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.
Old Brown Shoe
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But right is only half of what's wrong
I want a short haired girl
Who sometimes wears it twice as long
Now I'm stepping out this old brown shoe
Baby, I'm in love with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
I'm telling you
You know you pick me up
From where some try to drag me down
And when I see your smile
Replace every thoughtless frown
Got me escaping from this zoo
Baby, I'm in love with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
When I'm with you
If I grow up I'll be a singer
Wearing rings on every finger
Not worrying what they or you say
I'll live and love and maybe someday
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me
I may appear to be imperfect
My love is something you can't reject
I'm changing faster than the weather
If you and me should get together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me
I want that love of yours
To miss that love is something I'd hate
I'll make an early start
I'm making sure that I'm not late
For you sweet top lip I'm in the queue
Baby, I'm in love with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
When I'm with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
When I'm with you
The lyrics to The Beatles' "Old Brown Shoe" are a mixture of desire, love, and escapism. The singer of the song is longing for a love that is right, but acknowledges that right is only half of the equation, and that there is something alluring about what is wrong. The singer desires a short haired girl, who can wear her hair both short and long – a symbol of a woman who is multi-faceted and not afraid to defy societal norms.
The singer then goes on to express gratitude towards the person they love, who has helped them escape from the chaos of life. They describe their love in terms of relief, a balm to the pains of the world. The singer then fantasizes about their future, dreaming of becoming a musician who's not afraid to stand out and be different. But ultimately the singer's hope is to be comforted by the one they love, knowing that they can overcome any hardship as long as they are together.
Line by Line Meaning
I want a love that's right
I am searching for a love that feels perfect
But right is only half of what's wrong
It is difficult to find a love that is completely perfect
I want a short haired girl
I am attracted to women with short hair
Who sometimes wears it twice as long
I also find it attractive when she occasionally wears it long
Now I'm stepping out this old brown shoe
I am ready to take a chance and pursue love
Baby, I'm in love with you
I am deeply in love with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
I am grateful that you are here and that our lives will be better with each other
You know you pick me up
You always make me feel better
From where some try to drag me down
Even when things are difficult, you help me persevere
And when I see your smile
Seeing you smile makes my day
Replace every thoughtless frown
Your positivity and happiness replace any negative emotions I may be feeling
Got me escaping from this zoo
You help me escape from the stress and chaos of everyday life
If I grow up I'll be a singer
In the future, I aspire to be a singer
Wearing rings on every finger
I will embrace the rockstar lifestyle and wear extravagant jewelry
Not worrying what they or you say
I will not let others' opinions affect my decisions or happiness
I'll live and love and maybe someday
I will pursue a life filled with love and passion, and maybe someday I'll find true love
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me
I hope that maybe, you will be the one to bring me comfort and happiness
I may appear to be imperfect
I know that I am not perfect
My love is something you can't reject
But I love you so much that I hope my imperfections won't be a deal breaker
I'm changing faster than the weather
I am constantly evolving and growing as a person
If you and me should get together
If we were to start a relationship together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me
I hope that you will be the one to bring me comfort and happiness
I want that love of yours
I am so envious of the love that you have to offer
To miss that love is something I'd hate
I can't bear the thought of missing out on your love
I'll make an early start
I am taking immediate action to pursue your love
I'm making sure that I'm not late
I am not going to let this opportunity pass me by
For you sweet top lip I'm in the queue
I am willing to wait in line for a chance to kiss your sweet lips
Baby, I'm in love with you
I am deeply and truly in love with you
I'm so glad you came here, it won't be the same now
I am grateful that you are here and that our lives will be better with each other
When I'm with you
I am the happiest I have ever been
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Harrison
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.