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Who would have ever thought that the Legend, perhaps the greatest in the History of Music, would have begun with a very simple, very banal, very inexpensive: ONE, TWO, THREE, FAH!
The image speaks for itself, I am referring, of course, to the album "Please Please Me" by "The Beatles," Anno Domini 1963.
The '60s, the roaring '60s, years of radical changes, ideologies, gatherings, discoveries, revolutions, wars, passions. The Liverpool quartet could not help but absorb some of the ferment that simmered in those years. In fact, they became its promoters, initially despite themselves: they were, first and foremost, "artistic heirs" of the so-called "Beat Generation" and the "Angry Young Men" of the mid-'50s, and then, a few years later, rose to pop icon status of the countercultural currents of the '60s (do hippies ring a bell?). But let’s go in order…
Post-war England was gripped by a stranglehold of immobility, formality, authority, and conventions. In this context, the Beatles came like an earthquake to shake up the minds and butts of every young person in Albion, unleashing in them an emotional charge and a rebellious vitality never seen before, at least not on such a scale. Thanks to their spontaneity, their freshness, their irony, their "down-to-earth" manner, they managed to captivate practically the entire young audience. They had the effect of an unexpected school dismissal on a sunny afternoon, a breath of fresh air in the stale English atmosphere. All this, of course, was also reflected in the musical field where they were described as "a charismatic power station," a wild presence on the fringes of English pop that did not rely on the anemic politeness of the London scene. Listening to the album will confirm everything that has been written so far. Doing a track-by-track review would be absolutely pointless; my advice is: let yourself be carried away by the music, by the raw energy it emanates, by the youthful tension released (the opening and closing of the record are two emblematic episodes).
There is then another aspect to consider, often overlooked: the album exudes repressed erotic impulses, it oozes an eroticism eager to emerge. In those years, sexual repression was a fairly common "practice," as was suppressing one's own urges...the Beatles did nothing more than open Pandora's "Box." By now, eroticism was part of the excitement of the phenomenon. This is evident in the lyrics of some tracks: "She was just seventeen and you know what I mean" in "I Saw Her Standing There," the allusive "Please Please Me" that refers to quite imaginable erotic practices, the repeated "C'mon baby," "Shake It" etc...scattered here and there and repeated with a certain "vehemence" etc.etc.
Is it just me being suggestive? I don't think so...I mean, yes, I generally am, but not in this case.
Regardless of musical taste, I believe this record is a true piece of History that should definitely be listened to at least once in a lifetime. I am not speaking exclusively of musical History, but of social, popular, cultural History, etc.
Let’s not trivialize the image of the Beatles by describing them as a "simple" band because they were, objectively, much more. Then, of course, one may or may not like them but they should not be neglected or snubbed because that would be like neglecting or snubbing the moon landing (with due proportions, of course), it would be like neglecting a historical event that indelibly marked the life of the '60s. Be good, come on.
“Please Please Me” is just the first step…
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 I Saw Her Standing There (02:58)
Well, she was just 17,
You know what I mean,
And the way she looked
was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another
When I saw her standin' there.
Well she looked at me,
and I, I could see
That before too long
I'd fall in love with her.
She wouldn't dance with another
When I saw her standin' there.
{Chorus Start}
Well, my heart went boom,
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine...
Oh, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another
Since I saw her standing there
{End Chorus}
[Chorus]
Since I saw her standing there...
Since I saw her standing there...
02 Misery (01:52)
The world is treating me bad
Misery
I'm the kind of guy
Who never used to cry
The world is treatin' me bad
Misery
I've lost her now for sure
I won't see here no more
It's gonna be a drag
Misery
I'll remember all the little things we've done
Can't she see she'll always be the only one
Only one
Send her back to me
Cause everyone can see
Without her I will be
In misery
I'll remember all the little things we've done
She'll remember and she'll miss her lonely one
Lonely one
Send her back to me
Cause everyone can see
Without her I will be
In misery
Oh, oh in misery
Woo, my misery
La, la, la, la, la, la,
03 Anna (Go to Him) (02:59)
Anna, you come and ask me girl
To set you free, girl
You say he loves you more than me
So I will set you free
Go with him (Anna) Go with him (Anna)
Anna, girl, before go now
I want you to know, now
That I still love you so,
But if he loves you more,
Go with him
All of my life
I've been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
Oh now
But every girl I ever had
Breaks my heart and leaves me sad,
What am I, what am I supposed to do
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
Anna, just one more thing girl
You give back your ring to me
And I will set you free,
Go with him
All of my life
I've been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
But let me tell you now
But every girl I ever had
Breaks my heart and leaves me sad,
What am I, what am I supposed to do
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
Anna, just one more thing girl
You give back your ring to me
And I will set you free,
Go with him (Anna)
Go with him (Anna)
You can go with him girl (Anna)
Go with him
04 Chains (02:28)
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind
That you can see
Woh, it's chains of love
Got a hold on me, yeah
Pa-lum-pa-lum-pa-lum-pa
Chains, well I can't break away from there chains
Can't run around
'Cause I'm not free
Woh, these chains of love
Won't let me be, yeah
I wanna tell you pretty baby
I think you're fine
I'd like to love you
But, darling, I'm imprisoned by these
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind
That you can see
Woh, it's chains of love
Got a hold on me, yeah
Please believe me when I tell you
Your lips are sweet
I'd like to kiss them
But, I can't break away from all these
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And the ain't the kind
That you can see
Woh, it's chains of love
Got a hold on me, yeah
Chains, chains of love
Chains of love, chains of love
05 Boys (02:29)
I've been told when a boy kiss a girl
Take a trip around the world
Hey, hey(3x)
Yeah she said you do.
My girl says when I kiss her lips
Get the thrill through her fingertips
Hey, hey(3x)
Yeah she said you do
Well I talk about boys
Don't you know I mean boys
Well I talk about boys now
Ah, boys
Well I talk about boys now
What a bundle of joy
Alright George!
My girl says when I kiss her lips
Get the thrill through her fingertips
Hey, hey(3x)
Yeah she said you do
Well I talk about boys
Don't you know I mean boys
Well I talk about boys now
Ahhhhhhh!
Well I talk about boys now
What a bundle of joy
06 Ask Me Why (02:29)
I love you
Cause you tell me things I want to know
And it's true
That it really only goes to show
That I know that I, I, I, I,
Should never never never be blue
Now you're mine
My happiness dear makes me cry
And in time
You'll understand the reason why
If I cry it's not because I'm sad
But you're the only love that I've ever had
I can't believe, it's happened to me
I can't conceive of anymore misery
Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you
I love you
Cause you tell me things I want to know
And it's true
That it really only goes to show
That I know that I, I, I, I,
Should never never never be blue
Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you
I can't believe, it's happened to me
I can't conceive of anymore misery
Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you, you, you
07 Please Please Me (02:05)
Last night I said these words to my girl,
I know you never even try, girl,
C'mon...
Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you.
You don't need me to show the way, love.
Why do I always have to say "love,"
C'mon...
Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you.
I don't wanna sound complainin',
But you know there's always rain in my heart (in my heart).
I do all the pleasin' with you, it's so hard to reason
With you, whoah yeah, why do you make me blue.
Last night I said these words to my girl,
I know you never even try, girl,
C'mon...
Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you.
12 A Taste of Honey (02:07)
A taste of honey
Tasty, but sweeter
Than wine
I dream of your
First kiss and then
I feel upon
My lips again
A taste of honey
Tasty, but sweeter
Than wine
I will return
Yes, I will return
I'll come back
For the honey and you
Yours was the kiss
That awoke my heart
There lingers still
Though we're far apart
A taste of honey
Tasty, but sweeter
Than wine
I will return
Yes, I will return
I'll come back (he'll come back)
For the honey (for the honey)
And you
14 Twist and Shout (02:33)
Well, shake it up baby now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come on, baby now (come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
(Ooooooooh.)
Well work it on out now (work it on out)
You know you look so good (look so good)
You know you got me goin' now (got me goin)
Just like I knew you would (just like i knew you would)
(Oooooooh)
Well, shake it shake it baby now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come on baby now (come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
You know you twist you little girl (twist little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer)
Let me know that you're mine (let em know you're mine)
Aaaaah, aaaaaah, aaaaaah, aaaaah
Yeah, shake it up baby now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come on baby now (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, baby yeah (shake it, baby)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, baby yeah (shake it, baby)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, baby yeah (shake it, baby)
Aaaaah, aaaaah, aaaaaah, aaaaah
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Other reviews
By lucio mazzi
"One, two, three, four" and off they go with 'I Saw Her Standing There', the rock’n’roll that the fathers of rock’n’roll had never been able to write.
‘Twist And Shout’ became so renowned in this version that it made people forget it was also a cover.
By Roberto Zennaro
'From this year, March 23 1963, Rock And Roll, music, history, are no longer the same.'
'The Beatles make their mark on the history of music.'
By paolofreddie
"'Please Please Me' is an album for the young, played like by a school band, full of youthful urges and simple rock 'n' roll."
"It's an immature work, full of covers, and no song can be considered a masterpiece."
