The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the… Read Full Bio ↴The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. The group was integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the group revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and socio-cultural movements.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
"It
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la
It's not the way you smile that touched my heart
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
It's not the way you kiss that tears me apart
Wa-oh, many many many nights go by
I sit alone at home and cry over you
What can I do, can't help myself
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
You should hear what they say about you (cheat, cheat)
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
They say, they say you never never never ever been true (cheat, cheat)
Wa-oh, it doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do? Then it's true
Don't want nobody, nobody
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Wa-oh, it doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do? When it's true
Don't want nobody, nobody
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Don't leave me all alone (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Come on home (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la-la
It's not the way you smile that touched my heart
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
It's not the way you kiss that tears me apart
Wa-oh, many many many nights go by
I sit alone at home and cry over you
What can I do, can't help myself
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
You should hear what they say about you (cheat, cheat)
(Sha-la-la-la-la)
They say, they say you never never never ever been true (cheat, cheat)
Wa-oh, it doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do? Then it's true
Don't want nobody, nobody
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Wa-oh, it doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do? When it's true
Don't want nobody, nobody
'Cause, baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Baby, it's you (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Don't leave me all alone (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Come on home (sha-la-la-la-la-la-la)
The Beatles’ “Baby It’s You” is a love song about a narrator who has fallen in love with someone and is devoted and attached to them. It is clear that this person is causing heartbreak for the singer as they mention how they often sit alone and cry over their loved one, highlighting the emotional distress they experience due to their attachment. The singer acknowledges that other people say unflattering things about their beloved, they are unloyal and have cheated, but they do not take heed of this advice. The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware of their lover’s faults but chooses to overlook them as they have fallen deeply in love with them, and they cannot help themselves.
The chorus repetition emphasizes the effect of the lover on the singer, ‘Baby, it’s you’ implying that the lover is the only one that can cause such a reaction, which further emphasizes the level of attachment that the singer has. Additionally, the lyrics are simple, but the melody permits several styles, including blues, soul with both the background and the lead vocals taking an active role to convey the emotions of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not the way you smile that touched my heart
Your smile didn't win over my heart.
It's not the way you kiss that tears my apart
Your kisses didn't leave me in pieces.
But how many many many nights go by
I spend countless nights alone.
I sit alone at home and cry over you
I cry for you while I'm alone at home.
What can I do, can't help myself
I feel powerless and unable to stop loving you.
'Cause baby it's you, baby it's you
I'm in love with you, no matter what.
You should hear what they say about you (cheat, cheat)
People talk about how you cheat on others.
They say, they say you never never ever been true (cheat, cheat)
People gossip that you've never been faithful in a relationship.
Wo ho, it doesn't matter what they say
I don't care about other people's opinions.
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
I'll love you in any circumstance, regardless of others' criticism.
What can I do, then it's true
I can't deny my true feelings for you.
Don't want nobody, nobody
I don't want anyone else but you.
'Cause baby it's you, baby it's you
You're the only one for me.
Baby it's you, don't leave me all alone
Don't abandon me, because I need you.
Lyrics © SOROKA MUSIC LTD., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Mack David, Barney Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Mine Duck
If you will love me
Iiiiiiiiiii will love uuuuuuu...
Back!
There were white and yellow flaow--ers
On a hill
And you were sitting there with me
The sun was pretty making you
Hair was shiny and I saw you
Oh yeah
Yeah!
You can't stop me ill follow you and give you Beatles everywhere until death.
Keelan Murphy
A first draft for Paul's part in A Day in the Life:
Woke up
Pulled out a tenner
Set it on fire
In front of a beggar
Found my way next door
And stomped their pup
And hid what's left
Down a sewer grate
(ha, ha, ha, ha)
From his coat, I made a hat
Little runt, I stomped him flat
Went back in and had a smoke
And laughed aloud when I heard the neighbour scream
Orange Banana
Who could forget other classics like ‘Aggressively Shake Your Newborn Child’ and ‘An Ode to Segregation’
That Montana Kid
My favorite it 'Cyanide Tastes Good'
Felipedaviws31 Lima araujo
" kill a old woman with a gun" is pretty good too
E Sharp
Even though the promoters never planned to segregate their concert at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville.
The Glorious Lobster Emperor
Absolutely amazing.
$19 fortnite card.
Best lyrics ever, so inspiring. This and " it's not a hate crime if you love doing it " were the best. Truly the songs of all time
C. H.
"Hate crimes" is such a weird concept to me. Hate definitely can aggravate existing offences, yes, but an emotion in and of itself shouldn't be illegal.
Kory Giles
“I’ve committed war crimes” is another classic. The melody is so beautiful it fills me with joy.
Mine Duck
"You can't be r*p*d if you don't say no" was the anthem of my formative years
scottydu81
“I got an office job for the sole purpose of sexually harassing women” is another Beatles classic!