McFarland was born in Los Angeles, on October 23, 1933, but grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attained a small following after working with Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Johnny Hodges, John Lewis, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, and Anita O'Day.
As well as his own albums and arrangements for other musicians he composed the scores to the films Eye of the Devil (1966) and Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? (1971). By the end of the 1960s he was moving away from jazz towards an often wistful or melancholy style of instrumental pop, as well as producing the recordings of other artists on his Skye Records label (run in partnership with Gábor Szabó and Cal Tjader until its bankruptcy in 1970).
McFarland was considering a move into writing and arranging for film and stage when, on November 3, 1971, he was poisoned with methadone in a New York City bar.
Bill Evans recorded "Gary's Theme" in 1977.
A Hard Day's Night
Gary McFarland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright, ow
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel OK
When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright
Gary McFarland's rendition of The Beatles' classic song A Hard Day's Night is a soulful and romantic take on the original. The opening lines, "It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog" immediately sets the tone for the song, with McFarland expressing his fatigue from working all day. However, he finds solace in the fact that when he comes home to his lover, everything feels right.
The lyrics go on to explain that he works hard all day to provide for his loved one, and doesn't mind doing so because it makes him happy when she is happy. He acknowledges that it's been a hard day, but the love and affection he receives from his partner makes it all worth it. The lines "So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone, You know I feel OK" show that his love for his partner is more important than any temporary discomfort he feels from working.
Overall, the lyrics to A Hard Day's Night by Gary McFarland encapsulates the essence of a hard day's work and the importance of coming home to the one you love. McFarland's interpretation of this classic song adds a soulful, romantic touch to it, making it more relatable to those who have experienced hard work and the comfort of a loved one's embrace.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
I've had a tough day, working nonstop and feeling exhausted
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
I need to rest, but I'm not sleeping because of my thoughts
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
But when I'm with you, your actions make me feel better
You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
I work hard to earn money to buy you the things you want
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
It makes everything worth it when you promise to give me all of your love
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel OK
So why would I complain when I'm alone with you and feeling content?
When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight
I feel at ease and secure when I'm home and holding you tightly
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright, ow
I've had a long day, should be sleeping, but your actions make me feel good
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know that I'm feeling good and satisfied
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jdsalinger73
McFarland is very special. Thanks for posting!
ricadus
His work is still largely trapped in vinyl, with a few notable exceptions (the Bill Evans verve album, the Steve Kuhn 'October Suite' on Impulse, and his big band album 'America The Beautiful' from the late 60s) which are now resurrected as commercial downloads).
velenjak4ever
Perfect lounge music!
MissesWaits
Wonderful!!
Ed Macomber
Jobim on guitar, I believe, and so smooth a treatment, this was too often shot down as "elevator"...it is far from that. Thanks for keeping it alive.
Donald Mattia
Fantastic!
piscean60
thankyou so much for posting- I'm a big McFarland fan and he's not always easy to find-
King Napz
Nice!
King Napz
Haha. What's poppin!
flungingpictures
Wow! I used to have IKEA bookshelves for my LPs. The IKEA bookshelves for KPS have metal unrights to keep the LPs upright. I still have them, the metal upright seperators.