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Hunter Davies

The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs Paperback – October 20, 2015

by Hunter Davies (Editor)

4.8 1,630 ratings

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"Rich with insider authenticity...Gives us a glimpse into genius": the definitive book of Beatles songs, shown as first written by their own hands and put into authoritative context (Wall Street Journal).

For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime — songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been published before. More than 100 songs and lyrics are reproduced in The Beatles Lyrics, providing Hunter Davies a unique platform to tell the story of the music.

The intimacy of these reproductions — there are sections crossed out and rewritten, and words tossed into the final recordings that were never written down — ensures that The Beatles Lyrics will be a treasure for musicians, scholars, and fans everywhere.

"A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written." —Christian Science Monitor

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

October 20, 2015
Dimensions

7.5 x 1 x 9.63 inches
ISBN-10

0316247170
ISBN-13

978-0316247177
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Editorial Reviews

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"Rich with insider authenticity. To paraphrase Walt Whitman, Mr. Davies was the man, he suffered, he was there.... The book itself-with Mr. Davies's expert guidance-gives us a glimpse into genius. No better monument could mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in America, nothing, that is, short of coming up with a hitherto lost scrap of paper with a Beatles lyric on it, wittily doodled on."―Alexander Theroux, Wall Street Journal

"Beatles expert Hunter Davies demonstrates that the Fab Four wrote their songs just about anywhere--many began as a scribble on the back of an envelope, on a napkin, or on hotel stationery. The collection reproduces more than one original manuscript, granting the reader an all-access look behind the music."―Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written."―Christian Science Monitor

"A stunning collection."―BookPage

A "chatty, knowledgeable, readable account of the back stories behind all the Beatles lyrics."―The Seattle Times

"An unprecedented glimpse into the true genius of the band."―Alan Petrucelli, Examiner.com

"This tome still finds some fresh ground to break and observations to make for diehard and casual fans alike, often derived from their handwritten words."―Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press

About the Author

Hunter Davies is the author of over 40 books, including the New York Times bestseller The John Lennon Letters, and has written for The Guardian, New Statesman, and The Sunday Times. He is married to the novelist and biographer Margaret Forster, and they live in London.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; Reprint edition (October 20, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316247170
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316247177
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1 x 9.63 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #69,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in The Beatles

Customer Reviews:
4.8 1,630 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

1,630 global ratings

5 star		85%
4 star		11%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Joseph O. Lucero

Secret Santa Christmas gift for a Beatles fan. He couldn’t put it down. My gift was a hit.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

Read as much as I could before I wrapped it. 😎

Helpful

oscar ornelas

Great for songwriters

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

If you're a songwriter in need of some inspiration I recommend this book. You get some great insight into how The Beatles crafted their songs. Takes away some of the magic, but makes them infinitely more relatable and inspiring.

2 people found this helpful

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Abigail B

Perfect coffee table book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

Purchased this for my dad for Christmas and he loves it! Makes a great coffee table book but he also enjoyed reading it.

2 people found this helpful

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Lizette M.

BEST gift for a Beatles fan!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

Gave it to my friend, she raved about how cool the information was.

2 people found this helpful

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S. A. Eliot

Hunter Davies is the best. His 1968 "Authorized Biography"is by far the most ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

Of the scores of authors who have published books about the Beatles, Hunter Davies is the best. His 1968 "Authorized Biography"is by far the most accurate and accessible account of the years prior to The White Album. His access to the band, their manager (to whom the book is dedicated), their producer (Sir George Martin), and their friends and associates, results in (a) accuracy and (b) first-person immediacy. His writing is clear. His research is impeccable. Who better to tell the origin tales behind the songs?
One of the delights of this tome is that it can be opened to any page with certainty that what one finds there is both interesting and fun. It can be read front-to-back, or the reverse, or just starting from the middle, if what interests you primarily are the songs.
If, like me, you like to know context and background, the traditional approach -- begin at the beginning -- is probably best. But if (like me) you have loved the Beatles for 52 years, just pick up the book, let it fall open where it may, and enjoy!

26 people found this helpful

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Jeff Botz

This book was rated by seller as “good” but I think it is in New” condition.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a super bargain.

One person found this helpful

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niki corcoran

Gifted to my dad and he’s been glued to it for days

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

My dad grew up with them and raised us to know so much random trivia about them. I knew he’d enjoy the sentiment but he’s been nose deep in it since we opened gifts Christmas morning.

2 people found this helpful

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Christine S.

Great gift

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 23, 2022

Verified Purchase

Bought this as a gift for someone that loves the Beatles and it went over well.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Sometimes You Just Gotta Do It

Not as informative as I expected...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

I bought this volume on the strength of the Hunter Davies name. I read his brilliant biography of the Beatles years ago I had high expectations of a similar-level volume this time around. Unfortunately, I felt extremely let down by the content.

Davies was 'there' when a lot of the songs were composed or in the process of being put together, yet his insights suffer from either a poor memory - his or the relevant Beatle - or lack of corroborative information from other sources more times than I was happy with.

However, in saying all that, it IS an interesting read, nonetheless. As a Beatles fan you'll probably want to add it to your Beatles memorabilia collection. I can certainly recommend it that far as that's what I have done :-)

One person found this helpful

Vicuña

Compelling slice and f social and popular music history. Excellent read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

Hunter Davies is an authority on the Beatles. He's written numerous books, including an authorised biography and he spent a lot of time with them, both on tour and in recording studios. I recently read Philip Norman's excellent bio of Paul and this is an excellent companion read to that biography.

Davies has, over some 50 years, acquired a large number of original bits of ephemera. Scraps the f paper with jottings, squiggles and amendments, showing the development of many memorable songs. In the recording studios, he retrieved ( with permission) bits of ciggie packets, notepaper etc on which early working notes were made. He's also trawled the world for access to other known written records, so this is a truly comprehensive insight. Combined with his personal knowledge of the Beatles, it's an authoritative and informed account.

There are numerous pictures of the scribblings; some not so easy to read on a kindle, but clearer on a tablet. Some of the originals were faded before being reproduced. Davies goes through the Beatles recordings in order, placing each disc in context with some background info. The lyrics and how they sometimes changed make fascinating reading and this is a book I've really enjoyed. A must for any Beatles fan, but also a compelling slice of social and popular music history.

4 people found this helpful

Rufus Winston

It ain't art, it's Rock and Roll!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

I thought I was buying a song book, to sing along to the music but that was my mistake. I found it interesting to see how the songs were written or in some cases, cobbled together. The author clearly knows and loves the Beatles and their music. But for me there was a bit too much analyzing, after all, it ain't art, it's rock and roll!!

3 people found this helpful

Mrs M

MAGICAL!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 10, 2023

Verified Purchase

I loved seeing their many handwritten lyrics as they pieced together the words that would eventually result in the final version of each song

Chestnutz

Intersting insights from someone close to them.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Would have given this 5 except for the annoying fact that some of the song lyrics weren't included (at least in the Kindle version), so I couldn't judge Davies's comments on them.

Otherwise an interesting read which revitalised my enthusiasm for the group that shaped my early teen years. Worth a read for anyone who lived through their music.

One person found this helpful

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