The Beatles third record ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is an eclectic collection of 13 tracks remarkable in the way that it breaks away from the Beatles’ simpler song structure, doo-wop sound and into blues and pop. This album, for the first time featuring entirely original compositions, helps the Beatles grow their roots deeper in the music industry as authentic artists as opposed to a cover band with a few hits. With their move away from covers which typically were Motown or doo-wop hits, the Beatles distinct sound is transformed with ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Additionally, the Beatles were getting older when ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was being created. Aging from 24-21, they were no longer teenagers and their music began to mature as they had grown as songwriters and a studio band. The dominant sound of the album is the Beatles fully presenting themselves as a pop band as opposed to a rock n’ roll band. It is in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ that the Beatles perfect the art of pop and set a standard that musicians have tried to replicate in the years since the album came out.
This album, serving as the soundtrack for their film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, carries many stories and covers a great range of emotions which was new for the Beatles who up until this mostly sang about love and heartbreak. But what no one knew when it came out is that the album would become the soundtrack of the lives of those born from the mid-twentieth century to current days. I think it is such a successful album because of the relevance and relatability that the listener from any time period experiences. In the song ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, the listener can relate to working hard and coming home to the one they love, a story that has been consistent since it came out because capitalism, domestic relationships, and monogamy are still dominant. But the song ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ does not begin to encapsulate the magic of the album, many other songs contribute to my overall impression.
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From the hat Ringo Starr and John Lennon were seen wearing in the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ to the folk influence on the newly proclaimed pop band, the Beatles’ third album (and frankly, all of their music) was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan. In the early months of 1964, the Beatles got a copy of ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ and listened to it on tour. Overlapping with this time period, the American Folk Revival and the Second British Folk Revival was taking place, spotlighting folk legends like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and reaching commercial success. All of these folk influences worked together to make an impression on the second song on the album, ‘I Should Have Known Better’.
The first notes of the song start with the punch of the harmonica for four measures in a huffing and puffing bluesy folk style. Lyrically, ‘I Should Have Known Better’ stays close to the cliché romanticism of earlier Beatles songs. All the verses start with Lennon holding out the first one and a half measures on one note, always on the word ‘I’. Right after the first ‘I’ of the song is the only time the song's title is heard. The primary component of the song that propels it forward is the verse and the bridge, which is repeated twice and acts as the emotionally provocative climax with its signature Beatles switch to falsetto. The song’s structure appears to be: verse | alternate verse | bridge | verse | instrumental verse | alternate verse | bridge which translates to ABCAABC, very simple but successful.
John Lennon’s rhythm guitar working as a staple for him musically contributed to the Bob Dylan ‘singer-songwriter’ sound he was trying to emulate. George Harrison also delivers a simple but effective guitar solo in the instrumental verse that keeps with the melody line with few complex embellishments. The solo is bright and clear with a bit of twang at the end to add that last-minute blues sound. We also hear Harrison’s guitar stums at the beginning of each measure of the bridge establish a chord change, but also adding a personal touch that adds texture to the piece. Although McCartney does not contribute much to this piece, his bassline adds more depth. Starr, on the drums, plays the role of the metronome, keeping a steady beat and holding the song together. This song is unique and groundbreaking in the way that it gives the harmonica, traditionally a folk and bluesy instrument, a place in pop music. The bluesy tone of the song adds variety in the Beatles breadth of successful songs that move away from their signature rock n' roll.
Keeping with the Beatle signature of singing love songs, ‘If I Fell’ easily falls into that category, but in a bit of a different way from before. The song’s lyrical twists imply the narrator’s contemplation of entering into a second relationship while being involved with someone. This quite ‘out-there’ lyrical implication was quite risky for the time and, as we can look back historically for context, it seems as John is saying he wants to leave his wife for a new love. Further investigating the storyline, this change the narrator is thinking about would come at great cost, so the repeated phrase “oh please” and “don’t hurt my heart like her” emphasizes his desperation for trust. His sincerity is evident though the lyrical composition but also the sounds of the song. The ballad-style song composure contributes to the overall tone of honesty and truth and the vocal harmonies drive the song forward and serve to elevate the feeling of romance.
Instrumentally, the arrangement of the introduction of the song consists merely of John Lennon’s acoustic rhythm guitar and George Harrison's strumming on the first beat of each measure. This simple structure of the introduction contributes to a Bob Dylan semi-autobiographical style sound. Ringo performs an introductory drum fill in the eighth measure which jumps the song into gear. Paul’s distinct strength throughout the piece is his vocals which are placed in the highest register he can hit. This becomes difficult in the bridge which demands both Lennon and McCartney to hit an even higher register and strain their voice. My overall interpretation of the song within the context of the album is that it reinvents the way the Beatles deliver ballad love songs. Small details like the lyrics, “I found that love was more than just holding hands” references the older song, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, hinting at the growing maturity of the group.
Along the line of romantic songs from the album, I would like to discuss ‘And I Love Her’. With the smooth opening of the acoustic guitar plucking and the wooden percussion sticks, the listener can immediately establish this song as one with Latin influence. George Harrison’s assistance to the song becomes most prominent in his instrumental verse where he, at times, strums the guitar one string at a time to add a Spanish-style flare that produces a romantic feeling and successfully conveys the love-centric theme of the lyrics. Harrison’s guitar lead contributes a smooth texture to the piece that unifies the song. Working dually, Ringo's quiet, background bongo playing operates nicely to produce the perfect ambiance for this delicate piece.
This album is remarkable in the Beatles' history because it is the first all originally composed and where they mature as a band musically. They are no longer trying to be something they are not; they are developed songwriters and have a cohesive sound. Their move away from rock n’ roll is evident and they blossom as a pop band. The influences on this album range from folk to Latin which expands the scope in which the Beatles can create music.
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