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.
Teddy Boy
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If his mother said
Ted be good (Be good Ted)
He would (Alright)
Ted used to tell about his soldier dad
But it made her sad
And she cried
Ted used to tell her he'd be twice as good
And he knew he could
'Cause in his head
He said
Momma don't worry your Teddy Boy's here
Taking good care of you
Momma don't worry your Teddy Boy's here
Teddy's gonna see you through
Then came the day she found herself a man
Teddy turned and ran
So far away oh yay
He couldn't stand it just to be around
So he left the town
Far away Yay yay
Ted used to tell her he'd be twice as good
And she knew he could
'Cause in her head
She said
Teddy don't worry your mommy is here
Taking good care of you
Teddy don't worry now your mommy is here
Momma's gonna see you through
And he said Momma
Momma don't worry your Teddy Boy's here
Taking good of you
Momma don't worry your Teddy Boy's here
Teddy's gonna see you through
Take yer partner and docey-doe
Hold it tight and don't let go
When you've got it drop
Take yer partner and docey-doe
When you've got it then ya let it go
Hold it tight and... A-ha!
The Beatles' song "Teddy Boy" tells the story of a boy named Ted who promises his mother that he will always be good and take care of her. Ted talks about his father, who was a soldier and is no longer present. This upsets his mother and she cries. Ted promises her that he will be twice as good and take good care of her. However, when his mother finds a new man, Ted cannot stand being around and decides to leave town. Even in his absence, Ted assures his mother that he will take care of her and encourages her not to worry because he is still here for her.
The song showcases the emotional complexity of a mother-son relationship. It illuminates the bond between a mother and son, who remain connected despite the distance. It speaks to the sacrifices that sons often make to take care of their parents, and the love that mothers have for their children. The song's simplicity and straightforward narrative, along with its folk-like melody and harmonies, make it a touching and poignant tribute to familial love.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the story bout a boy named Ted
Introducing Ted, the boy this song is about
If his mother said
When Ted's mother gave him an instruction
Ted be good (Be good Ted)
Ted promised to behave well (affirmative response)
He would (Alright)
Ted was obedient and promised to do as he was told
Ted used to tell about his soldier dad
Ted talked about his father who was a soldier
But it made her sad
Ted's mother was upset when he talked about his father
And she cried
Ted's mother wept due to the mention of his father
Oh my
Exclamation of surprise or concern
Ted used to tell her he'd be twice as good
Ted promised to be even better than before
And he knew he could
Ted was confident that he could keep his promise
'Cause in his head
Because he believed
She said Momma don't worry your Teddy Boy's here
Ted promised to take care of his mother
Taking good care of you
Ted promised to look after his mother well
Then came the day she found herself a man
Ted's mother met a new romantic partner
Teddy turned and ran
Ted was scared or upset and ran away
So far away oh yay
Ted went very far away because he didn't want to be around the new man
He couldn't stand it just to be around
Ted disliked being around the new man
So he left the town
Ted moved away from the town
Far away Yay yay
Further emphasizing the distance Ted went
And she knew he could
Ted's mother trusted him to keep his promise
Teddy don't worry your mommy is here
Ted's mother promised to look after him
Taking good care of you
Ted's mother promised to look after him well
Momma's gonna see you through
Ted's mother promised to help him overcome any challenge he faced
And he said Momma
Ted addressed his mother
Take yer partner and docey-doe
Instructions for a line dance
Hold it tight and don't let go
Advice for the dance partners
When you've got it drop
Instructions to let go of the partner at some point in the dance
When you've got it then ya let it go
Further emphasis on letting go of the partner during the dance
Hold it tight and... A-ha!
Probably indicates an instrumental break and a shift in the tone of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul McCartney
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.