Paul McCartney’s Bass Idol Inspired A Beatles Song

There was a brief interlude characterized by a shift in tempo and lyrical variation before we welcomed The Beatles of the psychedelic in the late ‘60s. Rubber Soul, a rock album released in 1965, is the best representation of this time.

After becoming famous throughout the world, The Beatles diversified their sound away from the rhythm and blues genre. By 1965, the Beatles met their hero, Bob Dylan, who introduced them to the wonders of marijuana and maturity in songwriting. Gone are the days of bubblegum pop and sweet love songs, it is often agreed that Dylan was a major factor in Rubber Soul’s more developed lyrical content.

McCartney composed “You Won’t See Me,” a folk-influenced composition that fits in with the Rubber Soul aesthetic and has some Motown-inspired elements. McCartney’s friendship with Jane Asher at the time inspired the lyrics of the timeless song he composed. McCartney’s anguish at his inability to get in touch with his physically and emotionally distant fiancée is chronicled in the song.

With the song being Motown-inspired, Sir Macca explained in his 1997 biography the person on whom he subconsciously based the whole arrangement. “To me, it was very Motown-flavored,” McCartney said. “It’s got a James Jamerson feel. He was the Motown bass player, he was fabulous, the guy who did all those great melodic bass lines.”

Truly, Rubber Soul captured the beginning of the experimental stages of the Fab Four, who would go on and explore various genres, making them the greatest band of all time.