The Beatle’s Fifth Album, Help Essay Example

therefore, it contains this sort of tension between the commercial pressures of the label to create an uptempo pop song, while he originally intended for it to be a slow piano ballad.1 Lennon describes it as his subconscious crying out for help in response to all the Beatlemania craze and the band’s quick rise to fame. He recalls this period of time as his “Fat Elvis” stage and it marks a season where he was very insecure and unsure of himself. This disposition seems so contradictory to someone who had all the love and attention of the world at his guitar-playing fingertips and this juxtaposition is evident in the musical elements of the song.

Its fast tempo sort of mimics their hasty rise to popularity and relentless production of music. The fast beat propels the listener through the song and sort of make he or she want to run away or towards something, allowing the listener to feel the personal hastiness that Lennon felt but through the dimension of music. While the music carries a happy and uplifted mood, the lyrical content is a component that needs to be highlighted in this song because it contrasts deeply with the lighthearted melody. We definitely see how Lennon, who grew up in arguably the most (financially) secure household out of all the members2, is struggling deeply with his vanishing sense of security and his growing anxiety of the present. The lyrics clearly display this sort of disparity of security from the past versus the present.

Verse 1 goes: “When I was younger, so much younger than today/I never needed anybody’s help in any way/But now these days are gone,

I’m not so self-assured.” Verse 2 says “And now my life has changed in oh so many ways/My independence seems to vanish in the haze/But every now and then I feel so insecure/I know that I just need you like I’ve never done before.” As the main vocalist who sings out these words, it really sounds like a deep cry for help masked behind its upbeat pop tempo and as a listener in 2020 who now knows the deeper meaning behind the lyrics, I am left with the feeling that I can’t help but want to help John. 1 Genius.com, The Beatles Help! lyrics. https://genius.com/The-beatles-help-lyrics 2 Elizabeth Upton, Week 1 Class 2: Elements of Music, Beatles Childhoods; US Rock and Roll (2020), slide 24.

The next song I want to highlight is You’re Gonna Lose That Girl. The call-and-response, echo style of this song mimics the famous musical structure of female vocal groups back in the days. While the other songs in the album venture off into new genres, this song is capable of being placed into their earlier albums because of its familiar format to their old style. However, it still carries a twist of uniqueness due to the incorporation of the bongos. Like the song Help!, there is a contrast between lyrical content and the lighthearted instrumentation. The threatening lyrics such as “If you don’t treat her tonight/She’s going to change her mind/And I will take her out tonight/And I will treat her kind” contrast the happy and soft melody of the song. The background vocals that echo “You’re gonna lose that girl” add to the sweet taunting of the boys and drives in

the bitter reality that they probably would be capable of stealing any girl away from someone with their charming voices.

The third song to mention is I’ve Just Seen a Face which brings back the same vibes from the Beatles’ young days as the Quarrymen. The song contains elements of the old Beatles through being a form of skiffle and still brings freshness with its country and westernish style by the use of acoustics and the plucking and rapid strumming. The intro is very solemn sounding and quickly picks up in fast pace while leaving very little breaks in between for the singer to take breaths. Although the lyrical content is very simple with each line of the song being very short, the rhymes placed at the end of each line and speedy tempo of the song is what keeps the listener engaged and anticipating of what will be sung next. The last song that must get a shoutout is, of course, Yesterday.

The song is special and perfect in so many ways and feels as though it was just heaven-sent—which it really was. Paul McCartney actually wrote this song after hearing the melody in a dream.3 Though new 3 Genius.com, The Beatles Yesterday lyrics. https://genius.com/The-beatles-yesterday-lyrics instruments such as the string quartet were used in this song, which was considered a risky move for the Beatles, it is what creates the solemnness and sadness of the track. The key change from major to minor also gives the song a melancholy aura that reminds the listener of the feeling of love that is lost. I feel as though lyrics “Yesterday, Love was such an easy game to play/Now

I need a place to hide away/Oh I believe in yesterday” sort of brings the thread of love that weaved through the whole album to be intertwined with the other themes of the songs. It makes me recall the same nostalgic attitude in Help! that found comfort in the past and the sort of overly confident attitude towards love in You’re Gonna Lose that Girl and Another Girl.

The singer who confidently proclaimed leaving their lover for someone else or causing a loss of a lover to someone else has come full circle and is now in that very position of loss and abandonment. Overall, I think this album shows the uniqueness of the Beatles in so many ways and is a testimony of why they were so famous and groundbreaking—even to this day. As a listener in 2020, though some of the underlying meanings must have been viewed as rebellious and scandalous back then, it seems so much more wholesome and sweet compared to a lot of the content that is put out these days in the music industry that might have the same themes. This shows that the Beatles were able to deliver music in a way that is not so distasteful but filled with deep meaning and rich musical content. Also, through showcasing different genres in one album, they show the diversity and breadth of their artistry, while artists these days are often stuck within the bounds of their own established genres. I would like to say that the album Help! has gone beyond the confines of genre and time to create music that is relevant to yesterday, today, and tomorrow.