CLASSIC CORNER
Most of The Beatles’ arrangements
are amazing because everybody can
sing every little bit. Everything is so
perfect. Nothing is a throwaway. I
have the melody to “Drive My Car”
as a necklace because I like the song
very much. To me they are probably
the best song writers of this century.
I picked that one because I like the
idea “Baby You Can Drive My Car.”
The song has such an up atmosphere
to it. It’s just so alive. It doesn’t have
a deep meaning like some Beatles
songs do. A lot of them are a matter
of the time and they were writing
songs that seemed to say let’s be
happy and easy. It was that kind of
time. Musicians always reflect what’s
going on in the world and we know
how different today is in comparison
to the 60s when they started off.
They have a very special sense
for melodies that are accessible
to everybody even though they
are not so simple. And with The
Beatles everything that is recorded
is memorable. Most people can
even sing the bass line, or a fill,
or something in the string section,
or the horn part. Everything is so
easy to remember. The whole song
is that way. They stop singing and
something else happens and it all
blends in and it’s perfectly done.
You never had a feeling there is a
gap, so to speak. Now we go into an
instrumental break and you wonder.
With them the songs are very short
and just right. My favorites are like
“Yesterday” to “I Am the Walrus.”
I like the weirder stuff they’ve
done, as well.
“Baby You Can Drive My Car” by Paul McCartney in Quebec
DECEMBER SPECIAL
DIGITAL EDITION
GUITAR TRICKS INSIDER
21