Starr is only credited with lead vocals on eleven songs throughout his career with the Beatles, with all but two being written for him by Lennon and McCartney or covers. A majority of these songs expand the childlike and naïf Starr persona into the musical world of the Beatles from their films. This process is exemplified in three songs, written by Lennon and McCartney, for Starr to perform: “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Yellow Submarine,” and “Good Night.” “With a Little Help” sees Starr assume yet another persona in Billy Shears, but is still useful in understanding the Ringo Starr persona. The song has a “rather purposefully over-simplified musical vocabulary, … a more advanced antiphonal vocal arrangement, and a much more serious …show more content…
Musically, it is a simplistic, “but this simplicity provides the firm platform needed to support the campy-yet-futuristic collage of sampled sound-bites overlaid upon it” (Pollock 97). The song only uses five chords and the tune is very simple (Pollock 97). In addition to the simplistic music, the Beatles added a myriad of sound effects that add to its childlike feel, including waves and mechanical sounds, with the help of a large number of friends and family (MacDonald 206-207). For the instrumental and third verse, “Lennon and McCartney went into the studio’s echo chamber to yell meaningless nauticalisms, Lennon remaining there to repeat Starr’s lines, Goon-style, throughout the final verse” (MacDonald 207). The song ends with a repeating chorus, sung by all four Beatles, their families, and their roadies, one of whom walked around the studio banging a bass drum, which can be heard fading in and out through out the repeat as he walked near the microphones. This is the first example of Starr singing a children’s song, a genre, which will be visited multiple times. This is one of the first extensions of the Starr persona into the Beatles music, as Starr sings these goofy lyrics about living in a submarine with his friends in the ocean. It is a fun, catchy tune befitting a children’s song, which helps to extend Starr’s childlike …show more content…
The song could be considered “schmaltzy based just on its chords, tune, and phrasing” (Pollock 156). It has jazzy chords and is in G major, while the backing track, written by George Martin, “uses a string section that would be on the small size even for a Mozart period orchestra, plus a sparse complement of woodwinds and brass; ditto for the small choir” (Pollock 156). A “very slow and dreamy Lennon ballad” it ends the White Album and follows “Revolution 9” (MacDonald 294). “Revolution 9,” an avant-garde piece filled with terrifying noises and shouts that may leave the listener scared and confused, is contrasted sharply by “Good Night” (Pollock 156). If any other song from the album were chosen to follow “Revolution 9” it “would sound a combination of anticlimactic, stylistically repetitive, underwhelming, or too weird” (Pollock 156). Following “Revolution 9,” “‘Good Night’ has the simultaneous virtues of providing musically arch-conservative ballast, a change of style as refreshingly surprising as anything else on the album, and a clever, self-referential of telling you the music’s over; turn off the lights” (Pollock 156). The listener is in need of Starr’s calming vocals after the jarring impact of “Revolution 9 and Starr’s childlike innocence and naïf persona add an extra sense of calm. Starr’s childlike persona can calmly lull us to sleep
When this song comes on it is to show the poverty of the Johnstons. The song that I remember the most is the game when Mickey, Sammy and their friends are all children and they are shooting each other. The words of the song are very childish and it’s just a game.
The 1950s are said to have been some of the most prosperous times in American history. It is completely reasonable if one looks at our current economic state, the “50s” was a more lucrative time for Americans however our safety was not as secure. “The Red Scare,” a time that everyone knows as a time when a war with Russia was likely and security measures were as serious, if not more, than today’s antiterrorist initiatives. Through Good Night and Good Luck audiences are able to view today’s issues through past events, and the music involved in the film plays a prevalent part in how the story is told. Dianne Reeves sings most of the songs in the film and has a decidedly soothing and “50s” style voice that contributes to the form of the scenes that her songs take place in. The film starts off with “TV is the Thing This Year” and continues throughout the movie with “I’ve Got My Eyes on You” as well as “How High the Moon.” Each of these songs has some sort of significance in the film that assists in fashioning the mood behind the scene and a feel of the real 1950s.
St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band was released on June 1st 1967. It holds some of The Beatles worldwide hits such as “With a little help from my friends” & “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The artwork and content on this album fits itself due to the fact it has everyone joined together which is suitable for what was going on during that time era. The background consists of cut- outs of different famous people. All the bright colors used in this album can draw the fans devotion by bringing positive energy through different fan’s perspective. The album cover consists of “The Beatles” written in flowers, following everyone that is standing behind them. The back drop of the album is suppose to be a fake band serving as the band’s alter ego, which is Paul McCartney’s idea. I feel as though this album represents the band to a Tee during this era. During 1967 the Beatles were paving their way as an international sensation to America and The “Make Love, Not War” stereotype that was going on during this time. This album cover shows people coming together. The Beach Boys influenced the album & The Grammy Award-winning album packaging was art-directed by Robert Fraser, designed by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, his wife and artistic partner, and photographed by Michael Cooper.
As seniors in 1957, they then started writing their own songs in the Everly Brothers' rock and roll style. The famous duo wrote and composed many number 1’s and were one of the most popular groups on the 1960’s. They worked together until the 1970’s when Paul Simon’s began his own solo career. The song “7 O'clock News/Silent Night”, was a great success, and made a statement about the 60’s. The song begins with the group singing the Christmas carol silent night accompanied by a simple piano melody.
The album begins with the hard-rocker “Come Together”. The song is a perfect example of John Lennon’s rock influence in the Beatles. “Come Together” is a song that’s popularity has been revived due to its appearances in many commercials. Its trademark chorus, “Come together right now over me”, is known just about everywhere. Ringo’s heavy drums and John’s deep poetic lyrics drive the song, while Paul’s voice and George’s sharp guitar contribute to the body of this song. John Lennon was well known for his creative lyrics. His mind provided lyrics for such insightful songs such as “Across the Universe” and “A Day in the Life”.
During the course of his career, Cocker was a part of several bands: The Cavaliers, Vance Arnold and the Avengers, the Grease Band, and Mad Dogs and Englishmen. During his time with the Cavaliers he was a drummer, and his Vance Arnold stage name was a “combination of Vince Everett, Elvis Presley’s character in Jailhouse Rock (which Cocker misheard as Vance); and country singer Eddy Arnold” (Bean 16). During his United states tour, Cocker and the Grease Band were booked for Woodstock Festival in New York in 1969. His rendition of Beatles’ song, “With a Little Help from My Friends, helped propel Cocker to fame and popularity. The popularity in his cover of the song has not waned over time, in fact in 2010, a Youtube search for “Joe cocker’s ‘A Little Help From My Friends’ show[ed] up with 3,229,953 views” and his cover can be seen in a documentary made about Woodstock (Valkanova, 11). Joe Cocker’s rendition of the song impressed even the Beatles themselves, which lead to Cocker obtaining their permission for him to cover two more of their songs on his subsequent album, Joe Cocker!. His debut album is named “With a Little Help from My Friends” and the title track is a cover of the Beatles Song. His version eventually became the theme song to 80’s and 90’s television series, The Wonder
“Come As You Are” and “Polly” showcase that Nirvana were not only a band interested in seeing people jump up and down and scream at shows. Many people, fans and celebrities alike consider “Polly” to be Kurt Cobain’s most well written song. “Polly”, number six, is a story of a girl who got molested and tortured and sexually abused.
The White album was released in 1968.It’s blank cover frames the endless possibilities that imagination brings while listening to the songs, giving the audience a more personal and limitless perspective of the songs they listen to. The album has a total of 30 songs, and they all tell a story and are very clear, in comparison to past songs like Johns “I am the Walrus”. The album kicks off with “ Back in the U.S.S.R” a response to the many patriotic songs established in the era. It is a very upbeat and specific a narrative like song written by Paul. The same goes for the following songs on the first side of the White album. How...
Music has been around since the dawn of time, ever since man first inhabited this planet we have learned to communicate in ways other then conventional speaking. Different Cultures all have there own specific way of communicating through music. Music is basically broken into two specific groups Eastern Music and Western Music. Eastern music is mainly derived from the orient and India. While, Western music first emerged from Europe. Western music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message.
Many say that music has evolved over the years. This essay shall explore the elements of two versions of one song. It shall discuss the correlations and disparities of these songs and confer how it has been revolutionised to entertain the audiences of today.
In each stanza different sound effects are repeated to give you a feel of what sounds are being made in the night club. In stanza one line one “Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes” was referring to the sound made on the drums and banjoes when they are hit and played. By the author saying words like drum and batter gives you an idea of what they could possibly be hearing in there atmosphere.
The first song played is “The Sounds of Silence,” which is somber and melancholy with its soft voices and instruments. The song plays along with a dull and repetitive recording while Ben stands alone on the moving walkway at the busy LAX airport. The song’s lyrics reinforce Ben’s feeling of isolation, “And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening” (Nichols 00:01:34). Right away the unhappy music and lyrics give the feeling that Ben is absent from his life and is surrounded by people that have nothing important to say. The song establishes the anxiety that Ben will experience throughout the film which is that of not being able to connect with the generation above him and worrying that his own generation is becoming a superficial and apathetic culture. Later, there is a montage that uses “Sounds of Silence” and transitions into “April Come She Will.” The montage shows Ben going through his monotonous daily routine and then meeting up with Mrs. Robinson for their loveless affairs. The music reminds the audience how detached Ben is even in an activity that should be intimate. “April Come She Will” plays while Ben walks back and forth between the worlds of Mrs. Robinson and his parents, neither of which he is pleased with. This song is about a love burning
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary the Eleventh Edition states that music is “The science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity. It can created by vocals, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody or harmony.”
"I hope some day you will join us, and the world will live as one" Simplicity combines with deep meaning when John Lennon expresses his thoughts in his song "Imagine." This song was a huge hit in the 70’s, the time in which the Vietnam War was occurring. John Lennon’s “Imagine”, was a protest song that questions the morality of war, shows anti-war statements and emphasizes the importance of world peace. In America, every civilian has the Freedom of Speech. For this, artists have every right to compose a protest song. Even if the government is not fond of it, anyone could potentially write a song going against his or her beliefs, which is exactly what Lennon did with "Imagine," in a peaceful way. At the time Lennon’s song went against most beliefs, for people believed that violence in war was the answer to everything. Amongst passive resistance, the refusal to cooperate with legal requirements, strikes and angry mobs, Lennon chose the much calmer approach and simply composed a protest song. A protest song is simply a song that argues a point and tries to encourage one thing against another. In his song "Imagine", Lennon protest that the World should live in peace; keep in mind the Vietnam War was occurring at the time. It was then that protest songs were created to try and make points across, without the actual violence of rioting in protest.