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Favourite Paul McCartney lyrics.

Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson

Supporting Member
Jan 12, 2005
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Toronto, Ontario
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Endorsing Artist: Elixir® Strings
#1
I'm mainly talking about Paul as a writer with the beatles, and as a soloist.
My favourite lyrics are:

Jenny Wren

Like so many girls, Jenny Wren could sing
But a broken heart, took her soul away

Like the other girls, Jenny Wren took wing
She could see the world, and it's foolish ways

How we spend our days, casting love aside
Loosing, site of life day by day

She saw poverty, breaking up her home
Wounded warriors, took her song away

But the day will come, Jenny Wren will sing
When this broken world, mends its foolish ways

Now we, spend our days, catching up on life
All because of you, Jenny Wren


EDIT: There is now a "Post Your Favourite John Lennon Lyrics" thread due to popular comments.
 
#2
Please lock me away and don't allow the day
Here inside, where I hide with my loneliness
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love
Birds sing out of tune and rain clouds hide the moon
I'm OK here I'll stay with my loneliness
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love

So I'll wait and in a while
I will see my true love smile
She may come I know not when
When she does I'll know
So baby until then

Lock me away and don't allow the day
Here inside, where I hide with my loneliness
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love

So I'll wait and in a while
I will see my true love smile
She may come I know not when
When she does I'll know
So baby until then

Lock me away and don't allow the day
Here inside, where I hide with my loneliness
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love
I don't care what they say, I won't stay in a world without love
 
#8
MysticMichael said:
Um, I'm way more into John Lennon's work as a lyricist. McCartney has a natural gift for melody and for arrangement that few other songwriters can touch. But Lennon was the brilliant lyricist...

MM
Click to expand...

I'm in agreement with you about Lennon, although just reading "World Without Love" - that's pretty awesome. I liked Lennon's "plays on words" like "Please Please Me". I was thinking about "nowhere man, the world is at your command" the other day...incredible line and I bet he got it by hearing somebody say something like "I'm goin' nowhere, man". Sure helps to have something to write with at all times.
 
#11
"No one will be watching us
Why don't we do it in the road?"

So blatant, you gotta love it.

"Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face
that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for"

Great stuff.
 
#12
Phat Ham said:
Which one of them wrote "In My Life"? Probably my favorite Beatles song.
Click to expand...

John wrote "In My Life" and that is one of my favorite Beatles songs as well.

fav mccartney lyrics:

Day after day,
Alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Well on the way head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices is talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do.
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

woah ooh,
Round and round and round.

He never listens to them,
He knows that they're the fool
They don't like him,
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.
 
#14
calebplaysbass said:
John wrote "In My Life" and that is one of my favorite Beatles songs as well.

fav mccartney lyrics:

Day after day,
Alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Well on the way head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices is talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do.
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

woah ooh,
Round and round and round.

He never listens to them,
He knows that they're the fool
They don't like him,
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.
Click to expand...

Man...that is GOOD. It's weird how it's different when you actually read the lyrics. Good thread.
 
#15
OkState, you left out the best bit!

"All the lonely people, where do they all come from;
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?"

I'm really reluctant to agree when people say that Lennon is the better wordsmith of the two. Certainly, he's the most eccentric and daring, but he was also very formulaic in his own way. After the dual use of the word "Please" in "Please Please Me", he went on to use the same device in other songs, like:

"It won't be long 'till I belong to you", and

"Everybody's green, 'cos I'm the one who won your love",

not to mention "Won't you please please help me".

Also, Lennon songs tend to be more personal and emotional, mostly in the first person, while McCartney's tend to be less personal and more conventionally crafted. I think Lennon had the wilder mental imagery, but IMO, McCartney is generally broader in his writing and more elegant in his choice of words, which sometimes makes him seem less creative. I think it's the contrast between the two that made them so interesting. They really complemented each other.

"Blackbird" is a great lyric too...
 
#16
For No One

Your day breaks, your mind aches
You find that all the words of kindness linger on
When she no longer needs you

She wakes up, she makes up
She takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry
She no longer needs you

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

You want her, you need her
And yet you don't believe her when she said her love is dead
You think she needs you

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

You stay home, she goes out
She says that long ago she knew someone but now he's gone
She doesn't need him

Your day breaks, your mind aches
There will be time when all the things she said will fill your head
You won't forget her

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years
 

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