Emily's Albums A to Z

Listened: Wednesday February 2

Rubber Soul is another Beatles album I remember listening to as I got ready for high school in the morning. To me, Rubber Soul and Revolver are two halves of one long album. They’re both albums where the Beatles are starting to really play around with themes, harmonies, and sounds. Like Revolver, the album starts with a funky number (Drive My Car, Taxman) and proceeds to a well crafted story song (Norwegian Wood, Eleanor Rigby).

And finally, like Revolver, it has a song that makes me slightly uncomfortable because it makes me think of OJ Simpson. That might sound a little odd, but that was the time period in which I was introduced to these albums. Let me explain – Run for Your Life is a pretty unpleasant song (I believe later John said it was pretty tasteless on his part and evidence of his immaturity at the time) about the narrator possibly killing his girlfriend if he catches her with another man. Self-explanatory. And I Want To Tell You from Revolver is the name of OJ Simpson’s book he wrote to raise money for his defense. Kind of interesting both of those things came together at the right time to make a lasting association.

Until I read commentary on it, I didn’t think about how it seems the narrator in Eleanor Rigby might have burned the house down because he his offer of sex was turned down. Naively I thought he just used the fireplace. But after someone mentioned it, I thought that probably seemed reasonable. After all, isn’t it at least the pop psychology that arsonists are sexually frustrated or repressed individuals?

The song Girl always makes me laugh both appreciatively and warily; it has a very lecherous vibe without actually articulating such in the lyrics. The teeth sucking sound is done very well by John. I get the idea that girl described in the song is driving him nuts, but he puts up with it because she’s good in the sack.

Finally, as a John Lennon person, how could I not love In My Life. It’s the perfect example of a pop song.