{"id":8429,"date":"2021-06-02T12:22:27","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T17:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?p=8429"},"modified":"2021-06-02T12:25:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T17:25:30","slug":"rubber-soul-deep-dive-part-6-the-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/rubber-soul-deep-dive-part-6-the-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubber Soul Deep Dive Part 6: The Word"},"content":{"rendered":"

Side One, Track Six
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They Said \u201cThe Word,\u201d and They Were Free<\/p>\n

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by Jude Southerland Kessler and Sara Schmidt<\/p>\n

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The Fest for Beatles Fans<\/em><\/strong> blog continues to mine the riches of The Beatles\u2019 brilliant 1965 LP, <\/em>Rubber Soul. This month, Sara Schmidt<\/strong>, author of <\/em>Happiness is Seeing the Beatles: Beatlemania in St. Louis and the up-coming study of the North American Beatles Fan Clubs, <\/em>Dear Beatle People (to be released, August 2021) joins Jude Southerland Kessler<\/strong>, author of The John Lennon Series<\/strong>, for a fresh, new look at a landmark song on this LP, a song considered to be a turning point for The Beatles: \u201cThe Word.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s Standard:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Date Recorded:<\/em><\/strong> 10 November 1965<\/em><\/p>\n

Time Recorded:<\/em><\/strong> 9.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.<\/em><\/p>\n

Studio:<\/em><\/strong> EMI Studios, Studio 2<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Tech Team<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Producer:<\/em><\/strong> George Martin<\/em><\/p>\n

Engineer: <\/em><\/strong>Norman Smith <\/em><\/p>\n

Second Engineer: <\/em><\/strong>Ken Scott (and Richard Lush, according to Margotin and Guesdon, <\/em>All the Songs, p. 290)<\/em><\/p>\n

Stats:<\/em><\/strong> Recorded in only three takes. However, myriad superimpositions were needed to complete this song.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Instrumentation and Musicians:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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John Lennon<\/em><\/strong>, the primary composer,[1]<\/strong><\/a> sings lead vocal (double-tracked) and plays rhythm guitar on his 1961 Fender Stratocaster with synchronized tremolo. Some sources credit John with playing the maracas. <\/em><\/p>\n

Paul McCartney<\/em><\/strong>, the secondary composer, sings backing vocals (double-tracked) and plays a superb \u201cMotown bass\u201d on his 1964 Rickenbacker 4001S through his Fender Bassman 6G6-A amp. (Hammack, <\/em>The Beatles Recording Reference Manual, p. 92) Paul also plays piano, using EMI\u2019s Steinway \u201cModel B\u201d Grand Piano. <\/em><\/p>\n

George Harrison<\/em><\/strong> sings backing vocals (double-tracked). Most sources say George played lead guitar in superimposition. <\/em><\/p>\n

Ringo Starr<\/em><\/strong> plays drums on one of his Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl \u201cSuper Classic\u201d drum kits. Some sources say Ringo (and not John) plays the maracas. <\/em><\/p>\n

George Martin<\/em><\/strong>, the producer, plays the studio\u2019s Mannborg harmonium (Hammack, <\/em>The Beatles Recording Reference Manual, p. 92.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/em><\/strong> The Beatles, <\/em>The Anthology, 194, Lewisohn, <\/em>The Complete Beatles Chronicle, 205, Lewisohn, <\/em>The Recording Sessions, 68, Margotin and Guesdon, <\/em>All the Songs, 290-291, Winn, <\/em>Way Beyond Compare, 375, Hammack, <\/em>The Beatles Recording Reference Manual, Vol 2, 92-93, Turner, <\/em>A Hard Day\u2019s Write, 93, Riley, <\/em>Tell Me Why, 162-163, Spizer, <\/em>The Beatles for Sale on Parlophone Records, 202, Babiuk, <\/em>Beatles Gear, 169-171, and Miles, <\/em>The Beatles Diary, Vol. 1, 217 and <\/em>http:\/\/www.beatlesebooks.com\/the-word<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Changed:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. Continued Innovative Practice of<\/strong> Late-Night Recording Sessions<\/strong> – Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicle<\/em> (p. 205) notes that although the recording session was slated for 9.00 p.m. to 3.00 a.m., The Beatles worked on until 4 a.m. before \u201ccalling it a night.\u201d The Beatles were now in their \u201ccreative pocket,\u201d as they had been in Hamburg and those early days in the Cavern Club. The \u201cspark of midnight,\u201d in which they performed best, was giving them the impetus to do their finest work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      \n
    1. Assignment of the Bass to a Separate Track<\/strong> – When Paul McCartney recorded \u201cMichelle\u201d on 3 and 9 November, he insisted on recording his bass on a separate track. Here, once again, on \u201cThe Word,\u201d Paul insists on running a strong bass line (in superimposition) on a separate track. Margotin and Guesdon note that this practice enabled Paul \u201cto concentrate on his instrument, and he delivered a terrific part in a Motown bass style.\u201d (All the Songs<\/em>, 291) And John C. Winn in Way Beyond Compare<\/em> says: \u201cPaul was quickly learning that adding bass as an overdub allowed clearer sound as well as more creative lines.\u201d (p. 375)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Creation of the Message Song<\/strong> – No simple \u201cmoon-June-spoon\u201d love song \u2014 this! \u201cThe Word\u201d transitions from \u201ceros\u201d love (passionate, erotic love), which was the subject of the early songs such as \u201cShe Loves You,\u201d \u201cIf I Fell,\u201d \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand,\u201d and so many others, to the more platonic \u201cagape\u201d love (unconditional love; traditionally, the love of God for man and man for God). As Mark Lewisohn observes in The Beatles Recording Sessions<\/em>, \u201cJohn Lennon\u2019s \u2018The Word\u2019\u2026was a prototype [for] \u2018All You Need Is Love,\u2019 two years ahead of that world anthem.\u201d (p. 68) Not only was the music of The Beatles becoming more interesting and complex, but their lyrical themes were achieving maturity as well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Use of EMI\u2019s Steinway Grand Piano – <\/strong>The tumbling piano intro to \u201cThe Word\u201d and the jaunty piano line throughout the track give it a bright and hopeful quality. In Beatles Gear<\/em>, Andy Babiuk reminds us that the sound we enjoy is elicited by Paul performing on EMI\u2019s Steinway \u201cModel B\u201d Grand Piano. Babiuk tells us that \u201cSteinway is one of the best-known and respected piano makers, founded in New York by German immigrants Henry Steinway and his brothers in 1853. Henry and Theodor Steinway together devised the design of the modern grand piano in 1860. Since then, many top concert halls and studios have chosen Steinway instruments \u2014 including Abbey Road.\u201d (p. 171) Indeed, in \u201cThe Word,\u201d the clear, luminous sound of the Steinway Grand heightens the upbeat, positive mood of the song.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Attempt to Write a Song Based on a Single Note<\/strong> – Inspired by Chuck Berry\u2019s \u201cLong Tall Sally,\u201d both John and Paul had long wanted to create their own song based on a single note. As Paul commented later, \u201cWe got very near it in \u2018The Word.\u2019\u201d (Miles, The Beatles Diary, Vol. 1,<\/em> 217) John revisits this exercise later in 1967\u2019s \u201cI Am the Walrus.\u201d But here, as early as Autumn 1965, experimentation and deviation from the norm were already The Beatles\u2019 creative watchwords. The Cavern Beatles were well on their way to becoming the studio Beatles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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            A Fresh New Look: <\/strong><\/p>\n

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            This month, we\u2019re thrilled to have Sara Schmidt with us to give us a fresh approach to this song we\u2019ve known for 56 years. Sara and her mother, Coral Schmidt, who have been coming to the Fest for 19 years, are integral members of the Fest Family. <\/em><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Sara has served as a part of the Historians Panel since its inception. And besides being the author of the sold-out work<\/em>, Happiness is Seeing The Beatles: Beatlemania in St. Louis<\/strong>, Sara is also the creator of the esteemed website, <\/em>https:\/\/www.meetthebeatlesforreal.com<\/em><\/a> which introduces us to ordinary people who have actually encountered The Beatles. Sharing vetted stories and rare photos that are not well-known to the general public, these fans bring a new dimension to what we know about John, Paul, George, and Ringo. They talk about events not covered in other sources.<\/em><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Sara is a five-time guest speaker at the Beatles at the Ridge<\/strong> festival in Arkansas, and she is a contributing author to <\/em>A is for Apple<\/strong>, published by Apcor. Sara\u2019s second book, unfolding the fascinating story of the North American Beatles Fan Clubs \u2014 <\/em>Dear Beatles People<\/strong> \u2014 will be released in August of 2021. We\u2019re excited to have her with us for this in-depth discussion of \u201cThe Word.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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            1. Sara, many Beatles music experts have called \u201cThe Word\u201d the precursor to \u201cAll You Need is Love.\u201d But in truth, there are several other Lennon compositions that seem to spring from this germinal 1965 song. How did \u201cThe Word\u201d influence other great Lennon originals to follow?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

               <\/p>\n

              The concept of love and being loved has been a theme throughout John\u2019s musical career. Many of his songs written during The Beatles\u2019 period and afterward were inspired by the greatest loves of his life: his first wife, Cynthia; his mother Julia; and his second wife, Yoko.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

              The B-side to John\u2019s famous peace anthem, \u201cGive Peace a Chance\u201d is a haunting song sung by Yoko called \u201cRemember Love.\u201d Yoko wrote most of the lyrics, and John recorded this song with her during the Montreal Bed-In for peace. In this song, Yoko\u2019s lyrics say, \u201clove is what it takes to live.\u201d This is exactly the message found in \u201cThe Word.\u201d<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

              During the silent vigil held in Central Park in New York City one week after John\u2019s murder in 1980, there was a young girl seen sitting on the shoulders of a young man. This unknown girl was holding a sign high above her head that said, \u201cRemember Love.\u201d Her sign stood out among the crowd because it was a message that was always in John\u2019s heart, and one he began singing about in \u201cThe Word.\u201d<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Much like Yoko\u2019s song, \u201cRemember Love,\u201d John wrote the song simply titled \u201cLove\u201d in \u201cthe spirit of Love.\u201d In \u201cLove\u201d he tells us that \u201cLove is free\u201d and in \u201cThe Word\u201d he says to say <\/em>the word \u201clove,\u201d and \u201cyou\u2019ll be free.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThe Word\u201d is about love, in a broad sense, while \u201cLove\u201d is talking about the love between two people. However, in both songs, John is informing the listener about the important aspects of one of the most important things on earth: love.<\/p>\n

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              Another song that follows this theme is 1973s \u201cMind Games.\u201d It is in this song that John states: \u201cLove is the answer.\u201d In \u201cThe Word,\u201d the concept of love is almost a question. What is this word that John is speaking of? He them informs us that the word is \u201clove.\u201d There is no questioning in \u201cMind Games.\u201d Love is the answer, and John knows that for sure. As \u201cMind Games\u201d fades out you can hear John singing, \u201cI want you to make love, not war. I know you\u2019ve heard it before.\u201d The message of love is one that he had written about many times, and it all began on Rubber Soul<\/em> with \u201cThe Word.\u201d<\/p>\n

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              In 1979, John made a demo of another song that he wrote called \u201cReal Love.\u201d In 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took that demo and made it into a brand-new song by The Beatles. In this song, John admits to having some confusion when it comes to love: \u201cThought I\u2019d been in love before\/but in my heart I wanted more.\u201d He also shows some confusion about love in \u201cThe Word\u201d when he writes \u201cIn the beginning I misunderstood\/but now I got it the word is good.\u201d In both songs, he comes to the conclusion, once again, that love is the ultimate answer.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              1. For John in particular, \u201cThe Word\u201d foreshadows his work as a cultural leader, an activist for peace on the world stage. What \u201cseeds\u201d of his later life do you find already at work in this composition? <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Many people consider John Lennon to be not just an activist for peace, but also an activist for love.\u00a0 In the song \u201cThe Word,\u201d he sings about how he wants to \u201cshow everybody the light\u201d of love.\u00a0 He continued to strive to show everybody that light throughout his life.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                One way that he and Yoko Ono achieved this was via the \u201cpeace acorn\u201d project in 1969. The couple sent 50 pairs of acorns to heads of state all around the globe, in hopes that they would plant them in a gesture of world peace.\u00a0 Many of the leaders had never heard of John or Yoko, but still planted the acorns. The idea was that something very big can grow out of something very small. This was a gesture, rooted in peace and love, meant to show how a little bit of love can light up the entire world.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. The hand-written lyrics of this song are historically important because they play a role in the very first \u201cmeeting\u201d of John and Yoko, pre-dating the Indica Gallery. Tell us about that auspicious occasion, please. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  John and Paul got together after their 1965 North American tour and smoked some marijuana.\u00a0 Then, they sat down and wrote \u201cThe Word,\u201d which John had mostly composed. Usually, the songwriters wrote the lyrics to their songs on a sheet of whatever paper they would find around the house or hotel room they were writing. This time was different. For the first time, they wrote the lyrics on a multicolored sheet of paper.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Late in the summer of 1966, Yoko knocked on Paul\u2019s door at 7 Cavendish Avenue in London. Paul had never met her before, but he let her in, because at that time he would frequently welcome strangers into his home. She was there because of avant garde<\/em> composer, John Cage\u2019s, upcoming birthday. Cage collected rare music manuscripts, and several of his artist friends wanted to give him original manuscripts from a variety of noted musicians as a special birthday present. Yoko was hoping that Paul would give her something that he had written to be included in the gift. Paul did not want to give away any of his work, because he had been keeping it for his own personal memories.\u00a0 However, Paul told her that his friend, John might be willing to part with something, and he gave her John\u2019s address in Kenwood.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  History is ambiguous about what happened next. Most sources merely state that Yoko was given the original lyric sheet for \u201cThe Word,\u201d on the multi-colored paper. We do not know if Yoko received the lyrics in person from John or whether she received them from NEMS at John\u2019s request, but in some form or another, they communicated prior to their official meeting in November 1966. John Cage published the lyrics in the book Notations <\/em>along with other manuscripts from modern musicians. In 1973, John Cage donated all of the manuscripts he owned to Northwestern University library.\u00a0 That is where the manuscript for \u201cThe Word\u201d remains today. Fans can see a high-quality facsimile of the original whenever the library is open.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Sara, what draws you to this particular song? Why is \u201cThe Word\u201d special to you?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    \u201cThe Word\u201d has always been one of my favorites from Rubber Soul. <\/em>From those first beats, it is easy to tell that you are going to be listening to a song with a strong rhythm. The harmonies of John and Paul sound wonderful! Those things have always made me want to stop and take a closer listen to the message, more than I did with earlier Beatles songs.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    \u201cThe Word\u201d has some religious overtones in the lyrics. This is not surprising because it was written in the Autumn of 1965, the same time period in which Maureen Cleave conducted her famous interview with John. John was reading quite a bit about religion and Christianity during this time in his life. In fact, in Cleave\u2019s article, she stated that John had recently purchased an \u201cenormous Bible,\u201d and it was one of the things he most fancied. He most likely read John 1:1 that says: \u201cIn the beginning was the Word\u2026\u201d To John that meant that in the beginning, there was love. As a Christian believer and a Beatles fan, this really resonates with me. Love has been a huge force in mankind from the beginning of time.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Ringo Starr said that \u201cthe basic message of The Beatles is love.\u201d This is a big part of why I love The Beatles so much. One of the most important things we can do, especially right now after everything we\u2019ve been through this past year, is to spread love to everyone we meet. It is time to look past the color of someone\u2019s skin, who they love, how much they weigh, how much money they have, and who they voted for and to simply show love to one another. The Beatles sang about this very thing in the song \u201cThe Word.\u201d This song is an uplifting and positive reminder that \u201cThe Word is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    There\u2019s power in the words we say. We can change the course of someone\u2019s day by a rude comment or even a rude message on social media. If we remember that \u201cThe Word is love,\u201d and take that to heart, maybe we can use the words we say to uplift and spread love.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    For more information on Sara Schmidt and her books, head here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    [1]<\/a> Not only does Beatles Guru Mark Lewisohn, in The Complete Beatles Chronicle<\/em>, p. 205, refer to this song as \u201cJohn\u2019s song<\/strong>, \u2018The Word,\u2019\u201d but John himself stated to David Sheff in The Playboy Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono<\/em>, \u201c\u2018The Word\u2019 was written together [with Paul McCartney] but it\u2019s mainly mine. You read the words, it\u2019s all about gettin\u2019 smart. It\u2019s the marijuana period. It\u2019s the love-and-peace thing. The word is \u2018love,\u2019 right?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    Side One, Track Six   They Said \u201cThe Word,\u201d and They Were Free   by Jude Southerland Kessler and Sara Schmidt   The Fest for Beatles Fans blog continues to mine the riches of The Beatles\u2019 brilliant 1965 LP, Rubber […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":8431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[98,89,117,109],"class_list":["post-8429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-beatles","tag-jude-southerland-kessler","tag-rubber-soul","tag-the-beatles","tag-the-word"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8429"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8432,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8429\/revisions\/8432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefest.com\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}