Deciphering The Beatles ........Fifteen...........Old Brown Shoe

[Jerome]

I have a confession to make. I've never really 'gotten' the Beatles. You all make me want to start from the beginning and give it a try. I'm young for the Beatles and my parents weren't Beatles fans so they've never really had the chance to sink in with me. What to do, what to do...... I have one Beatles greatest hits album. Oh the shame! So where do I begin? Who wants to tell me what to listen to first?

Makes two of us. Was never interested enough in their music to buy an album. Pleasant enough to listen to but nothing really unique for me in their catalogue. Sing along stuff for sure but something was always missing. Think George was the one to listen to as far as the solo albums are concerned. 'All Things Must Pass' was an original. And his 'Concert For Bangladesh' showed he had some big ideas long before the Bono Brigade stole the limelight.

[SteveO]

I have complete admiration and interest in the deciphers of the Beatles' songs presented by Gryphon ! I think George was unfortunately over shadowed by the Lennon/McCartney songwriting machine and I've always loved " Old Brown Shoe "! So nice to have a dissection of the song ! Thanks, Gryph ! More to follow I hope !

And now Ladies and Gentleman from Liverpool , England.... THE BEATLES !!!!!!!....thunderous screeching teenaged girls erupt !!!!

I regret that the Fab Four never had a chance to do more live concerts past 1966 ! Such charisma ... such electricity...such playful and happy stage antics......goose bumps up the spine !!!!!

I was there folks, a little snotty nosed 12 year old scrambling in front of the TV to catch the first appearance of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9th, 1964 !!!! What an exciting time for teenagers all over the world ! A new excitement was ignited by the Mop Tops ! The British Invasion had begun !

I wanted to get a guitar and join a band and grow my hair longer ! My buddies called and wanted to do the same ....and also the main thing was it attracted Girls, Girls , Girls !!!! Well the guitar part became true although I only learned a few chords and blew the cheap amp I had to the delight of my parents ! And I only attracted one girl and never girls !...lol.

But man o man what a group ! Even today I can't get enough of them ! You see I was only 14 when Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on June 1st, 1967. That's all we heard on AM radio that summer !!!! It was fantastic....the songs, the originality, the sound. the music. the singing. the lyrics.....!!!!!...and when they released Hey Jude in the summer of '68 I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it because I stopped doing what I was doing and listened and remarked .... They've done it again !!!!
[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/50/Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band.jpg/220px-Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band.jpg[/IMG]

For those yungins' who don't own a Beatle album, who really never listened to them much, or who don't know what the big deal was....I totally and completely understand ! Look at it this way... let's just say, for example, I was there when the first car was rolled off the assembly line ! How do I expect someone thirty years later to appreciate the sheer delight and satisfaction that I experienced when the first car was made !!!! Automobiles are common place now and not much thought are given to them as they have become a necessity for the most part ! Before the Beatles came on the scene, I didn't listen to or have a clue about their music favorites like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley , Gene Vincent or Buddy Holly,,, I was too young when the early rockers started !!! It's all subjective my friends !!!!

Think of The Beatles as the first car off the assembly line and think of your great and exciting music today as modern fast economical cars that have evolved over 50 years or so !....or something like that...you get the drift !

[CRAZY-HORSE]

nice post SteveO!!!
and well said!!!!

[CRAZY-HORSE]

OK so Rubber Soul, I have a direction now, thanks.

then Trace, maybe try "A Hard Days Night" and "revolver". im pretty sure they were the two albums that i heard first???!

[SteveO]

After listening to CH's recommendations, it will be time to put on your ear buds Trace..... relax, and enjoy one of the greatest milestones in the history of music - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band !!!!!!!!

then Trace, maybe try "A Hard Days Night" and "revolver". im pretty sure they were the two albums that i heard first???!

[TraceNspace]

I love your post too SteveO :biggrin:

Thanks CH

[SteveO]

Thanks to Crazy and Trace! I appreciate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mrrusty1]

There is a good demo version of old brown shoe on the Beatles Anthology CD box set collection


[video]https://youtu.be/XrvXGdDNYd4[/video]

Deciphering The Beatles..........Old Brown Shoe....................Fifteen



Lyrics


I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.
Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.

You know you pick me up from where some try to drag me down
And when I see your smile replace every thoughtless frown.
Got me escaping from this zoo, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.

If I grow up I’ll be a singer wearing rings on every finger.
Not worrying what they or you say I’ll live and love and maybe someday
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.
I may appear to be imperfect, my love is something you can’t reject.
I’m changing faster than the weather if you and me should get together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.

That love of your, to miss that love is something I’d hate.
I’ll make an early start, I’m making sure that I’m not late.
For you sweet top lip I’m in the queue, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.


This is one of the Beatles hidden gems, initially it was hidden on the B side of The Ballad Of John and Yoko. It appears to have been some kind of contender for The Get Back sessions but is not really a feature of the final product. There are two commercially available versions, one, on Anthology Three and The single B side on Past Masters. There appears to be some controversy about various contributions to this track. It is assumed that the Bass part was played by Paul but in an interview with George it was said that the bass parts was his and hat it is actually a mixture of bass and lead guitar. IT is also said that John added a guitar part which is on the multi-track master that was mixed out of the final mix. There appear to be scant few other takes available in the bootleg world o show us much more about the track or its genesis.

The Meaning of this song :


This is a song which shows quite a few of George’s song writing techniques

It is written in the first person and appears to convey a message from its writer .

The early parts document he kind of girl that George is looking for and in its ambiguity suggest that inside is more important that outside appearance.


I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.
Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.


As I have pointed out before in George’s writing there ae many opposites references in his lyrics:


I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long

I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong


There is also reference to stepping out of This old Brown Shoe and again this is an opposite :

Word play suggests that shoes have a sole which of course is a soul. Now turn this around a bit and use the opposites idea and George is stepping out of everyday life and wants to go to a more spiritual or soulful place..............................


With this in mind verse two suggests that the two ideas of escape and he girl he wants can be running side by side .

The zoo reference is interesting ............Personal speculation suggest that George was well aware of what was happening with other writers of he time..............Paul Simon had used a zoo in Bookends as a way of looking at life and he people in it , so maybe George could to ? This escape ? To spiritualism!


You know you pick me up from where some try to drag me down
And when I see your smile replace every thoughtless frown.
Got me escaping from this zoo, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.


The next section seems to follow an idea used by John in Come together

George turns to his friend Ringo for a section.


If I grow up I’ll be a singer wearing rings on every finger.
Not worrying what they or you say I’ll live and love and maybe someday
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.
I may appear to be imperfect, my love is something you can’t reject.
I’m changing faster than the weather if you and me should get together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.


Ringo was the Beatles “Elder statesman” and as aresult this might explain the “if” part which in the demo is “When “ Rings on every finger is about Ringo.

We go back to the spiritualism /ideal woman section in the last part.

The Final verses develops the main themes again


That love of your, to miss that love is something I’d hate.
I’ll make an early start, I’m making sure that I’m not late.
For you sweet top lip I’m in the queue, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you


It seems that the indirect approach of using a person to represent a idea is deep in this one and has been used by Paul on several occasions before...........The Ideal girl or The Spiritual goal ?

The Ideal woman ........Should be Patti Boyd or Harrison .............rumour says could have been an affair

I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.


This is vague could be Patti or someone else ...........at times Patti had long hair ........However in the end , she did become Patti Clapton ( Layla !!!) and George and Eric were good friends at this time!!

This is a great George song and maybe one of the Beatles beat rockers.