Choosing just
one John Lennon Beatles song is nigh on impossible, and even limiting it to only
1965 isn't much easier - "Help" ? "Ticket to Ride" ? "Norwegian
Wood" ? "Nowhere Man" ? But I have plumped for "You've Got
To Hide Your Love Away" as one of his most distinctive.
1965 was when
Lennon was most influenced by Bob Dylan - his focus on oblique and downbeat lyrics
grew ("I'm a Loser" was probably his first Dylan song), with stark,
even weary voice (often dispensing with the previous double tracking of vocals). "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"
was also the first Beatles all acoustic track (ironically Dylan was making the fateful
journey in the opposite direction).
It has a
similar theme to yesterday's "Losing My Religion" of regret and unrequited
or faded love. It commences with another
great opening line ("Here I
stand with head in hand / Turn my face to the wall"). This is very
similar to Dylan's "I Don't Believe You" - "I can’t understand, she let go of my
hand / And left me here facing the wall". The raucous "hey!" in
the chorus seems a definite homage to "Mr Tambourine Man".
He has been
spurned, but the embarrassment is so bad
he feels that people are laughing and staring. He is bereft ("If
she's gone I can't go on"). There is speculation that it could relate to
their manager Brian Epstein concealing his homosexuality or Lennon hiding his
wife at the outset of Beatlemania, but then again it works as a universal song
of rejection.
It was recorded
in one "Help" session on the afternoon of 18th February 1965, with
just nine takes, only two of which were complete. It is the ultimate tribute
that the Beatles could produce such consistently great work inside the
whirlwind of world tours, films and fan madness.
The backing
is much lighter, with Lennon playing a 12 string acoustic guitar, Harrison a Spanish
acoustic, plus Ringo's maracas and tambourine. But most noticeable is the tenor
and alto flutes from Johnnie Scott (only the second outsider on a Beatles song
so far). It was just the start of pursuing different instruments and sounds (the
sitar appeared in 1965 too). It also
slightly unusual for a Beatles song at that time, as it had a more extended
outro.
Brevity was a key characteristic of pre-1966
Beatles, with few songs reaching three minutes. "You've Got To Hide Your
Love Away" is no exception at a compact two minutes ten seconds, a concise
and poignant tale.
Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8nLraecPRY
Hear Next -
The mid-era Beatles are best represented on the "Help" and "Rubber
Soul" albums.
