FEATURE:
Paul McCartney at Eighty
Twenty-Nine: Here, There and Everywhere: His Greatest Beatles Track?
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IT is a subjective question…
but, if you had to narrow down the best Paul McCartney song, which would you choose? My personal favourite of his from The Beatles is Paperback Writer. In terms of Wings, it would have to be Band on the Run. I think my favourite solo McCartney would be Coming Up. Although my favourite Beatles song he wrote is Paperback Writer, I don’t necessarily think it is the best. I would say that McCartney’s own favourite of his Beatles compositions is from 1966’s Revolver. Here, There and Everywhere is a masterful love song from a man who has written more than his fair share of classic love songs! There is something about the purity, beautiful and sentiment of the song that means it has endured for over fifty-five years. Before continuing on, the Beatles Bible provides details regarding one of Paul McCartney’s greatest moments as a songwriter:
“Paul McCartney’s favourite among his own compositions, ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ is often cited as his finest love song.
It was written alongside John Lennon’s swimming pool in Weybridge, while McCartney waited for Lennon to wake up.
I sat out by the pool on one of the sun chairs with my guitar and started strumming in E, and soon had a few chords, and I think by the time he’d woken up, I had pretty much written the song, so we took it indoors and finished it up.
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Mile
Paul McCartney’s favourite among his own compositions, ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ is often cited as his finest love song.
It was written alongside John Lennon’s swimming pool in Weybridge, while McCartney waited for Lennon to wake up.
I sat out by the pool on one of the sun chairs with my guitar and started strumming in E, and soon had a few chords, and I think by the time he’d woken up, I had pretty much written the song, so we took it indoors and finished it up.
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
‘Here, There And Everywhere’ was particularly highly regarded by Lennon.
Paul’s song completely, I believe. And one of my favourite songs of The Beatles.
John Lennon
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Interestingly, McCartney claims to have had a demo version in March 1965, while The Beatles filmed Help! in Obertauern, Austria.
John and I shared a room and we were taking off our heavy ski boots after a day’s filming, ready to have a shower and get ready for the nice bit, the evening meal and the drinks. We were playing a cassette of our new recordings and my song ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ was on. And I remember John saying, ‘You know, I probably like that better than any of my songs on the tape.’ Coming from John, that was high praise indeed.
Paul McCartney
Anthology
While the song was written with Jane Asher in mind, McCartney found inspiration for his vocals from a less likely source.
When I sang it in the studio I remember thinking, I’ll sing it like Marianne Faithfull; something no one would ever know… So that was a little voice, I used an almost falsetto voice and double-tracked it. My Marianne Faithfull impression.
In the studio
Recording for ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ took place over three days. On 14 June 1966 The Beatles recorded four takes, only the final one of which was complete and with vocals. The group overdubbed the first of the harmony vocals that would be so important to the final sound.
The harmonies were performed by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison, and were arranged by George Martin, who was somewhat modest about his contribution.
The harmonies on that are very simple, just basic triads which the boys hummed behind and found very easy to do. There’s nothing very clever, no counterpoint, just moving block harmonies. Very simple to do… but very effective.
George Martin
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
On 16 June they recorded takes 5-13 of the rhythm track, the last of which was deemed to be the best. Onto this they overdubbed more harmony vocals along with McCartney’s lead vocals and bass guitar. The following day McCartney double-tracked his lead vocals, and the song was complete”.
Because Paul McCartney is eighty in June, I wanted to spend some time exploring various songs and albums. Before rounding up the forty features, I will cover other songs he wrote for The Beatles. Here, There and Everywhere is important, as McCartney himself regards it so highly. His vocal is sublime. The maturity and sense of realisation is there from the first lines: “To lead a better life/I need my love to be here”. Without a wasted syllable or note, it is a short and gorgeous love song straight from the heart. The poetry in the track is evident and moving: “Everywhere/Knowing that love is to share/Each one believing that love never dies/Watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there”. Such a remarkable song that will mean something to everyone, I wonder whether McCartney has written a better love song!? It proves how sensitive, tender and intuitive it is when articulating this undying love, devotion and compassion. Maybe he will change his mind in years to come, though McCartney has highlighted Here, There and Everywhere as his favourite Beatles song. Among a fine and varied catalogue, picking one song is pretty tricky! The more you listen to Here, There and Everywhere, the more you can see why…
THE song means so much to him.