especially the long guitar fade out at the end. As a matter of fact that's the only reason I like that song, the end of it that is.

[–] bredlau3 18 years ago

yeah but the Beatles didn't give Ringo Octopuss Garden, he gave it to them.

[–] GreenCircles 18 years ago

I actually like I Need You and You Like Me Too Much.

Songs that I don't care too much for include:
A Taste of Honey
Chains
the Long and Winding Road
She Said She Said

I'm also not too fond of a lot of the little short songs on Abbey Road. Golden Slumbers, Polythene Pam...

John: You're just a lonely old man from Liverpool.
Grandfather: But I'm clean.
John: Are you?

[–] dimension8 18 years ago

She Said, She Said is a great song.!. The background of what the song is about is particularly interesting. It's a Tomorrow Never Knows type of acidic song. You gotta love that.

[–] ShelbyTMItchell 17 years ago

Chains
Im Down
Come Together
Devil in Her Heard
A Taste of Honey
Happiness Is A Warm Gun

[–] hijodelhuevo 18 years ago

per LP--

from please please me ------ Boys

from With tha beatles ----- Till there was yu

from A hard days night ----- Anytime at all

from Beatles for sale ----- What u re doing and Mr Moonlight

from Help ----- its only love

from Rubber soul ----- The word and Run for your life

from Revolver ---- Good day sunshine n Dr Robert

from Sgt peppers .. When im 64

from Magical mystery tour----- NONE

from White album ----- Too many to remember.... revolution 9, Wild honey pie, Bungalow bill, Long long long, Yer blues...

from Abbey road ----- I want you

from Let it be----- the whole album except Two of us, Let it be and Across the universe

[–] bredlau3 18 years ago

Long Long Long is one of my all time faves!!!!

[–] sstrunks-1 18 years ago

My least favorite Beatles song (And the only one i DON'T like) is Revolution#9 from the White Album.

[–] kathyextra 18 years ago

I grew up listening to the Beatles and while I can remember downright wincing when I first heard turkeys like "Chains" each and every song grew on me and became part of my life. (I guess that's a side effect of growing up in the LP age where one couldn't shuffle-play conveniently). One song it took me years to get accustomed to though was "Yes It Is." I was just never too fond of it. Depending on my mood, I can pretty much enjoy any Beatles song.

Didn't listen much to any of their later solo works but with the volume of music those guys were putting out, you can't expect each and every song to be a winner.

[–] cbartal 17 years ago

You have to disregard the early years, IMO, especially the covers.

So, as for the worst I would have to go with Don't Pass Me By, or For You Blue.

Don't Pass Me By is Ringo's first attempt at songwriting, if I remember correctly. But it just plods along. It fits well enough within the context of Beatles White, because it's a light romping excursion in an otherwise dark, intriguing album, buts it's just not very interesting in any other way.

For You Blue. Just a throw away nod to Harrison. At this point, the Beatles were so fractured that Mccartney must have relinquished his stranglehold long enough to allow George a few more tracks on a Beatles album. It's another boring three chord number that Harrison himself would've most likely passed over in his subsequent solo work. And the slide guitar work is primitive and one dimensional to the point of embarrassment.

As for solo efforts, there is so much lame, bad stuff out there it's hard to pick from. Pick anything off of Mccartney's Wild Life, that's fine with me. But Lennon definitely had his moments also. There are quite a few songs on Mind Games that would make you cringe. As for George and Ringo, well we all know the score. There are a few isolated moments of brilliance, Photograph and a lot of the All Things Must Pass record come to mind immediately, but on the whole the song writing is so far beneath that of Lennon/Mccartney that it's not even a fair match.

[–] solitudesblind 17 years ago

Disregarding everything before Rubber Soul...

What Goes On

[–] cbartal 17 years ago

Is What Goes On before Rubber Soul?

Regardless of the actual release date of that song, I think that you would have to classify it as a Red Album (62-66) type of song rather than a Blue Album (67-70) type of song, so I would disqualify it. And please don't dismiss me as a Greatest Hits type of fan, I only reference the two albums because they pretty clearly identify the dichotomy in the 2 phases of the Beatles legacy.

[–] solitudesblind 17 years ago

What Goes On is ON Rubber Soul

[–] cbartal 17 years ago

I'm sorry.

I'm a product of the American releases, where What Goes On appeared on Yesterday and Today.

MP3's and Rhapsody have pretty much ruined my mind as to what album a song actually appeared on. Obviously, after Sgt Peppers, the task to remember song originations becomes much easier. I wouldn't question which album that Happiness is a Warm Gun is from, for example.

But when we start talking about throw away songs from the 65/66 days of the Beatles like What Goes On, I get confused by the ploys of Capitol with the American releases.t

Beatles 65, Yesterday and Today, Beatles VI... God, it's been such a long time since I've spun the vinyl. Then you throw in the British releases like Beatles for Sale, and mix in the standards like Rubber Soul and Revolver, with different songs on both records between British and American releases; it makes my head spin now.

But I've got to stick to my guns and throw What Goes On out as a contender for worst song. The Beatles were still under a bit of pressure to release product on time to keep the money train rolling for the industry at this time. Chances are the inclusion of What Goes On on an album was not an artistic statement made by the band. More likely it was a filler to pad the last 3 minutes of an album.

Songs like Don't Pass Me By, or For You Blue, were artistic mistakes made by the band. They picked these songs with complete control. Now, For You Blue might be a more complicated choice, because at this time, the Beatles were so fractured that they couldn't care less. The Beatles were fractured by the time of the White album also, but there was still a desire to make an artistic cohesive statement, even if the idea of the Beatles as a unit had disintegrated into a series of solo recording sessions that eventually were weaved into an album.

[–] solitudesblind 17 years ago

Yeah, Long Long Long and Bungalow Bill are two of the best of that album. And I Want You is the song that got me into the Beatles.

*beep* that guy.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] spaced64 17 years ago

Wild Honey Pie. I've never listened to the whole thing, it's just noise. The Ballad of John and Yoko. Mainly because I could care less about what hardships John went through to be with Yoko. Could it have been a sign? Hmm...Run For Your Life. I Want You (She's So Heavy) goes on for far too long as well. I actually like Goodnight because it's kind of precious, a sweet lullaby.

I miss the days when there was only one party I didn’t want to go to.
-Ryan Howard

[–] Shaolin_Apu 17 years ago

Wow.

I started this thread about three years ago and it's still on.

Now I would like to outrule my choices I made that time. The backing groove of "Hold Me Tight" is my favourite thing ever and I like "Mister Kite" too.

The Apple Scruffs Corps, 05
I am the brain and she's the muscle.

[–] TheGraveLittleToaster 17 years ago

Worst Early Song?
There aren't really any I dislike, just some bland ones.

Worst Late-60's Song?
Revolution 9

Worst Solo Album Song?
Don't Worry Kyoko

**********************
"What do you call that hairstyle you're wearing?"
"Arthur"

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]