The Mistakes In Classic Beatles Songs

Beatles Memorabilia

via Music Box USA / YouTube

When it comes to music, many people look to the Beatles as the epitome of excellence. They rarely, if ever, experienced failure or a period of decline. The fact that they split up when still at the height of their popularity insured that their discography would remain unsullied, even if it did bring sadness to their many devotees. However, over the years, a few minor blunders crept into their music, serving as a subtle reminder that they are still human beings just like the rest of us. Below are some of the mistakes noticeable in several of the Fab Fourโ€™s classic gems.

 

โ€œCome Togetherโ€ (1969)

Lennon begins each portion of this bluesy workout by singing a โ€œshโ€ syllable, and his voice blends with McCartneyโ€™s bass and Starr’s maracas. Unfortunately, the relentless whisper of โ€œShoot meโ€ he was supposedly singing gets lost in the recording.

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โ€œHer Majestyโ€ (1969)

Even though McCartney originally planned to include the song in the extended Side 2 medley, he ultimately opted against doing so. The song was originally supposed to be discarded, but engineer John Kurlander didnโ€™t want to waste anything, so he added it to the conclusion of a preliminary mix several seconds after โ€œThe End.โ€ The band appreciated how it dampened the last songโ€™s sonic momentum and left them feeling more resolved after hearing it.

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โ€œHey Judeโ€ (1968)

Within its context, Paul used the f-bomb. The origin is lost to history, albeit a bad piano note is sometimes cited as the culprit. McCartney sings the final line of the song, โ€œThen you can start…,โ€ but mutters something under his breath that sounds like โ€œfu**ing Hellโ€ shortly before he stops.

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โ€œOb-La-Di, Ob-La-Daโ€ (1968)

Paul McCartney sang the last lyric, accidentally switching the jobs of Desmond and Molly Jones. When he realized his error, he decided to keep it in there as a thought experiment for readers.

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โ€œHello, Goodbyeโ€ (1967)

However, in the music video for the song, McCartney can be seen clearly miming the lyrics becauseย his mouth didnโ€™tย synchronize at one point in the โ€œBye-Bye-Byeโ€ line, which has caused some controversy.

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โ€œWhat Goes Onโ€ (1965)

In the midst of the reflective tracks on Rubber Soul, โ€œWhat Goes Onโ€ is a bit of an outlier as a country track. Also, if you listen closely to the arrangement, you can hear how disorganized the Beatles were.

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โ€œI Feel Fineโ€ (1964)

While tracking this single in late 1964, one of the band members apparently leaned a guitar against a live amplifier, setting off some explosive feedback. The band was so taken aback by the unexpected result that they decided to use it as the songโ€™s introduction. The squalling noise finally gave way to George Harrisonโ€™s expertly chosen lead guitar solo.

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โ€œIf I Fellโ€ (1964)

โ€œIf I Fellโ€ has a lovely arrangement, indeed. The melody has moments of melancholy and yearning, but when it reaches its climax at the conclusion of the middle eight, McCartneyโ€™s voice cracks with the effort required to achieve high harmony.

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โ€œIโ€™ll Get Youโ€ (1963)

This bouncy little tune was used on the flip side of the worldwide blockbuster single โ€œShe Loves Youโ€ in late 1963. Due to time constraints, a mishap in the bridgeโ€™s lyrics was also permitted to stand.

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โ€œPlease Please Meโ€ (1963)

Even though producer George Martin notoriously sped up the tempo of โ€œPlease Please Meโ€ from its initial, stately cadence, the take that was ultimately used features John Lennonโ€™s lyrical error in the songโ€™s final verse. The discord is audible when he and Paul McCartney try to harmonize using separate words.

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