When a local band (“Shameless”) at a dingy Halifax downtown bar (“Cheers”) opened with “Hard Day’s Night” on Saturday night, I heaved a heavy Guiness-scented sigh. Oh God. What is wrong with these people? Yes. I loved the Beatles too, when I was sixteen. Yes, “Eleanor Rigby” used to be my favourite song, too. But you move on. Your tastes evolve. Yes, ok, their songs only “appear” simple- actually they’re as complicated as Beethoven. Whatever. What do I know about song-writing? I only know I am absolutely sick of hearing the Beatles, and people defending the bloody Beatles, and classic rock radio stations playing the Beatles. Non-stop. Classic rock, snort snort! They are pop! They have no place on a rock radio station! Please!
Really, I can’t remember this Beatle-mania a couple of years back when Paul McCartney had a concert here. After all, we are talking about a band whose height of lyricism was ”she loves you yeah, yeah, yeah”. “Taxman, yeah”. “I talked to a girl/ and it was good/ Norwegian wood.” (what? seriously?) “we all live in yellow submarine.”
And yes, I appreciate in the 1960s they were iconoclasts and their music was fresh and different and amazing- but moving on fifty years, it’s not fresh, it’s not new, it’s not different, it sounds old, stale, been there, done that. Their songs are now as impressive as “Little Jack Horner” or “Jack and Jill”- no doubt amazing feats of musical artistry in their time, but now simple nursery rhymes. For children.
I wish these damn local Haligonian bands would learn some decent Dire Straits songs, Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Aerosmith, proper adult songs with proper adult emotions, and stop killing us softly with these corny sweet little tunes.
And I think its allllllright…Yes I think its allllright…. No it’s bloody well not. Go away.
