Abbey Road: Song by Song

Abbey Road was the last studio album The Beatleswhite noise buildup trick which blows my mind every
recorded. There's some confusion over this bit of triviatime I hear it.
because Let It Be was released in 1970 and AbbeyIt really features some of The Beatles most interesting
Road was released in 1969. But Let It Be had actuallyinnovative work musically.
already been recorded, it had just been shelved due to7. "Here Comes The Sun"
the band being unhappy with it. It wasn't until AbbeyThis is another George Harrison classic which is the
Road had already been recorded and released thatperfect follow up to "I Want You" in the CD/iTunes
the band hired Phil Specter to "salvage" Let It Be withiPod format and the perfect opener to side two in the
his production work.old vinyl LP format. The song, like "Maxwell's Silver
Abbey Road was a huge critical & commercialHammer" features the Moog synthesizer.
success. It remains one of The Beatles most popular8. "Because"
albums to this day.This stunning song features some of The Beatles
Abbey Road has also been critically acclaimed. Formost beautiful harmonies. Lennon, McCartney, &
example it was ranked #14 on Rolling StoneHarrison's vocals were triple tracked to make them
magazine's list of the top 500 albums of all time. Andsound like 9 voices.
it's currently ranked as the 2nd best album of all timeThe chords of the song were inspired by Ludwig van
by the users of the Rate Your Music website.Beethoven's classic piano piece "Moonlight Sonata."
Track By Track:The song also features the Moog synthesizer.
#1 "Come Together"#9 "You Never Give Me Your Money"
This is one of the most well known songs on theThis was the first song of side two's medley. Some of
album. Complete with John Lennon's signature vocalthe melodies heard in this song were echoed later in
and weird lyrics, George Harrison's great lead guitartrack 15 "Carry That Weight."
licks, and Paul McCartney's swampy bass part thatWhile the song is just the beginning of side two's
really puts the song over the edge.medley, it's really a medley in and of itself as it contains
It's one of The Beatles coolest sounding songs, buta few very different sounding sections that sound
strangely enough - it's also one of their songs that'sstitched together.
been ruined the most in cover versions. In fact I've#10 "Sun King"
never heard a cover version of "Come Together" thatThis beautiful slow motion song features more
wasn't awful.beautiful harmonies from Lennon, McCartney, &
A disturbing bit of trivia about "Come Together" is thatHarrison. The song's lyrics include words from different
John Lennon is actually saying "shoot me" during thelanguages, both real and imagined.
little musical breaks between the chorus and the#11 "Mean Mr. Mustard"
verses. That lyric always gets to me a little bitThis short Lennon ditty leads directly into the next
considering Lennon's fate in 1980."Polythene Pam" and mentions "his sister Pam" in the
2. "Something"lyrics.
"Something" is another one of the best known songs#12 "Polythene Pam"
on the album. It was written and sung by George"So good looking but she looks like a man." This is a
Harrison and is one of his signature songs.great rock n roll track that clocks in barely over a
Frank Sinatra once famously commented thatminute long.
"Something" was his favorite Lennon-McCartney song.#13 "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"
I'm not sure if that was an insult aimed at"Polythene Pam" segues smoothly into this song which
Lennon-McCartney or if Sinatra really didn't know thestarts off with it's title as the first lyric. It's one of my
song was written by George Harrison & not Lennon &favorite songs on the album.
McCartney.#14 "Golden Slumbers"
3. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"The lyrics to this song were actually taken from a 17th
A somewhat disturbingly childlike tale of a serial killer,century poem by Thomas Dekker. But the music was
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is one of The Beatlescomposed by Paul McCartney.
songs has both it's detractors and it's supporters.#15 "Carry That Weight"
Among it's detractors was apparently John LennonThe chorus of this song features all four Beatles. One
who is said to have despised the song (which waspart of the song references the melody/lyrics from
written & sung by Paul McCartney.)"You Never Give Me Your Money."
The song is one of the first to feature the Moog#16 "The End"
synthesizer.Features a drum solo by Ringo Starr (the only drum
4. "Oh! Darling"solo on any Beatles song) and short lead guitar solos
While Lennon hated McCartney's "Maxwell Silver'sby McCartney, Harrison, and Lennon - one after the
Hammer," he loved his "Oh! Darling." In fact he was soother, in that order. They go through that sequence
enamored with the song that he wanted to sing leadtwice before the final "And in the end the love you
on it.take is equal to the love you make."
5. "Octopus's Garden"#17 "Her Majesty"
Ringo sings lead on this one. He also wrote the songThis 23 second acoustic guitar ditty by Paul
(with some help from George Harrison although RingoMcCartney was originally intended to go between
Starr is credited as the only songwriter.) It's basically a"Mean Mr. Mustard" & "Polythene Pam" but they had
rewrite of "Yellow Submarine" which The Beatles haddecided to leave it off the album. It was actually
recorded 3 years earlier.tacked on to the album at the end by sound engineer
6. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"by mistake, but The Beatles decided they liked the
This epic, mostly instrumental, track finishes off sidemistake and left it on the album.
one of Abbey Road in grand fashion with it's amazing