MetaChat - Yesterday

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06 May 2008

Yesterday →[More:]I have a weird history with this song, and that history just got weirder.

Somewhere in adolescence, I remember coming across the factoid that the Beatles' Yesterday was (to that date, which was sometime in the 80's) the most-played song on the radio.

Although I'd heard a few other Beatles' songs, I couldn't recall anything by them either named or possibly-named "Yesterday." My friends insisted I must've heard it a billion times on the radio. I insisted I hadn't. "You know how it goes," they'd sometimes say, then start to sing it to me. What they were signing never sounded the least bit familiar.

So at some point, I decided that I'd let this remain a mystery until the universe decided to fill me in. I wouldn't seek the song out, but if and when I came across it, I was pretty sure I'd instantly recognize it as "THAT song that I've never known the name or origin of."

Tonight the mystery came full circle. My partner played a non-Beatles cover of the song and remarked that it was his (now-deceased) father's favorite song. He'd heard it on the web somewhere, and had recorded a portion of it, and wondered if I knew what it was.

Ok, need to backtrack a bit. My partner knows NOTHING about popular rock culture/history. I know very little myself, but just happen to have been fortunate or unfortunate enough to have encountered a few people here and there who said, "hey, have you listened to . . ." So he tends to ask me "who does this song," and every once in awhile, I have an answer.

So, anyway, when I heard the cover of Yesterday, I STILL didn't recognize it as such. Then he said, "it's by those four guys."

Half on a whim, and half out of dread, I ventured -- "you mean the Beatles?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Yesterday?"

"Yes, that's it! Let me check . . . "

So he found the Beatles' version of the song online, and, sure enough, it was the same.

And I swear to you that I'd NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE. Or if I had heard it, I'd completely blocked it out.

My theory: my parents hated the song and changed the radio dial every time it came on.

post by: treepour at: 23:16 | 7 comments

My theory: my parents hated the song and changed the radio dial every time it came on.

That's what I always did. It's a little... syrupy for my taste.

posted by bmarkey 06 May | 23:28

No offense intended to your partner's late father, of course; I just have a really low McCartney threshold.

posted by bmarkey 06 May | 23:52

I believe the Beatles won't let their songs be used for adverts or soundtracks. So you're probably less likely to just stumble across a Beatles song unless you listen to oldies stations.

Even so, it's pretty amazing that you've never heard it. What did you think of it when you did?

posted by TheophileEscargot 07 May | 00:28

Even so, it's pretty amazing that you've never heard it. What did you think of it when you did?

I thought it was too syrupy for my taste, yet also too baroque to have a really memorable hook (at least for a pop song). Which I think is a pretty weird combination, and is perhaps support for the theory that I've actually heard it but don't remembered hearing it.

On the other hand, there were moments that I found touching -- I can see how it could become an iconic song. Kind of like Ruby Tuesday, which I really truly love and can move to me tears almost every time I hear it, if I let it, despite how overplayed it is . . . but this one didn't have enough of those moments, and seemed to be trying way too hard. I guess, for me, it kind of uncomfortably crossed the line between rock & roll and easy listening territory (and you're talking to someone who loves Neil Diamond). At least that's what I recall feeling/thinking. We didn't listen to the whole thing.

Good point about adverts and soundtracks, maybe that's why I hadn't heard it. The only reason I heard most of Sgt. Pepper's is because of that weird film version of it they played on HBO when I was very young. All I remember is that it had the Beatles playing atop stacks of gigantic coins. And I know the music from Yellow Submarine because I watched the movie with stoner friends in college. And because we sang the song Yellow Submarine in 4th grade music class.

posted by treepour 07 May | 01:02

Odd, I would have thought it was too pared-down to be syrupy. Maybe I'm too used to it.

There's a brilliant scene in the time-travel novel "The Anubis Gates" where the main character, stranded in 19th century London, is walking down the street and hears someone whistling "Yesterday". Good thing he's not you ;-)

posted by TheophileEscargot 07 May | 01:31

I can't speak for treepour, but for me it's those lugubrious strings. That and the rather weepy lyric = syrup city.

posted by bmarkey 07 May | 01:36

Leprosy....
There are pieces falling off of me.
Now it even hurts to take a pee.
Oh how did I get leprosy?

Parody credit to John Valby.

posted by Doohickie 07 May | 21:20

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