Beatles (Mid-to-late; roughly chronological)


HELP!

I need somebody (Help)
Not just anybody (Help)
You know I need someone (Help)

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
Now I find I've changed my mind
I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me

And now my life hand 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
(Chorus)

When I was younger, so much younger than today
I've opened up the doors

(Chorus)

 

Taxman (Harrison)

 Let me tell you how it will be.  
There's one for you, nineteen for me,  
'Cause I'm the taxman.  
Should five percent appear too small,  
Be thankful I don't take it all,  
'Cause I'm the taxman.  
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street.  
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.  
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat.  
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.     
Don't ask me what I want it for (ha ha Mr.Wilson),  
If you don't want to pay some more (ha ha Mr. Heath),  
'Cause I'm the taxman.  
Now my advice for those who die:  
Declare the pennies on your eyes,  
'Cause I'm the taxman,   
And you're working for no one but me.

Norwegian Wood

I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me.
She showed me her room, isn't it good, norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine.
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed".
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath.
And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown.
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, norwegian wood.



Nowhere Man

He's a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his Nowhere plans
for Nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere Man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.

He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?
Doesn't kave a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all till somebody else
Lend you a hand.
(Chorus)


The Word


Say the word and you'll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, It's sunshine
It's the word, love
In the beginning I misunderstood
But now I've got it, the word is good

Spread the word and you'll be free
Spread the word and be like be
Spread the work I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, It's sunshine
It's the word, love
Every where I go I hear it said
In the good and bad books that I have read

Give the word a chance to say
That the word is just the way
It's the word I'm thinking of
And the only word is love
It's so fine, It's sunshine
It's the word, love
Now that I know what I feel must be right
I'm here to show everybody the light
(Chorus)

 

The Fool On The Hill

 Day after day alone on the hill,
 The man with the foolish grin 
 is keeping perfectly still.
 But nobody wants to know him 
 They can see that he's just a fool.
 And he never gives an answer.

But the fool on the hill 
sees the sun going down 
And the eyes in his head 
See the world spinning round 

Well on the way, his head in a cloud 
The man of a thousand voices 
is talking perfectly loud 
But nobody ever hears him 
Or the sound he appears to make 
And he never seems to notice 
(Chorus)

Oh, round, round, round, round, round 
And nobody seems to like him 
they can tell what he wants to do 
And he never shows his feelings 
(Chorus) 

Oh, round, round, round, round, round 
And he never listen to them 
He knows that they're the fools 
But they don't like him 
(Chorus)

Run for Your Life 

Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Of I won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man 
That's the end'a little girl

Well I know that I'm a wicked guy
And I was born with a jealous mind
And I can't spend my whole life
Trying just to make you toe the line
(Chorus)

Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead
(Chorus)

I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Of I won't know where I am
(Chorus)

 

Eleanor Rigby
                           
Ah, look at all the lonely people 

Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice 
 in the church where a wedding has been;
Lives in a dream.
Waits at the window, wearing the face 
that she keeps in a jar by the door.
Who is it for?

All the lonely people 
Where do they all come from? 
All the lonely people 
Where do they all belong? 

Father McKenzie, writing the words 
of a sermon that no one will hear 
No one comes near 
Look at him working, darning his socks 
in the night when there's nobody there 
What does he care 
(Chorus)

Ah, look at all the lonely people 

Eleanor Rigby, died in the church 
and was buried along with her name 
Nobody came 
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt 
from his hands as he walks from the grave 
No one was saved
(Chorus)



Tomorrow Never Knows

Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream;
It is not dying, it is not dying.

Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void,

It is shining, it is shining.

Yet you may see the meaning of within;

It is being, it is being.
Love is all and love is everyone.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Picture yourself on a boat in a river 
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies 
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly 
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes 
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green 
Towering over your head 
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes 
and she's gone 

Lucy in the sky with diamonds 
 
Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain 
Where rocking horse people eat
marshmallow pies 
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers 
that grow so incredibly high 

Newspaper taxies appear on the shores 
Waiting to take you away 
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds 
and you're gone 

Lucy in the sky with diamonds 

Picture yourself in a train in a station 
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties 
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile 
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes 

Lucy in the sky with diamonds 

Fixing A Hole
                              
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in 
and stops my mind from wandering 
where it will go.
 
I'm filling the cracks that ran though the door
and kept my mind from wandering 
where it will go.

And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong.
I'm right where I belong.
See the people standing there 
who disagree and never win 
and wonder why they don't get in my door.

I'm painting my room in a colorful way, 
and when my mind is wandering 
there I will go.

And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong.
I'm right where I belong.
Silly people run around.
They worry me and never ask me 
why they don't get past my door.

I'm taking my time for a number of things 
that weren't important yesterday 
and I still go.

I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in 
and stops my mind from wandering 
where it will go.

 

A Day in the Life

I read the news today, oh boy,
About a lucky man who made the grade.
And though the news was rather sad,
Well I just had to laugh.
I saw the photograph.

He blew his mind out in a car.
He didn't notice that the lights had changed.
A crowd of people stood and stared;
They'd seen his face before.
Nobody was really sure

If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy.
The English Army had just won the war.
A crowd of people turned away,
but I just had to look.
Having read the book.

I'd love to turn you on.
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head.
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,

And looking up I noticed I was late.

Found my coat and grabbed my hat;
Made the bus in seconds flat.
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,

Somebody spoke and I went into a dream.
I read the news today, oh boy;
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire.
And though the holes were rather small,
They had to count them all.
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.

I'd love to turn you on.

 

I Am The Walrus

I am he as you are he as you are me 
 and we are all together 
 See how they run like pigs from a gun 
 see how they fly 
 I'm crying 
 Sitting on a cornflake 
 Waiting for the van to come 
 Corporation T-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday 
 Man you've been a naughty boy 
 you let your face grow long 

 I am the eggman 
 they are the eggmen 
 I am the walrus 
 Goo goo g' joob 

 Mr. city policeman sitting 
 pretty little policemen in a row 
 See how they fly like Lucy in the sky 
 See how they run 
 I'm crying 
 I'm crying, I'm crying 
 Yellow matter custard 
 Dripping from a dead dog's eye 
 Crabalocker fishwife 
 Pornographic priestess 
 Boy, you've been a naughty girl 
 you let your knickers down 
 Sitting in an English garden 
 waiting for the sun 
 If the sun don't come you get a tan 
 from standing in the English rain 
(Chorus) 

 Expert, texpert choking smokers 
 don't you think the joker laughs at you 
 See how they smile like pigs in a sty 
 See how they snide 
 I'm crying 
 Semolina pilchard 
 climbing up the Eiffel tower 
 Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna 
 Man, you should have seen them kicking 
 Edgar Allan Poe 

 I am the eggman 
 They are the eggmen 
 I am the walrus 

Yer Blues
                              

 Yes I'm lonely wanna die 
 Yes I'm lonely wanna die 
 If I ain't dead already 
 Ooh, girl you know the reason why 

 In the morning wanna die 
 In the evening wanna die 
 If I ain't dead already 
 Ooh, girl you know the reason why 

 My mother was of the sky 
 My father was of the earth 
 But I am of the universe 
 And you know what it's worth.
 (Chorus)

 The eagle picks my eye 
 The worm he licks my bone 
 I feel so suicidal 
 Just like Dylan's Mr. Jones.
(Chorus)

 The black cloud crossed my mind,
 Blue mist round my soul,
 Feel so suicidal 
 Even hate my rock and roll.
(Chorus)

Revolution
                              
 You say you want a revolution 
 Well, you know 
 We all want to change the world 
 You tell me that it's evolution 
 Well, you know 
 We all want to change the world 
 But when you talk about destruction 
 Don't you know that you can count me out 
 Don't you know it's gonna be all right 

You say you got a real solution 
 Well, you know 
 We'd all love to see the plan 
 You ask me for a contribution 
 Well, you know 
 We're doing what we can 
 But when you want money 
 for people with minds that hate 
 All I can tell is brother you have to wait 
 Don't you know it's gonna be all right 

 You say you'll change the constitution 
 Well, you know 
 We all want to change your head 
 You tell me it's the institution 
 Well, you know 
 You better free you mind instead 
 But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao 
 You ain't going to make it with anyoneanyhow 
 Don't you know it's gonna be all right 

Revolution 9

Number nine, number nine 
number nine, number nine...

 

Other interesting mid-career Beatles' songs:

"Girl" (note pot-inhaling sounds)
"I'm a Loser" (banal and cliche lyrics, but important for its repetition of the real vs. false self theme and illusions motif)
"Baby You Can Drive My Car"
"She's Leaving Home" (social change; breakdown of family; generation gap; somewhat parodic tone)
 

 

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