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Not every song written since the incident where Paul was replaced is here, but as many of them that reference it are included as possible.
Strawberry Fields Forever
The very first new Beatles song to be released after the death of Paul. Written by John Lennon whilst he was filming with Dick Lester "How I Won The War" in Spain. This is John reminiscing about his childhood carehome called Strawberry Fields.
The song contains some interesting lyrics:
"Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out"
Is that John saying we should be looking more closely at the Beatles Music and songs from now on?
"Always, know sometimes, think it's me
But you know I know when it's a dream
I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong
That is I think I disagree"
And here, is he implying that sometimes it's him? What's him?
He also repeatedly sings "Nothing is real". The promotional music video for this really shows up what John means by that.
At the end John can be heard saying what sounds like "I Buried Paul" a few times, just as George's lead guitar sounding like an ambulance siren pans from the left to the right speaker. John always denied this, quoting the words as "Cranberry Sauce" rather than I buried Paul.
The song is also recorded in two very distinct halves, recorded in different takes at different speeds. The first has a gentle flowing sound to it, almost like a lulaby, while the second is more like the nightmare that follows falling asleep. Listen carefully to the second chorus
"Let me take you down coz I'm" Second Half "Going to Strawberry Fields."
The promotional music video is rather more enlightening on this song and it's meanings.
Sgnt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The title track of the album of the same name. This is where the Beatles decided to become alter egos and escape their suited image from their touring years. This song that first mentions "Billy Shears", a repeatedly referenced fictional leader of the band. The lyrics "Sgnt Peppers Lonely" are repeated as well as Paul singing the line " I don't really want to stop the show".
With A Little Help From My Friends
The second song on the Sgnt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Album. Ringo takes the lead. It appears to be about the singer "Billy Shears" getting through a tough time in his life by getting by with a little help from his friends.
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
The third song on Sgnt Pepper's, written by John Lennon, is clearly about the use of drugs. Given that it follows "With a Little Help From My Friends", is this John Lennon saying that this is his way of coping with the death of Paul is by taking drugs?
Getting Better
The fourth song on Sgnt Pepper's, written by Paul, seems to be saying that life is getting better. John and George's backing lyrics however say that "can't get much worse". Paul also talks about himself in the past tense throughout the song. He also sings "Man I was mean but Im changing my scene". Georges guitar part again sounds like an ambulance as in Strawverry Fields Forever.
It's interesting to note that this song is referenced later in Johns clue ladden song Glass Onion.
Fixing A Hole
The fith song on Sgnt Pepper's, written by Paul, talks about fixing a hole. Interesting lines include, "fixing a hole where the rain gets in and stops my mind from wandering" and "and it really doesn't matter where I belong, am right, where I belong am right, where I belong, Silly Beatles standing there and disagree, and never win and wander why they can't get past my door". It also references "Yesterday" one of Pauls most successful songs.
It's interesting to note that this song is referenced later in Johns clue ladden song Glass Onion.
She's Leaving Home
This song, the sixth song on the album, sounds like old Paul, writting a second attempt at his very successful and crittically aclaimed "Elanor Rigby". However the mentioning of the number 9 turns up several times, sounding more like a Lennon lyric given his personal obsession with the number as seen throughout his life. The lyrics "Wednesday Morning at Nine O'clock" are often sited on other sites as being a clue. Check out George's Hand pointing them out on the rear cover of Sgnt Pepper's. At the end the backing vocals of George and John sing a very sad "Bye Bye"
Within Without You
George, John and Ringo appear to have written tributes to a lost friend. Ringos Dont Pass Me By on the white album, Johns appears later on Abbey Road. This is George's one and turns up here on Sgnt Peppers as the eigth song on the album. The lyrics talk about conflict and the chorus title being "and life flows on within you and without you". Other interesting lyrics "we were talking about the love thats gone so cold and people who gain the world but lose their souls". Right at the end a strange sound like a group of men crying can be heard. The song is imedeatley followed by a song of Pauls.
When Im Sixty Four
The ninth song, features Paul, singing a song he wrote when he was 16 about growing old. The vocals sound strange because they have been sped up to make Pauls voice sound richer and fuller, OR maybe to make the new Paul sound closer to the old one?
Lovely Rita
The tenth song, another Paul song, talks about a meter maid. Supposedly the one he met that distracted him and caused the whole accident. Its interesting that the lyrics mention a mitlitary man, when Paul is repeatedly dressed military style uniform. The main interest being "I took her home, I nearly made it". The end of the song is also rather strange and almost unfinished.
Good Morning
The eleventh song, and its back to John. Opening with the lead lyrics "Nothing to do to save his life" and then goes on to talk about things being ok and "Going to work, dont wanna go, feeling low down" Why would John be feeling low? "Nothing's has changed it's still the same" and "Wathcing the skirt you start to flirt now you're in gear". Given that it followed "Lovely Rita" and is yet another reference to cars" The end is also strange again and features a prominent trumpet playing a traditional English hunting riff. Paul played the trumpet before the guitar.
Sgnt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band (Reprise)
The twelth song on the album. A Paul song again featuring John and George on vocals more prominent than Paul. Again repeating that "Sgnt Peppers Lonely" line from earlier. During the extended vocals of the tittle Paul can be heard quite clearling singing "Paul is dead, really really dead".
A Day in The Life
The thirteenth song on the album. a John Lennon Song surounding a verse by Paul. This song is packed with clues.
"I read the news today oh boy
about a lucky man who made the grade
and though the news was rather sad
well I just had to laugh I saw the photograph.
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords"
The word Lords, sounds more like a mournful "Paul". The next bit is irrelvevnt, but listen carefully to the Hell like rising on the orchestra after John sings "I'd Love to turn you on" and listen for Ringo screaming out the timings adding to the nightmare image being painted here.
Suddenly the song switches to Paul singing his verse. This seems to be sugesting the singer led an alternate life before he "went into a dream"
Then its back to John who sings about holes. Then back to the orchestral crescheno, ending it what can only be described as one of the most final chords in history. The song fades out, only to come back in with very weird lyrics. This is printed on the inner grove of the record, but fades out in the subsequent digial versions. On the original record this would keep playing forever and no sound was usually put there. What this says are very disputed, but it sounds like a number of things. "Told the one, never to be happy" When this is reversed it sounds like "When will Paul be back as Superman"
All You Need Is Love
One of the Beatles most famous songs, a John Lennon song. Only noteworthy for John singing what he claims as "Yesterday" but sounds more like "Yes he's dead" and "We loved you yeah, yeah yeah" during the outro.
Baby You're a Rich Man
The B-side to All You Need Is Love. The lyrics "How to does it feel to be, one of the beautiful people" are repeated several times. Perhaps asking Pauls replacement how it feels to be a Beatle?
Magical Mystery Tour
This song, featuring quite a few sounds of a car or lorry speeding from left to right channel. Later Paul sings 'Yellow lorry slow nowhere to go'. Perhaps the song is saying that death is a mystery tour? "The Magical Mystery Tour is coming to take you away, dying to take you away, dying to take you away, take you today" Certainly the deathly references continue. The Film and Album contain many more!
The Fool On The Hill
A Paul song, the second on the Album Magical Mystery Tour. "The fool on the hill sees the sun going down and the eyes in his head see the world spining round". This would imply a stationary person or body.
Flying
An unusual instrumental, with voices sounding very much like a church choir. Perhaps at a funeral.
Blue Jay Way
A very creepy George Harrison song. The backing vocals are worth paying attention to as well. "Theres a fog upon LA, Paul, and my friends have lost their way, died, they'll be over soon they says, Pauls is very, now they've lost themsevles instead, bloody" and "Now its past my bed I know, Paul, and I really like to go, gone, soon will be the break of day, way, sitting here in blue jay way". Interestingly when George sings "Please don't be long", the backing vocals sing "don't belong". This song is followed by a song of Pauls. The scene in the film features some very creepy footage too.
Your Mother Should Know
Another Paul song. The titles leaves us a question. "Your Mother Should Know". Know what? This is followed by Johns song, I am The Walrus. The scene from the film also features several clues.
I Am The Walrus
Johns clue ladden song recorded just a month after the suicide of their long time manager Brian Epstien. Inspired by Lewis Carrol (who also appears to have inspired the Sgnt Peppers bass drum). Here is the first reference to the walrus, covered more in depther here. Straight away, the lyrics open with "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together", inspired by the song "Marching to Pretoria" which repeats almost everything in threes, like the three remaining Beatles (remember Stuart Suitcliffe was also dead by this time). The lyrics "stupid bloody Tuesday" may refer to the last time Paul was seen alive. John also repeatedly sings "I'm crying" as well as "I am the egg man, they are the egg men, I am the walrus goo goo ga joob". Humpty Dumpty, also an egg man, reportedly used these as his last words before he fell off the wall and cracked his head open, but John was inspired by Finnigans Wake, (click here for more on this book) and when all combined with the Walrus reference of decapitation this certainly is creepy. The song references policemen as well as Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, choking smokers and Edgar Allan Poe (who also appeared on Sgnt Peppers front cover). At the end during the long outro the lyrics "oom pa loompa stick it up your joompa" when reversed seem to say "haha Paul is dead". Even the songs basic beat is inspried by a police or ambulance siren, more clearly heard in the intro.
The song also features the scene from a Shakespear play "King Lear", specifically Act Four, Scene Six, the only death scene in the play. The words can be clearly heard along with some radio static. The words "Villain take my purse", "Bury my body" "The letters that thoust find about me to Edmund Earl of Gloucster, seek him out upon the British party" and "Oh untimely death!" are fairly clear and the song ends with ""Is he dead?", "sit you down father, rest you."" The song is followed by Pauls Hello Goodbye. The scene from the film features even more clues than the song and is very well timed to the music and references.
Hello Goodbye
Another Paul song. The lyrics, "You say goodbye, I say hello, I dont know why you sau goodbye I say hello" seem to be the new Paul introducing himself to the world.
Lady Madonna
The next single to be released written by Paul. Lyrics mention 'Tuesday afternoon is never ending' and ' Wednesday morning papers didnt come' both possible clues, espcially Wednesday as this is mentioned quite a bit in The Beatles lyrics from 1966 onwards...
The Inner Light
Released on the flipside this wonderfully melodic song was written by George. Featuring 'Without looking out of your window you can know the ways of Heaven'. George sings this in a sad voice and the other three Beatles barely feature on this track. Even the instruments are not really played by any member of the band.
Back In The U.S.S.R
Recorded by The Beatles minus Ringo as he had quit the band at this time, though it does sound in someways like Ringo tried to overdub the drums, the final take is Paul playing the drums. Written by Paul as as a Parody of Chuck Berry this sing features lyrics 'Flew in from Miami Beach' But doesnt say who flew in. At the end of the song the lyrics seem to sing 'Oh let me tell you who I am...' But the Paul does not say.
Dear Prudence
A John song featuring the three remaining Beatles at this time and the song talks about a sad person called Prudence with John repeatedly asking them to 'Come out and play'
Glass Onion
The White Album continues with a totally different style and Johns clue laden song. Supposedly written about the theory that Paul is dead. Theres a lot of mentions in this of other songs. I Am The Walrus, The Fool On The Hill, Fixing A Hole, Getting Better All The Time and Strawbery Fields Forever.
John also sings 'Heres another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul'. Which Walrus though as John is clearly the Walrus in the film, but it appears not on the cover of the Album. Check out The Walurs page here
Obla Di Obla Da
A Paul song that continues a theme of his talking about either past or alternative lives. Repeatedly singing 'Life goes on'. Desmond Jones beign a possible candidate for Pauls replacement.
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
A John song telling us how 'Bungalow Bill' went out to shoot an elephant and got zapped between the eyes... Not really much to reference on this other than another mention of Bill and more mention of death and killing.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
One of George Harrisons mater pieces. Whilst originally intended to be accoustically produced based on some other recordings, the song was significantly added to. Eric Clapton plays a sad weeping guitar, the bass is quite menacing on this particular song. George himself also sounds sad, like in many of his songs post 1966. At the end he can be heard crying out for 'Paul'. This makes it sound like his guitar weeps for Paul.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
One of George Harrisons mater pieces. Whilst originally intended to be accoustically produced based on some other recordings, the song was significantly added to. Eric Clapton plays a sad weeping guitar, the bass is quite menacing on this particular song. George himself also sounds sad, like in many of his songs post 1966. At the end he can be heard crying out for 'Paul'. This makes it sound like his guitar weeps for Paul.
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