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.
A Devil In Her Heart
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But her eyes they tantalize
She's gonna tear your heart apart
Oh, her lips they really thrill me
I'll take my chances
For romance is
So important to me
She won't desert me
She's an angel sent to me
She's got the devil in her heart
No, no, this I can't believe
She's gonna tear your heart apart
No, no, nay, will she deceive
I can't believe that she'll ever ever go
Not when she hugs me and says she loves me so
She'll never hurt me
She won't desert me
Listen, can't you see
She's got the devil in her heart
Oh, no, no, no, this I can't believe
She's gonna tear your heart apart
No, no, nay, will she deceive
Don't take chances if your romance is
So important to you
She'll never hurt me
She won't desert me
She's an angel sent to me
She's got the devil in her heart
Oh, no, no, no, no, this I can't believe
She's gonna tear your heart apart
No, no, nay, will she deceive
She's got the devil in her heart
No, she's an angel sent to me
She's got the devil in her heart
No, she's an angel sent to me
The first line of "Devil in Her Heart" by The Beatles might seem contradictory at first. "She's got the devil in her heart" implies that the woman in question is a bad influence, while "her eyes they tantalize" and "her lips they really thrill me" suggest that the singer is drawn to her. However, the lyrics suggest that the singer is willing to take a chance on her even though she might break his heart. He believes that his love for her is strong enough to keep her from harming him, and that she is an angel rather than a devil.
The chorus repeats the initial assertion that the woman has a devil in her heart, but the final lines of the song reiterate that the singer sees her as an angel. The ambiguity of the lyrics speaks to the complexity of love and relationships. The singer knows that the woman is capable of causing him pain, but he loves her despite (or perhaps because of) her flaws.
Overall, "Devil in Her Heart" is a song about taking risks in love and believing in the good nature of the person you're with. It highlights the way in which love can be unpredictable and how it can bring both joy and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got the devil in her heart
Despite her angelic appearance, she has a malicious intention that could harm someone.
But her eyes they tantalize
Despite her true intention, she has a way of luring someone in with her gaze.
She's gonna tear your heart apart
She has the power to inflict emotional damage on an individual.
Oh, her lips they really thrill me
Despite knowing her true intention, the artist finds excitement in her sensual lips.
I'll take my chances
The artist understands the risk, but is willing to pursue a romantic relationship with her.
For romance is So important to me
The singer values love and is willing to overlook the potential consequences that may arise from being with her.
She'll never hurt me
The singer dismisses the possibility that she could cause them pain.
She won't desert me
The artist believes that she will always be by their side and never leave them.
She's an angel sent to me
Despite knowing her true nature, the artist believes that she is a divine being sent to them.
No, no, nay, will she deceive
The artist continues to deny the possibility that she could be malicious and trick them.
I can't believe that she'll ever ever go
The singer cannot fathom the thought of her leaving them or betraying their trust.
Not when she hugs me and says she loves me so
The artist believes that her affection and words of love are genuine, despite knowing her true nature.
Listen, can't you see
The singer urges those around them to understand their perspective and have faith in their choice to be with her.
Don't take chances if your romance is So important to you
The singer advises others to be cautious when pursuing love, but reaffirms their belief in taking the risk for the sake of love.
No, she's an angel sent to me
The singer concludes that despite her intention to harm, she is still an angelic being in their eyes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, HELENE BLUE MUSIQUE LTD
Written by: Richard Drapkin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.