The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs

This book is awesome with so many great details! Definitely a must have if you are a Beatles lover!

This was a gift for a friend and I was surprised to see how hefty it was when it came in the mail. Tons of cool tidbits, stories, and trivia behind the lyrics and it was awesome to see all the handwritten notes.

Everytime my cousin drives me somewhere I buy him a book for my appreciation, he loves the Beatles so it was a great book for him ,he loved it

Of the scores of authors who have published books about the Beatles, Hunter Davies is the best. His 1968 "Authorized Biography"is by far the most accurate and accessible account of the years prior to The White Album. His access to the band, their manager (to whom the book is dedicated), their producer (Sir George Martin), and their friends and associates, results in (a) accuracy and (b) first-person immediacy. His writing is clear. His research is impeccable. Who better to tell the origin tales behind the songs? One of the delights of this tome is that it can be opened to any page with certainty that what one finds there is both interesting and fun. It can be read front-to-back, or the reverse, or just starting from the middle, if what interests you primarily are the songs. If, like me, you like to know context and background, the traditional approach -- begin at the beginning -- is probably best. But if (like me) you have loved the Beatles for 52 years, just pick up the book, let it fall open where it may, and enjoy!

Hunter Davies met and hung out with the Beatles for the year 1967 (into 1968), observing them from a journalistic perspective but also as their official biographer. His book (the Beatles - an authorized biography) was published in mid-1968 amid much fanfare and around the release the Beatles single 'Hey Jude.' That book is considered a classic today, or at least by me (although some would argue the opposite, or that it has not survived the test of time). Davies became famous and authoritative enough to write this book "The Beatles Lyrics" years after the fact. While the book is thorough and comprehensive (it covers all of the written songs on the original UK albums), it is (like his biography) observational and occasionally opinionated. But that's OK, and here's why. If you liked Davies biography, and by extension, became used to his way of writing (and especially if you became an obsessive Beatles fan like myself)...you're really going to love this book. If you understand the fact that Davies writes with the authority of an Beatles insider (which in fact he became after hanging with them in 1967), then you start accepting his observations and opinions of the various songs and the individual Beatles. Moreover, you start to take in his role not just as an insider but more like an occasionally disapproving elder uncle (like George Martin admonishing them occasionally). Well, this is what Davies effectively does here. He'll track down the origins of the individual songs, relate relevant information for each, and tell some memorable stories (while reproducing hand-written originals and associated artwork in full color) AND integrate his personal opinions into the text. Most of Davies opinions, mind you, are positive, and his descriptions are overwhelmingly informative. All of the above additions actually make the lyrics analysis more interesting and intriguing. And that 'uncle' status (even when relating a negative thought or opinion) actually makes the reading more fun, thus an easier reading experience. Like his earlier biography, the Beatles lyrics is a page turner. How can it not be? Or, I should say, Davies makes a potentially added lyrics analysis much better and intriguing. There's a lot to read, and plenty of illustations. Certainly makes for evocative reading, brings back memories of the Beatles in their time for those who want to experience it. I loved it. Recommended!

Purchased for an avid music lover especially the Beatles and he’s a musician who really enjoyed and appreciated this book so I think it was a hit. Great gift! Cool photos of original lyrics too.

Great Stories and great all around read from Hunter Davies who taught us Americans all about the lads - now finally we see the actual written down lyrics! Over the Top! Each one is a section in itself. I Loved it

Another Fantastic book on the Fab Four by Mr. Davies! For many, this will be an interesting book to keep on an end table (a wee bit too small for the coffee table books) to flip through when someone has a few minutes. Many who read this, however, will be like me. I read books like this from cover to cover, I also read encyclopedias cover to cover. It's very well written by one of only a few who could actually write something like this, Hunter having had such intense and immediate access to John, Paul, George, and Ringo! If you're a Beatles fan, this is one book you want to add to your library!!

The content of this book is top-notch. But look for a better edition, because this edition does not do the author's work justice. Poor paperback on recycled paper. A pity!

Lo di de regalo y la persona quedó encantada

A presença de imagens dos manuscritos é incrível.

Love it !! Long time Beatles fan!! Haven’t finished reading but what have read is really interesting!

Hunter Davies is an authority on the Beatles. He's written numerous books, including an authorised biography and he spent a lot of time with them, both on tour and in recording studios. I recently read Philip Norman's excellent bio of Paul and this is an excellent companion read to that biography. Davies has, over some 50 years, acquired a large number of original bits of ephemera. Scraps the f paper with jottings, squiggles and amendments, showing the development of many memorable songs. In the recording studios, he retrieved ( with permission) bits of ciggie packets, notepaper etc on which early working notes were made. He's also trawled the world for access to other known written records, so this is a truly comprehensive insight. Combined with his personal knowledge of the Beatles, it's an authoritative and informed account. There are numerous pictures of the scribblings; some not so easy to read on a kindle, but clearer on a tablet. Some of the originals were faded before being reproduced. Davies goes through the Beatles recordings in order, placing each disc in context with some background info. The lyrics and how they sometimes changed make fascinating reading and this is a book I've really enjoyed. A must for any Beatles fan, but also a compelling slice of social and popular music history.