Beatles – Paperback Writer

I was eight years old and my cousin introduced me to the Beatles with the American album “Meet The Beatles.” A little later he started to hum a “great” song by the Beatles called Paperback Writer. I asked my mom to take me to a record store…quite a trip from where we lived and I bought a greatest hits album known as Hey Jude or The Beatles Again… Anyway, it had Paperback Writer and I wasn’t disappointed…no offense to my cousin Greg…the real thing was better than the humming and whistling.

Paperback Writer had a terrific guitar riff with the bass sound being more prominent than before. The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in the UK, and #1 in Canada in 1966.

Speaking of the bass sound…as with the song Rain…The Beatles changed recording techniques.

They experimented with a new way of recording bass.  This technique involved “using a loudspeaker as a microphone,” explains engineer Geoff Emerick.  “We positioned it directly in front of the bass speaker and the moving diaphragm of the second speaker made the electric current.”

Paperback Writer

Paperback writer
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
Based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

It’s the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn’t understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
It’s a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

Paperback writer
It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I’ll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

If you really like it you can have the rights,
It could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

Paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

23 thoughts on “Beatles – Paperback Writer”

  2. Again, speaks of their brilliance… pretty good song that would’ve been a highlight in most careers of that era, but gets lost in the shuffle from the Beatles, barely even one of their more memorable hits.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. The problem I always had with this is that the vocals are grating. This is mostly the parts where they all sing “Paperback Writer”. It makes it hard to stomach this track. For sure the song is really catchy and the lyrics are pretty interesting too. But I think they had better ones than this.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. “Rain” is a super song! Here and on “Paperback Writer” uses George for the first time his new Gibson SG. Their sound is much more aggressive and fat than the semi-acoustic guitars he used before. The original mono singles also have a lot more power than the stereo version on the red double album.

        Like

      2. The only claim to fame I have…I was born on the same day the first Superbowl was played in 1967…and I’m more of a baseball guy.
        Your birthday is an historical event in the 20th century which is cool… I’ve asked people about that day…I’ve been told if you took Michael Jackson in the 80s and times him by 1000 then you would get how big Beatlemania was then…changed music and the world.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. I’m a Capricorn because it’s Jan 15, 1967 (When they had Superbowls in January) but my sister was born on the 26th of Jan and she is an Aquarius.

        As I was being born The Packers beat the Chiefs 35-10…My dad was listening to it in the hospital… You got a cooler birthday though!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh yes that would be great. I remember the Titans trying their best to get him when he signed but I’m glad he got a ring with the Broncos. The first Superbowl I ever watched (on tv of course) was the Cowboys and Broncos (Orange Crush) in the seventies.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment