The Beatles are still one of the most popular musical groups in recent history. While they didn’t invent pop music, they contributed greatly to the popularity of the rock era and started what is now known as the British Invasion.
But the English rock band was also known for their quick humor and recording techniques. This helped create so many of The Beatles’ songs that it’s almost impossible to have heard them all.
They released a lot of songs during the 1960s until their split in 1970. Read on to see if you remember these Beatles songs.
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
The story of “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite” comes from a framed poster for a circus in 1843. It claimed that the circus was “for the benefit of Mr. Kite.” Over a hundred years later, on January 31st, 1967, John Lennon found the poster in an antique store while he was filming a promotional video for “Strawberry Fields.”
He hung the poster in the band’s recording studio and took inspiration from it to create this song.
Eleanor Rigby
Recorded in April and June of 1966, “Eleanor Rigby” is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music. When Paul McCartney started writing this song, he didn’t quite have the names “Eleanor Rigby” or “Father Mckenzie” yet.
He claimed later that the name “Rigby” came from a shop in Bristol, Rigby & Evens, Ltd, Wine and Spirit Shippers. The name “Eleanor” came from an actress who starred in Help!
The song was released on their album Revolver and as a double-sided single with “Yellow Submarine.”
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
In 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s relationship was a major talking point for public media. According to Paul McCartney, the two of them started taking heroin to escape the constant attention of the press. This is also when reported references to heroin started appearing in John Lennon’s lyrics.
In the case of this song, many people believed that the “monkey” was heroin. John Lennon, however, denied this, claiming that the song was about him and Yoko Ono. He wrote the song about their relationship and the constant media attention it was getting.
It was released on their album The Beatles (White Album).
I am the Walrus
This song, released in 1967, was reportedly one of the early reasons for The Beatles’ breakup. It was one of the last songs John Lennon seriously contributed to.
If the lyrics sound like nonsense, that’s because they were intended to be. John Lennon wrote the first lyrics while on LSD. Critics called it “unorthodox” and “ambiguous” because of the odd chords and lyrics.
However, it became one of the most notable parts of the film The Magical Mystery Tour. John Lennon wanted the song to be released as a single, but Paul McCartney disagreed. This was the start of the fracture between the two men that later led to the band dissolving.
Taxman
As The Beatles gained popularity, they noticed one drawback to fame and money: taxes. At that time, if you were earning enough money in the United Kingdom, then you were obligated to pay a supertax.
George Harrison was furious when he found out how much money they were paying in taxes. This was when he wrote this song as a means of venting his frustration about the supertax system.
Ironically, The Beatles would later lose the rights to many of their songs in the 1980s when Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney for ownership of most of their song catalog.
While there were rumors that Jackson had left the rights to this music to Paul McCartney in his will, this turned out not to be true. In 2017, Paul McCartney got the rights back and still performs in concert today. If you want tickets to see him live, you can buy some here.
You Never Give Me Your Money
This song was actually a medley of three different songs that Paul was working on in his notebook called “You Never Give Me Your Money,” “Out of College,” and “One Sweet Dream.” Listening to the song today, you can hear each of these three original songs clearly.
The song was a reference to how difficult the group found it to access the money they were making. It references how the group dropped out of college without any money or prospects.
It took up most of the second half of Abbey Road.
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
One phase that The Beatles went through was some religious experimentation in India. This is where they wrote this song.
It was inspired by a man in their meditation class. He went out on a tiger hunt and sought religious enlightenment when he returned. He claimed that he would never kill another animal again after that event.
John Lennon proceeded to start work on this song when he heard about this. In his opinion, the hunter’s actions were hypocritical, especially after the man claimed that he had no choice but to kill the tiger in the end. John Lennon wasn’t so sure that was true.
Revolution 9
“Revolution 9” is the longest song The Beatles ever released. It’s mostly instrumental and improvised that was meant to be the end of “Revolution 1.” However, John Lennon decided that the piece worked better as two different songs.
It was very inspired by musique concrète, and the rest of the group expressed concerns about their image if the song was released. They actually attempted to persuade Lennon not to include it on the White Album, but he wasn’t convinced and included the song on it anyway.
Discover More of the Beatles’ Songs Today
When it comes to The Beatles’ songs, everyone has their favorites. These eight songs are simply some of their lesser-known pieces today.
If you found one on this list you’ve never heard of, then go ahead and listen to it. You might just discover a new favorite Beatles song. All of these songs are worth listening to again and again on repeat.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our other articles about music today.
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