And Your Bird Can Sing
Working title: You Don't Get MeWritten by: John Lennon (80%), Paul McCartney (20%)
(credited as Lennon-McCartney)
Recorded: April 26, 1966 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: April 27, May 12 and 20, 1966
Length: 2:02
Takes: 10
Musicians:
John Lennon: lead vocal (double-tracked), rhythm guitar (1964 Rickenbacker "Fire-glo" 360-12), tambourine, handclaps
Paul McCartney: harmony vocal, lead guitar (1965 Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino), bass guitar (1964 Rickenbacker 400IS), handclaps
George Harrison: harmony vocal, lead guitar (1965 Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino), handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums (Ludwig)
Available on: (CDs in bold)
Revolver (UK: Parlophone PMC 7009; PCS 7009; Parlophone CDP 7 46441 2)
"Yesterday"... And Today (US: Capitol (S)T 2553)
History:
- Largely composed by John, "And Your Bird Can Sing" features the singer insulting or "putting down" an acquaintance who's taken on a superior attitude; as such, the words of this song are some of the most speculated-upon of any Beatles track. The "bird" in this song is generally considered to be standard British slang for a girlfriend, leading some to speculate that the subject in question might be Mick Jagger (whose paramour, Marianne Faithfull, was just beginning her rise on the pop charts), or possibly Paul McCartney himself. A more popular theory in recent years identifies the subject as no less an icon than Frank Sinatra, whose press release announcing his nomination for a 1965 Grammy reportedly read, in part: "If you happen to be tired of kid singers wearing mops of hair thick enough to hide a crate of melons... 'Tell me that you've heard every sound there is,' crooned the world's greatest kid singer in his enigmatic reply, 'and your bird can swing. But you can't hear me. You can't hear me.'"
- Whatever the point of the song, John was reportedly never pleased with it, considering it one of his "knockoffs" written just to fill a gap in the new album. (Paul is thought to have provided some melodic input in the bridge, as well as the suggestion of downward-moving harmonies at the beginning of the song's final verse.) For a supposedly throwaway song, however, more time than ever was spent on its creation: the band originally arranged and recorded a version, complete with final-stage vocal and instrumental overdubs, on April 20th, only to scrap the entire performance and rebuild the song entirely from scratch on the 26th. The final version -- which is in E, up from the original's D thanks to a capo -- features an overdubbed take 10 with the ending from take 6 spliced on.
- The intricate signature guitar line that serves as the song's main hook is actually played by two guitarists: George and Paul, soloing in harmony at the same time on the two nearly-identical Epiphone Casino guitars given to John and George earlier in the year. Famed rocker and part-time Eagles member Joe Walsh has stated that he somehow learned to replicate the part without realizing that it was performed by two guitars.
Trivia:
- One of the most famous outtakes in all of Beatles history, preserved for posterity on Anthology 2, is an abortive attempt at a vocal track on the original version's take 2. Throughout, John and Paul collapse in a giggling fit that is almost certainly brought about by the group's then-heavy use of marijuana.
- Speaking of which, the line "you say you've seen seven wonders" is said to be a joking reference to the band's first use of marijuana, where Paul decided that life exists on "seven levels." Although this sounds like a bit of a stretch, it may account for the cryptic next line: "and your bird is green."
- This was used as the theme song of the ABC-TV cartoon series The Beatles during its third season.
- The original mono mix of "And Your Bird Can Sing" features louder handclaps and guitar than its stereo counterpart.
