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.
She Said She Said
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad"
And she's making me feel like I've never been born
I said
"Who put all those things in your head?
Things that make me feel that I'm mad
She said, "You don't understand what I've said"
I said, "No no no, you're wrong"
When I was a boy
Everything was right
Everything was right
I said
"Even though you know what you know
I know that I'm ready to leave
'Cause you're making me feel like I've never been born"
She said, "You don't understand what I've said"
I said, "No no no, you're wrong"
When I was a boy
Everything was right
Everything was right
I said
"Even though you know what you know
I know that I'm ready to leave
'Cause you're making me feel like I've never been born"
She said
She said
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it's like to be dead
The lyrics of "She Said She Said" by The Beatles are enigmatic and can be interpreted in different ways. The song was written by John Lennon and inspired by an encounter that he had with Peter Fonda during a party in Los Angeles in 1965. Fonda, who was stoned at the time, kept telling Lennon that he knew what it was like to be dead because he had almost died from an accidental gunshot wound when he was a child. The surreal conversation left a deep impression on Lennon, and he later incorporated it into the lyrics of the song.
The first verse of the song starts with the mysterious woman saying that she knows what it's like to be dead and to be sad. Her words are unsettling and make the singer feel like he has never been born. The second verse has the singer questioning the woman and wondering who put those thoughts in her head. He feels like he's going mad and that the woman is pushing him to the edge of his sanity. In the chorus, the singer insists that he's ready to leave the situation because the woman is making him feel like he's never been born. However, the woman rebuffs his objections, saying that he doesn't understand what she's going through.
The final verse repeats the same pattern as the previous one, with the singer trying to convince the woman that he wants to leave and start anew. However, the woman keeps repeating that she knows what it's like to be dead and to be sad, creating a haunting and eerie atmosphere. The song ends with her eerie repetitions of those lines, leaving the listener with a sense of unease and uncertainty.
Overall, "She Said She Said" is a deeply introspective and surreal song that delves into the mysteries of life and death. Its trippy and psychedelic vibe captures the counterculture spirit of the 1960s and remains a classic example of The Beatles' musical and lyrical experimentation.
Line by Line Meaning
She said
"I know what it's like to be dead
She claims to have experienced death and come back from the other side.
I know what it is to be sad"
She asserts that she possesses an intimate knowledge of sadness.
And she's making me feel like I've never been born
Her words are so vivid and powerful that they make the artist feel like a blank slate or a non-entity.
I said
"Who put all those things in your head?
The singer is questioning the source of the woman's unusual experiences.
Things that make me feel that I'm mad
The singer feels crazy due to the woman's statements.
And you're making me feel like I've never been born"
Again, the woman's words render the artist's identity meaningless or insignificant.
She said, "You don't understand what I've said"
The woman is claiming that the artist is not capable of comprehending her experiences.
I said, "No no no, you're wrong"
The artist is pushing back against the woman's assertion that he cannot understand.
When I was a boy
Everything was right
The artist recalls a time when his life felt easy and uncomplicated.
Everything was right
Reinforcing the idea that the singer once lived in a state of innocence and bliss.
I said
"Even though you know what you know
The woman's experiences are still not enough to convince the singer that he is not real.
I know that I'm ready to leave
The artist is primed to end the conversation or relationship with the woman.
'Cause you're making me feel like I've never been born"
The woman's words have so disoriented the artist that he feels like he has never existed at all.
She said
She said
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it is to be sad
I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it's like to be dead
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CipherSerpico
This song basically, single-handedly invented “Alternative”.
I mean, ‘Revolver’ in general, invented ‘Alternative’, but I think “She Said She Said” is the best example of what was to come.
You can’t listen to this Album/Song, and not hear how it influenced stuff like Radiohead (especially the Album ‘Ok Computer’), U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’, as well as the entire genre of ‘Shoegaze’; and even Bands like Big Star and Pink Floyd.
It’s crazy to think that-in the span of 3 years—they created/shaped virtually every genre of the next 6 decades.
‘Rubber Soul’ created ‘Art-Pop’.
‘Revolver’ not only created ‘Alternative’, & ‘Intellectual/Avant-garde Pop Music’… it introduced the idea of “Music Production”.
‘Sgt. Pepper’ created ‘Art/Album-Rock’ and ‘Conceptual Rock’.
‘The White Album’ created ‘Indie’.
Then, on ‘Abbey Road’ they found a way to synthesize all of the things they had created, and turn it into one cohesive piece of Music.
It’s absolutely insane.
On top of all that, Revolver (and Sgt. Pepper) in particular—introduced the concept of ‘Album Production’, as well as Tape Loops/Sampling; All of those things have become ubiquitous in Modern Music, and they’re the foundation for every single ‘Production-Based’ Genre or Aesthetic in modern Music;
i.e. everything from Hip-Hop, to Electronic, Electronica, Dub, to Home studio recordings, etc…
Everything from David Axelrod, to ‘A Tribe Called Quest’, to ‘Massive Attack’, ‘Boards Of Canada’, ’Burial’, to ‘Animal Collective’, to ‘FKA Twigs’…
We’re talking about the ‘Blueprint for the Digital Age of Music’...
And it all started with Revolver.
The Beatles are literally more influential than every other Artist-combined.
@CipherSerpico
@Velvet Watermelon That’s the one other Artist I was thinking about; The only slight difference is that I think of Velvet Underground as inventing “Underground Music” rather than “Indie”.
Granted, they’re arguably the same thing.
I just think of “Underground” as the “noisier/ more primal genre”; and I think of “Indie” as being the “more sophisticated/intellectual genre”.
Like, I think of Sonic Youth’s “Daydream Nation”, and Pavement’s “Slanted & Enchanted” as “Underground”;
And I think of Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Aeroplane Over The Sea”, and Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” as being “Indie Albums”.
And I think of something like The Pixies “Doolittle” as being a combination of Indie & Underground.
That probably doesn’t make any sense, but that’s just how I think of them lol.
Anyway, to your point though… Velvet Underground & Nico is without question one of the Greatest and most influential/innovative Albums of all time.
@CipherSerpico
@G Walker The Beach Boys definitely had a huge impact on a ton of the “indie bands” of this generation.
On top of that, their influence on Animal Collective probably shaped modern Music more than anything in a long time. I think Animal Collective is one of the 5 Greatest/Most Important Artists of this era, and they arguably have the Greatest Body of work—since Radiohead.
Virtually every Indie Artist started incorporating AC’s sound into their Music. It had a massive impact on Modern Music. And all of that started with The Beach Boys.
When you listen to Animal Collective’s Masterpieces, like ’Merriweather Post Pavilion’, ‘Strawberry Jam’, or ’Feels’…
It’s basically impossible to imagine these songs without the influence of The Beach Boys.
“Bluish”: https://youtu.be/U-IEnKdkzLg?si=XQuiriiDKTWVZo5O
“Also Frightened”:
https://youtu.be/55pDa5_CJP8?si=Z2kKvmWFpgIfmMxO
“Fireworks”: https://youtu.be/8pUD4MxgQZk
“My Girls”: https://youtu.be/V00VrmmoWPw?si=sOjvgB8ceIsUBaom
“Comfy In Nautica”:
https://youtu.be/7xqOz_YqDxM
Have you heard those before?
@eleanor8079
Lyrics.
She said
"I know what it's like to be dead
I know what it is to be sad"
And she's making me feel like I've never been born
I said
"Who put all those things in your head?
Things that make me feel that I'm mad"
And you're making me feel like I've never been born
She said, "You don't understand what I said"
I said, "No, no, no, you're wrong"
When I was a boy
Every thing was right
Every thing was right
I said
"Even though you know what you know
I know that I'm ready to leave
Because you're making me feel like I've never been born"
She said, "You don't understand what I've said"
And I said, "No, no, no you're wrong"
When I was a boy
Every thing was right
Every thing was right
I said
"Even though you know what you know
I know that I'm ready to leave
Because you're making me feel like I've never been born"
She said, she said
"I know what it's like to be dead (I know what it's like to be dead)
I know what it is to be sad (I know what it is to be sad)
I know what it's like to be dead"
@paulbadoo9326
IMO , Ringo 's best performance. Those fills he plays totally make the song, and those are original fills nobody else would do.
@richwilde6550
Yeah this is my fave ringo drumming. Always thought it was better than Rain and other, although they’re still amazing.
@adamblackshaw9151
Great drumming. He's terrific on RAIN as well.
@applescruff1969
I think Rain's his best. This is definitely a close contender, though.
@jamesarmstrong5903
Rains my favorite but just noticed he's amazing in this as well
@JET7C0
Yes - I'd avoided listening to the Beatles in high school, because I was trying too hard to be "punk rock" (lol), and so on, but started listening to them around 20, and his drumming on this blew me away. People think of the drums as so mechanistic, anyone can fill in for anyone else, provided they have adequate skill - but Ringo proves that's not the case, and drumming styles are really just as characteristic as fingerprints or voices.
@maristelaalves9266
John's voice send shivers to my spine. What a phenomenal song.
@lindastoakes1268
I've loved john Lennon for 60 years x
@hansvandijk1487
@Linda Stoakes So did I and I still do (born 1950).
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.
@gabrielfanin1412
What about Paul's Voice? I think is so cool too.