The Beatles, Strawberry Fields Forever - A Classical Musician’s In-Depth Analysis
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- This song might seem very simple on the surface, but when we begin to look at how the music is made, we find an astonishing level of sophistication and even complexity. It even shares a lot in common with the French impressionist music by classical composers.
Here’s the link to the original song by The Beatles:
• The Beatles - Strawber...
_________________________
If you want me to do a First Listen and In-depth Analysis of YOUR song of choice, or if you want an exclusive 1:1 session where I can answer your questions, dig deeper into a topic, or even coach you in your musical experience, such as a music theory, piano, or harp lesson, singing, music reading, etc, follow this link: ko-fi.com/amys...
If you want more, join my Patreon: / virginrock
Twitter: / virginrockmusic
Instagram: / virginrockchannel
Facebook: / virginrockchannel
Special thanks to those who are keeping my ko-fi cup supplied:
I’ve formed the habit of publishing all the names of my supporters simply because I appreciate your appreciation of my work, and I want to recognize each one of you personally. But, unfortunately, TH-cam allows a limited number of characters for the description, and I cannot fit all names anymore. So, this is my message to each one of my supporters personally:
THANK YOU!
_________________________
Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
As usual, please write here your questions only.
It should have been published on November 24th to celebrate 56 years since The Beatles recorded it, but UMG who owns the copy right, not only blocked my first listen of this song, but didn’t even bother to answer back to my dispute which I filed a month ago. But I guess we can still celebrate The Beatles and Strawberry Fields Forever, even if we’re one month late.
Do you have short nails because it is easier to play the harp that way?
Would you be interested in listening to any video game music? There are all kinds melodic music in story driven games that I think you would find interesting.
You should react to wintersun. There more melodic metal
Did you notice the guitar played backwards? Those notes follow the usual dynamic profile of a plucked string - a sudden loud note that rapidly diminishes - but backwards. The notes start soft, rapidly build to a crescendo, then end abruptly.
Also, did you notice that parts were played on the swarmandal, a string instrument George Harrison picked up during the Beatles' 1966 trip to India? The Beatles popularized the use of Indian instruments in rock music largely because of Harrison's affinity for them and his studies with sitar master Ravi Shankar.
The way you play the harp is incredibly mesmerising. Do you compose music? I would love to hear what you could do. You bring a lot of mystery into anything you play... You clarify what is good and bad in every piece you listen to very well but then you raise questions of interpretation with your harp.
Can you imagine drumming to this piece? The singer goes off in triplets, you are playing to a tape (presumably) that has been both sped up and slowed down, There is an outro tag that is being played backwards (maybe), they reverse your cymbals, and you are working with John Lennon. And you still come up with such off-beat and creative fills. Amazing.
Ringo must be an absolute gem of a person.
The speed of the tapes was altered after Ringo had been recorded on them.
@@michavandam So he had to been playing at slightly different speeds for the two takes to keep the tempo the same? My mind boggles at this. 1/4 step out of key. OK, tempo shifts happen all the time in music, so maybe it wasn't that hard for the human metronome. Thanks for the info.
Absolutely, this is a Ringo drumming highlight. It's like the crescendo drums in 'Day in a Life.' It fits perfectly and gets very little credit.
Odd how people still claim the Ringo was a so-so drummer. Seems to be folks that do not play the drums how say this.
@@LJSpit Because people think that being a great drummer means filling the room with lots of fast notes like Neil Peart or Terry Bozzio. Meanwhile Ringo is the David Gilmour of drums, playing only and exactly the notes that work.
Much of the musical concepts you discuss can be done in a way that can fly way over the head of a lay person. However, you are a gifted communicator who can explain these concepts to a person with only a passing understanding of music theory. I love how you do your analysis and keep up the great work.
Totally agree. This is the best analysis/reaction channel on TH-cam, imo. Amy, as a rock music "outsider" listening with fresh ears, is picking up details that I had never thought of in my 40 years of listening to this song. Or perhaps I was only realizing them subconsciously, but she is able to put into exact language what I was thinking or feeling. This is a perceptive/teaching gift that very few have.
Truly an articulate person who has a gift for making complicated concepts understandable. And never an "um" or "uh".
I’m hoping to show these videos to my old dad, who lives on a part of the spectrum that somehow never “got” music. We ‘ll see!😂😊
Agreed 👍
Yes. in the previous vid on this song, Amy uses the charts which the Beatles themselves would have been baffled by, to make sense of their work, technically.
When Amy breaks down her Analysis of one Beatles song it shows even more what Geniuses they were.
I had just turned 6 years old when I first heard this track on the radio. I was running through the kitchen to join my cousins playing on a swing in the garden. I never made it to the garden. I stopped short and at the end of the record my auntie slowly walked me back into the living room so I could sit quietly and recover.
I love this post! Reminds me of a TV special of some sort where Meryl Streep got up and spoke about the Beatles. She said that no other group had so many songs that you simply loved them the very first time you heard them.
This reminded of being about 10 years old and my friend and I were talking about the Beatles and he asked me if I had ever heard the song "Yesterday". I replied that I hadn't and he said..."Oh man...that's one of their best and he simply sang (not very well...mind you) the opening phrase of the song "Yesterday...all my troubles seemed so far away..." and just that little bit had me knowing that I would love it.
I don't even know exactly, why I enjoy watching people explain good music so much. I truly don't feel I am so much learning or understanding much, because, if you asked me about anything I was just told a minute later, I could not repeat anything. But just following along with the explanations makes me feel like I am for a moment deeper connected with the piece of music, like the emotional content is clearer and more touching for a moment.
I guess sharing the enthusiasm of the explainer has something to do with my experience, but there is always also a piece of watching an illusionist do stage magic, and opening up a small window into a world, that is actually filled with purpose and mystical beauty for a moment.
You've explained my experience as well. I thoroughly enjoy the deconstruction and critique, remember almost none of the particulars, and yet come away with a much deeper and rich connection to the music. I think that's worth the price of admission!
My goodness, I stumbled upon these videos quite by chance and I am so glad I did. I'm very protective of The Beatles and their music and tend not to suffer fools gladly. Your understanding of your subject has opened my eyes to a whole new world of, oh, I don't know, a new world of discovering how other people appreciate The Beatles and for that I thank you.
I would imagine this channel will be much more popular once it’s had a chance to be seen.
Yes, indeed so.
torn between wanting to share so she gets exposure (not to say "income") and wanting to keep Amy all to myself.
I had the 45 single which had “Penny Lane” on the flip side which is more of a Paul song about his childhood neighborhood done in a completely different style. These pair of songs comprised the most amazing 45 single ever. Strawberry Fields Forever is a landmark song in the history of rock and a real stand out even for the Beatles.
So now it is only fair to Paul that Amy should do Penny Lane next, since it was Paul's response to John's childhood reflections. Did they label the 45 with A & B sides? It would be unfair to label either a B side. I'm guessing since you used the past tense 'had' it means you no longer have it. While I still have some of my vinyl albums from back then, including 'Meet the Beatles', I have no idea what happened to my 45s. Of course my turntable today only does 33rpm anyway.
@@LeeKennison I no longer have the 45. I remember the orange and yellow spiral label design, I think “Penny Lane” was the B side. “Penny Lane” is not only the other side of the record, it’s the other side of the concept too. These two songs are a pair that really do go together and that’s how it was initially released. This 45 came out just after Revolver and before Sgt Peppers, many of the musical ingredients and technics were worked out on Revolver. It’s like they took all the really cool bits from revolver album and distilled it into two songs about childhood places. Penny Lane is amazing and Amy would like it, gets my recommendation.
@@Hartlor_Tayley Good info, thanks. Going back to a prior conversation about there not being many songs in B Major, well Penny Lane happens to be one of them. I recently played through a bunch of Beatles songs on my bass and I discovered two more they did in B major, Good Day Sunshine and Revolution. They probably have more, those are just the ones I played. I have been noticing more of them since that conversation, including Pinball Wizard when I did several by the Who last night. Still not very common, but they do keep popping up.
@@LeeKennison I’m surprised more guitar songs are not in BM, it’s a good guitar key. E is your 4 and F# is your 5 and the B is right there.
@@LeeKennison the Troggs th-cam.com/video/r-BMdr2YlpQ/w-d-xo.html
Something I find remarkable about Strawberry Fields is that whilst Lennon wrote about a magical place that he would escape to as a child, the song itself, so many years later, has become that for millions of fans. It's always a strange and wonderful thing to go back to and to spend time with, escaping the stress or pressure of modern life and live in the moment - just as young John would do with the actual location itself.
A very perceptive comment! From that perspective we are all asylum-seekers from time to time... 🎶💜🎶
I simply like the way it sounds.... musically, vocally and lyrically.
John sings: "Let me take you down..." and then he does.
The introduction played on the harp was absolutely beautiful.
Amy, you have literally made me love this song even more than I already did. Excellent analysis. This is a song I have loved for decades, and it was a joy watching you discover this song and give your critique of it.
Very well done. I had commented on your earlier post about this coming down the pipe. I said in that comment and I still say that this is a song that transcends music. It is a piece of art. I listen to this song every 9 to 12 months. Please listen to the excerpts of the demos on the Beatles Anthology release of this song. It is quite amazing how John introduced the song to the group on guitar. To me the music is a complete accompaniment for the lyrics. Another composition by Lennon, "Across the Universe" is very similiar in its feel except the music accompaniment is much more "raw". Bravo to you.
It never fails to astonish me how Lennon could write such complex compositions that sound so simple.
I think George Martin had a lot to do with it.
@@philipcolbert2069 It is actually the genius of Lennon. He could hear it in his head, but needed others to keep working until it got there. Without his writing and his ear and his creativity there is nothing. George Martin was genius at getting to what Lennon and McCartney had in their heads. No other producer could have done that at that time. It was Lennon who said splice the tapes despite having two different tempos and two different keys. Strawberry Fields is probably the greatest work of the Rock era.
Thanks, Amy. I’m grateful to pick up these insights into an incredible artistic mind like Lennon’s.
Thank you so much for spending time pulling this analysis together for us.
Thank you so much. One thing…you talk of mysticism and haze and floating. The right word, if I may, is psychedelic.
I may have missed it, but did anyone else notice the literary implication of a song about an orphanage that avoids, hides, or makes its musically home hard to find? As you said, it drifts, it doesn’t settle, like the inhabitants of an orphanage. The song and the orphans can never go home.
Oh dear .....more nonsense!!
If you read the analysis of the lyrics from 100 fans... you will find 100 DIFFERENT interpretations of the meaning..!!
.....and it's a racing certainty that they're ALL WRONG ....!!!
The lyrics of most 'pop' - for want of a better word ..are usually, meaningless, or just SOUND good, or are about someone's girlfriend or boyfriend..!!!
....there's hardly EVER anything deep and meaningful going on - it's almost always 'added later'.....!!!
@@andymccabe6712, that’s a lot of yelling and exclamation points. I’m not saying it’s intentional, but even if it’s coincidental, accidental, or incidental, the musical and lyrical correlation is there. I hadn’t noticed until this video.
"the song and the orphans can never go home". Absolutely perfect.
It's also that Lennon had confusion about where he really felt at home, at Aunt Mimi's or hanging out in Strawberry Fields.
The music The Beatles were creating from their 'Revolver' album onwards was a product of their decision not to tour live anymore, and thus the recording studio became an amazing experimental environment, and a sanctuary from the pressures of 'Beatlemania' and their obsessive fans. 'Strawberry Fields forever', along with 'Penny Lane' , was the double 'A' side single released prior to their next masterpiece album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' , a milestone in pop music. No longer constrained by the necessity to perform the songs live, they saw no limits other than the available technology and their own imaginations. Given open access to pretty much unlimited and unprecedented studio time, and the services of their musical arranger and experimentally open minded producer, George Martin, they had complete freedom to let their drug enhanced minds push the boundaries of popular music forever. The studio was no longer functioning to just reproduce voices and instruments accurately, but as an instrument in itself, to manipulate, distort and even reverse sounds. New thoughts, new combinations of instruments, cultures and genres, all combined with innovative new recording techniques put The Beatles so far ahead of all their piers. At the time The Beatles wouldn't have been able to reproduce these new songs live, however there is a current band called The Analogues, who have dedicated themselves to accurately reproducing complete Beatles albums of songs live in concert that The Beatles themselves never did. th-cam.com/video/N2QF8bhr_gg/w-d-xo.html They dissect and analyse each song, in much the same way you do yourself, then they scour the planet to find vintage 1960's instruments to match as close as possible those The Beatles would have used. They treat the songs in much the same respect a classical orchestra and conductor would approach the music they love and be painstakingly faithful to the original compositions. www.youtube.com/@the-analogues/about
PERFECT!
playing a song exactly as the Beatles recorded it is misguided
music is a living entity - it is intended to be different every time you perform it
once the Beatles because a studio group they hardly ever played a song the same way twice themselves
if you are going to listen to a band play exactly as the record sounds, you can just listen to the record - you are bringing nothing to the performance
"and the services of their musical arranger" implies a total misconception. The Beatles were their own arrangers. George Martin transcribed the notes that the writer wanted the orchestral instruments to play, along with the notation, so the instrument player could duplicate it. None of the Beatles can/could read or write music. So they played it on either the piano or the guitar, and George Martin transcribed it.
George Martin said he regretted that Strawberry / Penny was put out as a single instead of going on Sgt. Pepper LP. Would have made it a much greater album.@@lincolndavila77
There is a big difference between hearing a piece live, or listening to it at home through headphones. Two entirely different experiences. That's why the world is filled with wonderful symphony orchestras, and not merely giant record players on a stage. The joy of hearing these songs played live is evident on the faces of everyone in the audience, and it also points out the genius of the writing, arranging, and production of the Beatles in the studio, when you see the number of musicians, and the variety of musical genres that it takes to reproduce just one Beatles song from that period, much less an entire album like Sgt Peppers, LIVE. It is awe-inspiring. @@kenwittlief255
John Lennon was famously lazy in his later years with the Beatles and in his solo recording career. After recording his vocal and guitar track, George Martin recorded the orchestra, only to discover John's guitar was a quarter tone sharp. In order to "Fix it" as John told him, instead of re-recording the vocals, Mr. Martin slowed down the vocal track to match the tone of the orchestra. This gives a distorted, psychedelic effect, with a droopy voiced John matching the strings and horns.
Thank YOU so much, that YOU explained,
why I love this SONG since almost 60 years until today.
Most other listeners did not understand me and jumped over to a TRALALA-music....
Robin
Black Forest
Germany
Hard to believe this song along with Penny Lane was released as a single prior to the Sgt. Pepper album. Not your typical pop song for Top 40 radio. They definitely took us on a musical journey and changed the landscape in popular music.
I think it was George Martin that said his only regret was to not include those two songs on the Sergeant peppers album.
PS
Also I think it’s incredible that both John and Paul wrote songs inspired by their childhood and they came out so different.
Yes what a shame they didn't get the bravado to release Tomorrow Never Knows as a single too! 🤡
This track is a Good Vibrations reaction. The Beatles were trying to keep up!
Thanks for this reaction. I learned some new stuff. A couple months before Strawberry Fields was released I got my first radio. So I was just beginning my exploration of pop music. Out came Strawberry Fields and I was hooked. At the time I didn't know what it was about. But I knew I loved it. That was 1967 - an incredible year for popular music. A few months later out came Sgt Peppers. That album and the single before it were like a cultural super nova. Pop and rock were considered garbage. Disposable music. Even the cover of Sgt Peppers was revolutionary. The scope of the music on that one album was breath-taking. Side two started with Indian music. Not Indian influenced music but REAL Indian popular music about the meaning of life by George Harrison. The very next song is a delightful 1920's dance hall tune by Paul McCartney. Not just globe hopping but time hopping. Everything changed.
The way you explained this is so patient and calming. Especially for someone like me, I'm not really well versed in the theory, technicalities and analysis of music and sometimes have a hard time understanding it. But it really helped me understand this song more! This song helped me so much through parts of my life that I couldn't explain why but it just did.
When this came out, there was no way to dig into the background of the songs lyrics or the space it was coming from. Years after “40 years later” I hopped the fence and wandered through Strawberry fields in Liverpool on a bright fall day as I walked through the city. I set myself down under a tree and imagined the lives that wander through this landscape and it finally set with me that this was a childhood memory. Very non-linear as childhood memories typically are for someone later in life. Was it impactful in my life, not, but a journey I had to complete.
This song remained ambiguous for decades as it should be.
...WOW..
I think a lot of people in or from Liverpool have their own Beatles connections/stories. I went to school on a bus that had Penny Lane as part of its route and I spent nearly 3 years working behind the bar at the Aintree Institute (now sadly demolished) where the Beatles played about 3 times, unfortunately before I was old enough to see them. I have passed Strawberry Fields but never stopped there and I used to go to Eric's nightclub in Mathew Street before it became the new Cavern Club.
Strawberry Fields Forever is in my opinion the best piece of art in pop/rock music history. The harmonies, the melody, the rythm, the poetry, the production. No other song is as intricate and creative in all these combined areas.
Thank you so much for a wonderful explanation of a song I have loved for decades. Understanding it deeper simply enhances my enjoyment and appreciation of both the song and its composer - with a very special mention to George Martin.
I think you are brilliant. I know the music you speak of, and I see what you are saying, and you are magical. Thanks.
I just found your channel recently and love your descriptions (music lessons). Lots of people can say they were turned on to the Beatles by their grandmother when they were three years old, but in my case, it was in 1963. This is a great song to feature. You get the genius of their producer, George Martin, who was a great classical music producer. You hear their forays into psychedelics. This song was released on a 45 with Penny Lane on the other side, written by Paul McCartney. The two songs show the differences between John and Paul as songwriters. Paul did a wonderful job making a song describing a scene on a Liverpool street, describing places and characters. John uses his childhood playground as a metaphor for blind innocence.
The Beatles took 45 hours. This came about when Paul McCartney found out the colossal amount of time and money that `Capitol` records in the US gave to Brian Wilson when he was devising the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" single. Capitol Record Co in America was owned by EMI. As the Beatles were selling far-far more records world wide than the Beach Boys (Though "Good Vibrations" would turn out to be that groups best ever selling single world-wide) The Beatles made it `very` clear indeed to the top people at EMI that they expected-and demanded the same freedoms.
Lennon was an untutored musical genius who often used varying bar lengths in his music. An extreme example would be 'Good Morning Good Morning' on The Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper' album. There are bars of 2, 3, 4, and 5 beats placed together with no two consecutive measures having the same number of beats (with the exception of the brief chorus "Good morning Good morning Good morning", which consists of two consecutive measures of four beats each)---and yet you can smoothly tap your foot along throughout, with no jagged interruptions between the bars, and without needing to know, or to feel, where the "one" beat is. It's only if you try to count along that makes the rhythm seem confusing. It might make an interesting track for one of your videos.
His "Happiness is a Warm Gun" from the `Beatles` L.P has some changes of time signature that are pretty varied too.
George Martin more than earned his money. Anyone given Lennon to work with certainly earned their money.
How envious I am that you get to experience the Beatles for the first time. It changed millions of us for a lifetime and opened our eyes and ears to an experience never before and never since. I wish you great joy on this amazing journey.
My sister, almost four years older we shared a bedroom. At 15, 16, she listened to rock-n-roll on KRLA and KFWB, and I listened to Frank Sinatra, Doris Day on another station. She'd leave the room and I changed the radio station. She'd come back and change it back to her station calling my station, elevator music! Then one day on her station, I heard a song by The Beatles and I would go back and forth from KRLA to KFWB searching for I Want to Hold Your Hand, and when I heard, She Loves You, I never changed her rock-n-roll station again! I instantly became a Beatlemaniac and I still am! In 1964, My big sister took me to see The Beatles at the Hollybowl and in 1966 at Dodger's stadium. In 2012, my big sister was driving her car with her husband in the front seat and I in the back seat going to her daughter's house. Her husband put in a CD of The Beatles and instantly all three Beatlemaniacs were traveling down the freeway singing along with The Beatles! 40 years later without forgetting a word of their lyrics.
Came here from the first listen video. Love the analysis and it explains so much about how feelings are created in music. Not sure that Lennon was as analytical in his composition as you are but I am sure he could feel how this worked.
I am not a musician but your analysis of the song is very understandable and I learned a lot. I grew up near what they called an asylum back in the day and used to visit and hang out in a tree with a friend or by myself to "get away from it all", so I didn't have trouble with the lyrics. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the flip side of "Strawberry Fields Forever", Paul's "Penny Lane".
"Penny Lane" is a Lennon/McCartney song, not just McCartney. Instead "Strawberry Fields Forever" is totally Lennon in the creation/conception of it. Actually "Penny Lane" is a place better known by Lennon than by McCartney, the latter was the one who composed "Penny Lane" based on experiences lived by Lennon.
@@stellapolanco6860No both knew it well ! 🤡
I'm enjoying this new TH-cam channel. I'm a lifelong Beatles fan. That's how I found you. Virgin; because you were raised as classical musician only. Rock because you are learning about a style or styles of music that is unfamiliar to you. I like it. Keep it coming! Thank You!
I penned a comment (canceled) during your Part 1 video. It stated you were missing the point of the Beatles' message (and music). You were going through life 'with eyes closed'. I feel you now DO have a clue. Your discussion of impressionist music is spot on. This band was very experimental and influential as you are understanding and explaining. Your appreciation of this song has increase mine. Noting that in addition to their sophisticated musical construction, the Beatles (Lennon) were genius with disrupting our ears through using electronics. Plus the ragged drums style Ringo used added to this dream like disruption. Thanks for your analysis which has added new respect for this amazing band.
Most, if not all of the equipment used in the original sessions no longer exists.
It should always be remembered, that all the musicians, engineers, and producers were making it up as they went along; going way back to the days of Les Paul in my memory.
This is what made The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Who , Fleetwood Mac, The Yardbirds, etc, sound so original and fresh.
Along with lots of talent of course!!
John Lennon is the king of Chord Progressions. Nobody in Rock Music has ever done it better or been more original as a composer for his time while also being so influential. The way he played with harmony and changing time signatures is something else. That Minor dominant 5th was pure musical Genius from Lennon; the harmony, the melody, the imagery and lyrics… everything works together to create the surrealist longing of childhood via Strawberry Fields Forever, perhaps the Beatles’ greatest composition
I agree it's the Beatles' greatest composition
I will add that the lyrical progression by verse become increasingly disillusioned and detached from reality. The first verse could pass as wistful nostalgia, but the final one couldn't even come close. At a guess, that's consistent with his experiences there.
I'll add that the way I read the available facts, Paul is right to say John could be a huge asshole, but I strongly suspect that John was abused while growing up. Not physically, but emotionally and psychologically. That would go a long way to explaining why he has problems with close interpersonal relationships. And consider that in that era, displaying anything resembling weakness was unmanly. It's just about a perfect environment to produce someone like that, but it's damn near a miracle that he was able to overcome it - and of the founding three, he came from a higher social status. Paul even remarked that they seldom met at John's house, and John preferred visiting them. Maybe I'm wrong, but...
As I watched and listened to this, I started wondering why all this weirdness and complexity always felt so natural and easy to me.
Then I remembered the old carousel in the schoolyard next to our house that I often had to myself in the afternoons. The stem had been bent a bit, so it was somewhat inclined, meaning that it wobbled a bit every time it revolved. At the low point the metal was grinding against other metal, giving off a rusty squeak and requiring a little extra push to keep up the speed. That rythm is exactly the same that I hear in "Strawberry Fields Forever", possibly mixed with the sound of the swing set when more than one child were using it at different speeds and with differing enthusiasm.
Even the trickling brook can be heard along with cars honking close and far! The skipping pattern childen tend to adapt naturally, twice on each leg, is also in there. And it all feels full of promise that was somehow just left behind.
Not to diminish George Martin's impact on how Beatles records came out but...even though John Lennon was, like the rest of the Beatles, not formally trained, his musical intuition is astonishing. It's how he was able to come up with these very unusual structures that nevertheless worked.
And in terms of fitting together the two parts, I think what that's really about is this: Lennon intuited that the slower tempo but lower pitch of the acoustic part, and the faster tempo but higher pitch of the more orchestrated part, *would work together if they were sped and slowed to meet in the middle*. And, of course, he was correct. He didn't have the vocabulary to say, "well, George--speed up the A major bit about half a step and so many beats per minute, slow down the B major bit by about the same, and they'll match"--but he could feel it, know it, in his musical brain.
The song is about more than nostalgic reminiscences, it’s also about John struggling with living as a genius - ‘living is easy with eyes closed’ ‘no one else is in my tree’ both with double meanings. Largely written when he was in Spain recording How I won the War. There is an interesting clip of John playing what sounds like the opening bars on a recorder when on tour in 1964/5. An absolute masterpiece..
A very good analysis and informative.
We drift and float in a dreamy psychedelic song. I really like psychedelic songs or songs with psychedelic elements. I hope you will react to the genre again since you liked its appearance in this song. I like the otherworldly element and the oddity, the ambiguity, the strangeness, and the unstrict nature of the songs.
So beautifully put, your analysis is so clear and precise. It is however, really important to acknowledge that analysis is an "after the event" description, it does not describe the actual creative process itself. Especially in this case.
John Lennon believed that his lack of knowledge of even basic compositional technique liberated his creativity. Later, he was to switch from composing on the guitar to writing on the piano, purely and simply for the fact that he was less familiar with the instrument. "That way I surprise meself!" is how he explained it.
I am sure that this is true to some degree for all great composers. Too much technical knowledge may indeed create too many binary choices. By keeping aspects of the creative process a mystery we are able to liberate the impossibilities that you so beautifully described at the end of the video.
Thank you once again Amy for the wonderful work you are doing here.
I follow several music analysis channels on TH-cam but you are the best in depth reviews you get into music theory. Listening to you is more like taking a college course on music
I like how the move from Bb to Fm7 sounds so dreamy and relaxing, then moving to G7 hints at sounding menacing or urgent. Regarding the lyrics, if you like strawberries, then strolling through a field of strawberries for eternity suggests something heavenly.
Reading through some of the comments, I'm surprised to see no mention of two people, whose contributions were so critical in making solid songs by the Beatles songs masterpieces, known as the 5th Beatle, their producer George Martin, and their Chief Recording Engineer Geoff Emerick.
5th Beatle was Yoko, bud.
I like rediscovering these older songs on your channel. I thought I’d heard them too many times to ever want to listen again, but it’s fun to appreciate them, as a non musician, on a new level I didn’t know about.
Excellent!!!! I would think you would appreciate Eleanor Rigby and For No One. Which features a very exceptional French horn solo!!!!
For No One is one of the best unheralded songs of the Beatles. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!
@@JJ-zo1do Extremely under rated!!!
This was great! Really enjoyed this analysis. This is one of my favorite Beatles songs.
To me it has dreamy/unreal quality, also it’s relaxing and a bit melancholy as well. So it has multiple emotional components.
Thank you for your analysis of one of my favourite songs of all time.
The manner of your delivery is very pleasant, and you are an obviously gifted musician.
I discovered this video by accident, but I will definitely seek out more of your TH-cam videos.
I love how you communicate your thoughts.
Holy Moley. This commentary is better than the song itself. Like, wtf? I always knew that I was lucky to have grown up with the Rock of the late 1960s. It was truly the Golden Age for music. And i always knew fer certain that the adults at the time who hated R&R couldn't be more wrong when calling this music as being garbage. This woman from the Classical Music world hammers it home.
This is definitely one of my top favorite Beatles recordings. Loved your analysis!
There is something to be said for listening to a piece of music "cold" and, as a trained musician and music teacher, you reacting to it. I watch a lot of music reaction videos to music I grew up with, love and have enjoyed for many years. While I enjoy many of the reactions, it can also be jarring to me when the listener has zero, or near zero, context. For example, no knowledge of the artist, the time period when the music was made, or the cultural world in which it was created. I'm sure you can appreciate this. Music is not created in a vacuum. The personal life of the artist as well as the world they inhabited are key to understanding and appreciating a piece fully. By now, you probably know that "Strawberry Fields Forever" was made at a time when the Beatles were exploring psychedelics, and the culture was bursting with creative expression of all kinds. You noted the influence of George Martin, which can't be overstated. He was classically trained and added a great deal to the Beatles' musical richness. In addition, Lennon had a heroin addiction for a number of years, had a very difficult childhood, and his songs were often cryptic, with an element of stream of consciousness. He was also influenced by his Japanese avant garde artist wife, Yoko Ono, and by the I Ching. All of the Beatles were influenced by Eastern philosophy and religion. So when you see a song title and listen the first time, I think some background research is warranted and helpful. It will only enhance your reaction.
I have watched dozens of videos about this song, how it was made, why it is in an odd key, etc. this is the first original and informative review I have seen that made me feel I learned something new and gained a greater appreciation of its quality.
I really like what the Beatles does with time signatures, and with this song it really served the rest of the song. Really cool!
There is a genre of rock called dream pop that evokes similar feelings when listened to. Many acclaim the group 'Cocteau Twins" as the best example with their multi layered mostly clean sounding swirling guitars and effects, that an orchestra would be hard pressed to emulate, that create a unique heavenly sound. Their singer Liz Fraser is very unique in her style but also acclaimed by many as a unique voice of an ethereal siren. Their masterwork album called 'Heaven or Las Vegas' is very interesting and as I said unique. I would love if sometime you would give it a listen to compare.
I'm very pleased, that as a non-musician, I was still able to understand quite a bit of what you were talking about. It also made me want to find a harp version of the music. Which I did, here on YT. Several in fact, and they are all quite beautiful.
28.00 --- the Doppler Effect :) ---- beautifully, in-depth, analysis, of creativity. Your spoken-language communication-skills are just as gorgeous as your harp playing :)
Honestly, listening to Amy discuss a particular song is as good as the song itself. She just has a beautiful way of describing music, and makes you appreciate it even more.
@@69Mucci ----- I totally agree. She oozes profound femininity, warmth of spirit, and generosity. She puts so much effort into helping the listener with grasping the concepts.
your example to explain the keys fits perfectly with the "train" in the end of the song. it's like they were saying "see what we did here?".
In philosophy, a concept one addresses is existential weight and lightness. This song strikes me as a conflict between the two; a tension between adult life and the inner child.
An old saying is "Metronomes check Ringo Star to see they are keeping correct time." That is to say we might lose the metrical foot but Ringo always knew exactly where it was. He had an uncanny talent for that, not just within a song but between takes.
Great observation
The four note pattern being played from 22:13 - 22:27 sounds eerily familiar to the transition notes before the chorus in the song No.9 Dream by John Lennon. I wonder if he even realized that when he wrote No.9 Dream years later.
The notes between 12:28 and 12:38 sound like the intro to "Girl".
Really interesting,and I learned something new! I subscribed so I can watch more of your videos. Love to watch your hands on the strings of the harp.
Bill Frisell does a very interesting version of this song on the electric guitar. Instrumental, with just his fascinating style. I recommend everyone interested to find it here on TH-cam.
Just started watching your videos; I watched Part 1 of Strawberry Fields. I'm really enjoying your thoughts and analysis! Thank you.
If you want to see live perfomances of Beatles songs that are exactly like the recorded version then look at the tribute band called 'The Analogues', they truly do justice to the Beatles legacy.
Thank you for breaking the music down and explaining why and how of the songs. I really appreciate and enjoy your analyses and your channel 🙂
Opening statement chords on mellotron flute: major, major 7th, 7th, you get the same chord with a chromatic descent...and then he sings, 'let me take you down...' pretty perfect writing.
I would love to hear your impression of Tomorrow Never Knows
In your journey through discovering popular music, you are not only providing a fascinating perspective from your classical background, helping to make our ears more observant, but inadvertently doing a great service to classical musicians by showing us just how hip, interesting, and opened-minded most of you are. Too often they are seen as 'square' folks dressed in black and white that scoff at non-classical music, but we see more and more classical musicians arranging contemporary music, drifting into new territory via collaborations with others from other genres, than we see from mainstream musicians who are all too often locked into a single, narrow genre for decades. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are the minority.
I was in my mid 20s when this song came out, and I believe that it was first premiered on television. As I recall, it was filmed in black-and-white in an outdoor setting. Perhaps it is available on TH-cam. Anyway, at the time it seemed very experimental and I didn’t really know what to make of it. Now I know why. I love your analyses, and I intend on becoming a supporter. I am learning so much.
Another excellent analysis Amy. I'm a musician so understand well all you say. For me Strawberry Feilds was always an idealic languid state of mind. It's a beautiful J Jennon creation and much more complex than it 1st appears.
I loved your explanations of all we just heard, and as always really appreciate you! I can hardly wait, no matter how many years it takes, for your reaction to "Because", probably The Beatles most classical musically influenced work! Cheers from Canada!!
For more than fifty years I've waiting for your professional analysis and explanations of these "greatest compositions and arrangements" of my lifetime. I've a bit of art appreciation, so your "impressionist" and "modern" and "contemporary" references fit perfectly. Truly you've educated me immensely. Thank you.
I have always wondered why this piece of music sounds so comforting and ungauged. Your description and breakdown of this is amazing. Thankyou.
I enjoyed your reaction very much. I would likte to add something. One key element of Beatles' music is that all the genuine sofistication of their music is hidden in apparent simplicity. As Howard Goodall pointed out of another Beatles' song, the composition's tricks are presented in the best way possible, they are imperceptible to the listener. They occure as if by magic.
Sorry, there was one word missing in my comment (i have difficulties writting in english). Beatles' music does more than appears simple, it sounds NATURAL, as if it cannot be any other way, as if it was there all the time in our heads.
So articulated and beautiful use of language!! A pleasure to listen to!!!
Absolutely beautiful analysis. Took me places I'd never been and made me think about it in ways I never had. Thank you. All I can say is that The Beatles had heads full of music, they could hear what they wanted, they played with everything and pushed boundaries. That's what makes genius. Not wanting what has come before, but something new. Something never before heard. That was Lennon, that was The Beatles. That's what made them different.
From what I've read the orchestration/ accompaniment/arrangement was mostly George Martin's doing. Paul might have had an idea or 2 regarding that but Lennon had conceptual ideas that he left up to Martin to figure out.
Beautifully explained. This song was part of my childhood and the childlike dream of the psychedelic era. You have helped enhance that with your sensitive explanations. Bravo.
One of the things the Beatles excelled at was writing introductions and cadences. I think it's Paul on the mellotron in the beginning. They used the plagal cadence more than most of their contemporaries (Anglican/Catholic church influence?). I love their adventurousness as well, learning about instruments from George Harrison's exposure to the music of India. The descending lines from the swarmandal are really an effective finish to each verse/chorus.
Your first video about this made me subscribe to your channel, and your reaction to Strawberry Fields Forever is why (and millions of others!) claim The Beatles as the best band of all time; because if they can elicit such a response and such analysis from a classically trained musician, they're a very unique breed of musician and songwriter.
The way you present your point of view is lovely to listen to, and as a musician myself who writes music (but can't read it and has never had either an instrument or theory lesson), its fascinating to hear how the mind of someone with years of training processes the same music I enjoy, and where our opinions might meet or diverge.
It's not a question but your harp playing just moves my heart, spirit and soul. ❤🙏
Enjoyed this video a lot. Lennon was a genius, but when he met McCartney and later Martin, it was one of these once-in-a-lifetime moments that defined an era. This is one of my favorites songs ever.
As a visual artist, who is also a music lover, I know that there is much crossover creatively between the two arts. I love your analysis of this work and I get a bonus because I can apply your explanation in many ways to the visual arts. It's quite stimulating and helps me keep a fresh eye creatively. Thank you!
Awesome analogy…I have the album..time to dust it off and hear the song…I played the white album today…tomorrow is strawberry fields forever…an entirely new look to this great song …
Strawberry Fields has been arranged for pedal steel guitar and sounds wonderful as an instrumental.
I went to Strawberry Fields last summer, it was a teenage dream come true! I totally loved the vibe there, I wish I could have been there... forever. eheh
I look forward to all of your videos. In this case, you brought me through a masterclass of what I consider a top 10 masterpiece of the past 60 years. It took me decades of listening and analyzing this, yet I still fell short of what you covered here. Thank you.
Your analysis adds so much to my appreciation of the composition and as soon as you said "impressionist composer" my mind went straight to "l'apres midi d'un faune", but that's a connection I would never have made without your suggestion. As soon as you pointed it out I could see it. I wish you had been at my school!
The Beatles, a lovely holiday cocktail and Amy's razor sharp analysis......that's a good day.
Well done. I enjoyed your analysis. You highlighted some subtle nuances of the song I missed, such as the lost beat structure that is used as colour.
I just subscribed. I would really love for you to delve into the Grateful Dead! Especially their live performances (which is what they are most famous for). They have a catalog of over 500 songs and have never played the same song exactly the same way. They are the pioneers of improvisational rock. They have elements of rock, blues, bluegrass, jazz, and even classical music. They have some great studio stuff, for example terrapin station. However, almost all of their concerts were recorded live.
I would have been a baby when I first heard this song half a dozen year after it's release. My father was a big Beatles fan and much of their music has been in my head long before I could recall memories. I was often reminded in subsequent years that as an infant this one particular Beatles song made me stop everything, smile and concentrate on nothing but the music until the song finished. Many years later and with a subsequent diagnosis of having perfect pitch, this song still stops me in my tracks as being beautiful, but strikingly odd!
Thank you for this informative analysis. I was in 7th grade when this record was released. A dedicated Beatles fan since the group appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, I bought this record when it first hit the record stores in late 1966. My friends and I played it over and over trying desperately to figure out what gave it that unique mixture of sound, feeling, and storytelling. Of course we were too young and ignorant to come close to understanding all that, but we did indeed enjoy the song.
If you get the chance, please do a similar analysis to The Beatles "Something". Written by George Harrison, its soft lyrical treatment, McCartney's busy bass line, Ringo's understated percussion, Harrison's lovely lead guitar combine into a truly spectacular whole. Frank Sinatra described George Harrison's Something as, "The greatest love song ever written". I think you'll be delighted by its composition.
Sinatra actually said' this is one of the greatest loves songs ever written, and one of my favourite Lennon/McCartney songs' He was partly correct. :)
Cranberry sauce goes well with a grilled Camembert cheese sandwich.
When I saw the title, I was certain that Amy would find the song intriguing. Growing up with progressive rock, I think I always assumed that I was hearing synthesizers backing up the drum, guitar, and voice. That makes "Strawberry Fields Forever", what, only a decade or two ahead of its time?
Strawberry Fields is NOTHING progressive, the basic harmony doesn't change too much, the odd studio pannings and sounding loops,etc. are what is changing, and that's what creates a sensation of movement, when in fact it barely moves...
that 'trick' is what Glenn Gould didn't like.
Twas a combo of two song structures and is recognised as both brilliant and revolutionary. Goodall was tame. 😹
I've never heard what happens in this song articulated so well. The nuts and bolts of the song I guess to have always somehow inherently understood to be a hodge podge of "simplification". As if the broad brush stroke and bold color communicated more than any detail ever could. As an adult, I learned about its inspiration as a sort of childhood experience. But yet, I think I always somehow understood that anyway in a most instinctive way. Your explanation helps me understand why. I found it interesting you compare it to Impressionist tendency in art...this makes a lot of sense. I can also see something more modern as well. After all, the music is of its time, and yet it is so freaking good...that it has become timeless.
I just love hearing you speak about music. Your evocative language is like poetry! It helps me to see the works in a new light. Thanks!
I would love to hear you talk about "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor. For some reason, I always feel like crying when I hear that song. Not necessarily the lyrics, but there is something about the feel and movement of the song.
I would also love your take on "Free Bird" (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and the MTV Unplugged performance of "Black" by Peal Jam.
I admit I have zero musical talent and even less than zero understanding of your musical vocabulary. I just like what I like and love what I love. The Beatles and ABBA, Ronstadt, Streisand, The Seekers are my loves. I just love them. That they are more than what meets the ear is simply icing on the cake.
To me the song is the pinnacle of modern pop music as art. Masterful in every sense of the word. Great video!