As amazing as this song is musically, I think the most incredible part of it may be the fact that Paul McCartney was all of 25 years old when he wrote it, and John was 27. The level of sophistication from both of them in terms of the concepts in the song, the dual points of view of the girl and her parents... it's a lot for a couple of 20-something guys to come up with and really shows wisdom beyond their years. Just such an amazing piece of work.
Totally agree Nerf. Amazing young men have such insight...Listen to 'Marmalade' singing 'Reflections of my life'...I'm 64 and can't believe such young men wrote such a song.
It is beautifully conceived and assembled all the way through. A perfect, poignantly sad slice of life, floating like a dream on its little string quartet. 🎻💔
She left home because, even though her parents gave her everything money can buy, they didn't give her the one thing money can't buy. Love. She left home after living alone for so many years. Excellent reaction to one of the Beatles' best.
I'm not convinced they didn't love her, I just think perhaps they didn't know how to love her in a way that made her FEEL loved. Many people think their parents are cold and distant, and in the old days people were not in touch with their emotions due to societal norms and sense of duty to provide. In either case, such a sad and beautiful song.
You're hearing mama's story, you're not hearing hers. She might be 25 years old and it's finally time to leave the nest. You gotta let go some time mama.
The lyrics at the end of the song say "What did we do that was wrong?" - "FUN" - "Fun is the one thing that money can't buy". I think its not about finding love or being loved, its about being free from your parents, finding your self and having fun in life. Lets not forget, the idea of anyone let alone young people to have their fun in the 50's and early 60's was something that wasnt "allowed". Something inside that was always denied for so many years. Beautiful song...
There is an unbelievable coincidence about this song. Paul wrote it after reading a newspaper ad about a 17 hear old girl who ran away from home. He didn't know that a few years earlier he had picked this girl as the winner of a lip syncing contest on TV.
Video is on RUclips, including a discussion with middle-aged Melanie Cole. The chap she went to live with was a croupier, but before meeting her, he had worked in the motor trade - so, another magic coincidence. Reaction is wrong about the true story in that parents were very strict (demanding she be home in their flat by 4pm) but they were always arguing and fighting, so home was a miserable place to be
This song was first released in June 1967. 54 years later it is being listened to on a technology that would have been viewed as 'science fiction' in 1967. The Beatles music is legendary. It is timeless. Those beautiful melodies and lyrics will still be popular in another 54 years.
Money and possessions can't buy happiness. She left to find her own life and was happy for the first time in her life. Listen to it again from that perspective.
The answer to your question "why did she leave?" is implied in the repeated chorus "she's leaving home after living alone for so many years" .....meaning she was emotionally alone/neglected throughout her upbringing with her well-intentioned but emotionally-detached parents.
Apparently, this song is difficult for a first hearing video. The egocentric parents in every line show that everything is about themselves, and there is little room for the daughter’s fun, or anything else. The mother, first recognizing the daughter may be gone, shows the parents’ narcissism early on with ironic line, “We never thought of ourselves.” Isn’t that what the line is immediately doing? I have always wondered why the Beatles chose the word “fun” (as the only thing money can’t buy); perhaps it is the realization that for all of their success, it was becoming less and less fun.
This is my favourite Beatles' song. You can imagine being the girl, who has been lonely her whole life, her parents have been providing for her financially but not seeing her and what she really needs. And you can also imagine being the parents who feel they have done everything in their power for their daughter but she abandons them. It's about a lack of communication that leads to her feeling trapped and breaking their hearts to be free. It's so beautiful. The contrasting lyrics and perspectives, the string arrangement, John and Paul's voices. Ahhh, I just love it so so much.
Any story written that can paint a picture in your mind while you listen to it read or sung is a work of art. The beatles, trule musical geniuses in their time, my time and for all of time to come.
Thank you so much for enjoying the music without stopping it a thousand times to comment on it. Appreciating the work fully is the true way to appreciate the music, it doesn't break the mood of it. Your face expressed every drop of beauty in this song
The story is so true. McCartney really shot an arrow into everyone's heart wit this song. Saddest Beatle song of all of them, beats out Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday for sadness., hands down.
It's really only sad for the parents, of course. The song's protagonist, the young woman, is having the time of her life. Her parents gave her everything but fun and emotional closeness, and this is their reward.
Unbelievably mature song writing for someone relatively young, and remember this was less than 4 years after Love Me Do. Spectacular progress the band made in such a short time.
I love watching these ypung woman, and seeing the effect of freedom brings to their expressions....beautiful... Everything but love?, Everything but something...
Beautiful song - have known it most of my life but can still bring tears. The song is basically saying money can't buy happiness and if you hold someone too tight they'll only try and break away
I remember being 16 when SP was released and I was already a huge fan I loved their music growing up with it. When I first saw the cover of SP my heart sank. I thought to myself “The Beatles aren’t The Beatles anymore.” But of course they were just becoming different and better songwriters.
It's astonishing that Sgt. Pepper's was recorded on four tracks! According to George Martin, there were only two tracks left to capture the melody and lyrics. He wanted them double- tracked, so John and Paul did them live and then doubled the vocals. Exquisite! I love the lyrical homophones of ' Buy, " " Bye, " and " By. " Mike Leander's melancholy string arrangement is superb!
The sheer range of their styles--proto-funk, Boy Band, World Music, roadhouse rock, Latin rock, experimental, avant garde, French Jazz, Music Hall, Caribbean, Indian, Soul, R&B, neo-Classical, Heavy Metal, and so on and on--ensures their stature as the greatest band ever. Only a select few peer geniuses could so thrive in wildly diverse styles and make such epic social and political impact --fellow guitar genius and visionary composer Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Dylan and Marley, Beyoncé, and only but a few others--on a worldwide scale as the Beatles did. But it is the striking, wilful contradictions of the Beatles that stand singular, even among the aforementioned fellow geniuses: 1). The Beatles' ability to sell more records than any other musical act in history AND still thrive as astonishing innovators and experimentalists 2) Although from a nation that practically invented modern imperialism and racism, the Beatles questioned and then undermined Britain's very core imperial belief system: through their astonishingly prescient, otherworldly ability to articulate, ally with, and evoke through their music and styles (as well as direct support via statements, aid concerts, and financial support) civil rights, feminism, LGBTQ, environmentalism, anti-militarism, anti-Colonialism, individualism AND communitarian values in ways that absolutely as relevant today as they were over fifty years ago when they erupted on the world stage. To say that they were a phenomenon doesn't quite get it right; fifty years after they broke up, forty years after an assassin took John Lennon's life, and twenty years after cancer took George Harrison's life, the life and meanings of the Beatles live on, their influence coursing through every major genre of music and art of dissent and cultural innovation. They are of the Ages
Not to mention "Country Western" music and "Comedic Novelty songs" such as "You Know my Name, Look up the Number" --- In fact, if you really take a good look at some of the scenes in the Magical Mystery Tour film and listen to John Lennon's sometimes insane lyrics ("I am the Walrus) as well as his comedic writings --- and just the bands unique brand of humor in general --- they were, in many ways "Monty Python" before their time.
@@Hernal03 Hernal03: Funny, so to speak, that you should mention the Beatles of sketch comedy, Monty Python. The Beatles were big fans, and none more so than George Harrison. His Handmade Films record company financed several of the classic Monty Python feature films, which Harrison, in typical droll fashion, claimed made his "ticket to the cinéma" to see the likes of Life of Brian " the most expensive in history." Harrison also did numerous cameos in the Python's now classic films
@@chrisb9122 : I couldn't agree more. The fact that over two generations AFTER they broke up, and on a communications medium that did not even exist when they last recorded, a whole new multiracial generation is streaming and discussing in stunned, awed reverie as to what the Beatles achieved, what they meant, what they sought to do, how they changed EVERYTHING, and how, strangely, poignantly, monumentally, much of their revolutionary music and lyrics are even MORE relevant today than during the halcyon moment of their Event Horizon career.
As it is written in the third verse Ambrose, "fun is the one thing that money can`t buy". She had everything she wanted, living with her parents, except fun. So important to a young person.
This one brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. So beautifully composed with the intersecting vocals of Paul explaining and John singing the parents point of view.
A very sad, but beautiful and melodic song. It's got such an interesting song structure, and wonderful lyrical interplay between the main and backing vocals representing the parents/daughter's point of view. One of their best.
John Lennon provides the voice of the bereaved parents. The timbre of his double tracked vocal ,matches the message of his lyrics to perfection. Terrific reaction O P. Thanks so much for sharing, RNB
If u ever get to see the Beatles tribute band, RAIN, they're great. They did this song with a giant screen behind the stage showing the whole story. So cool.
John's vocals on this whole album were almost ethereal-like he was floating above it all (mildly chemically induced, no doubt), dropping in here and there to drop some magic. Like "lovely Rita, meter maid", "cellophane flowers .." and "what did we do that was wrong?" etc.
U said it brother. Im 62 goin on 63 in december, and the 60's and 70's music was the best! Remember Midnight Special and Don Kershners Rock Concert on T.V. on friday nights? Man, the weed was good back then too. Alcapulco Gold, Redbud, 714's. Ha.
Back then, there were a lot of young people leaving mom and dad to go pursue an idealistic life abounding with peace, love and understand. This song happened to coincide with this movement and resonate though Paul actually got the idea from something he'd read about a particular girl. He brought the song to the studio, John added a few things taking on the role of the despairing parents. The result was this disarming tear jerker. In the hands of lesser talents, this could have been indulgent pretension. These guys were always brilliant at avoiding that creative trap.
I've always fancied that the woman in the song 'Another Day' is the girl from this song a few years hence, when she's learned that the freedom she sought was not all it was cracked up to be.
I left home age 15, when Sgt Pepper's just came out. In my case it was parental abuse, not mere emotional neglect ("...fun is the one thing that money can't buy."), but no matter... It was the single best decision I ever made in my life, which has been pretty fantastic, and with tunes like this bolstering my youth!
The Beatles were not individual top tier vocalists, but they were creative geniuses. And their harmonies came together to make such a distinctive sound that made up for any individual shortcomings. These guys made an unparalleled impact on popular music.
During the time when this was written, many young people were running away from home. It was extreme. In America, many traveled to San Francisco but it was happening in England too, for certain. I love Lennon's input in regards to the parents. So many cultures instill responsibility without tempering it with joy. My Father was quite rigid when growing up yet he would talk with me if I needed him. ( He also relaxed in a most delightful way in the last 3rd of his life and loved The Beatles!) 😽🎶
A lot of people argue that they are put off by that particular line --- they say it's because "FUN" CAN actually be brought and that Paul should have used the word "LOVE" or "HAPPINESS" instead (after all, hadn't he already used the former in "Can't Buy Me Love'?) I however beg to differ --- FUN is an aspect of HAPPINESS and even with all the money in the world, you cannot truly have FUN in life if you are not HAPPY --- I think they go hand in hand. Therefore, I think the lyrics of the song get it right, especially if you consider two very important things: (1) - the line is delivered by John Lennon who has been stating the parent's perspective throughout --- it is obvious that the parents believe (incorrectly or not) that they have given their daughter everything including LOVE (which tragically they believe Money can elicit), so it would make no sense for them to deliver that particular line in that way. (2) - And this is a more practical point from a songwriting perspective --- the 3 choices you had for that key word were FUN (which they used), LOVE (which would NOT have been appropriate and had already been used in an older song anyway) and finally, the third choice, HAPPINESS --- just try using that 3 syllable word in place of FUN and you'll see why it would not have worked musically. Hope I have made a case in defense of this often maligned lyric.
That is why the times when something is written is important. Yes, today many would sympathize with the parents providing everything that money could buy, but it did not buy her love. That is why she left, to find love. Of course, people at that time were just as much into material needs as today, but there was also a very strong movement to seek and find true meaning and love in life that is not as strong or not as apparent today.
This song is based on an actual runaway girl. Paul saw an article in the newspaper which inspired him to write this song. The lyrics said the parents did not know what they did wrong and gave her everything money could buy, but what was missing the whole time was them showing her love and understanding.
True Story: Paul wrote this after reading in a newspaper about a girl who ran away from home and that same girl won a prize on TV from a music show about the Beatles years before.
I have watched a few of these reaction videos about this song. Thank you very much. It is thught provoking. Why did she leave home? The answer is in the last chorus. Fun is the one thing that money can't buy. Speaking for myself, my parents survived the great depresion of the 1930's. My father survived the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War Two. They were kind Christain hearted people. But they never knew me. They worked hard to accomplish much. But, they didn't know how to have fun.
Great reaction. Such a sad song where neither party is wrong. Unfortunately, children have to leave the nest at some point. It's strange but it matters not how old your children are - you still worry about them!!
@@beatlebrian4404 And that line ("fun" -- just changing that word to "love" would be such an improvement IMO) almost ruins the lyrics of the whole song for me, even though for the most part I think it's one of the Beatles' best songs.
@@snicky58 iam sorry you feel that Way, but don't you think it would have been quite easy to use the word love? The girl obviously, had love in her home, but something else was missing and that was, adventure and fun!
Her parents gave her no love ( " she's leaving home AFTER LIVING ALONE for so many years "). Also, all the mother thinks about after reading the note is HERSELF! NOT HER DAUGHTER. The last verse - " she is having fun - something inside that was always denied for so many years ".
Yes, Melanie Coe, the girl who Paul based the song on, said in an interview for 'Rolling Stone' magazine, "I wanted excitement and affection. My mother wasn't affectionate at all, she never kissed me". Her father is quoted as saying, " I cannot imagine why she ran away. She has everything here. She is very keen on clothes but she left them all, even her fur coat!"
I MOSTLY agree with what you're saying, but think there's a bit more to it. "How could she do this to me?" is definitely a self-centered comment. But, "Daddy our baby's gone" gives some insight. I've seen countless parents who seem to live in denial of the fact that their children aren't children any longer. It's instinctual for mammalian parents to protect their offspring while they are young and vulnerable. In the case of human development, that's an extremely long time. The habit of protecting the child from the dangers of the World become damned-near chiseled in stone, and can be difficult; and emotionally painful, to break. But eventually, protection becomes overprotection as the child cannot grow into full adulthood without learning to survive on its own. The child MUST leave; or stagnate, and the process can often be quite painful for ALL parties involved, because they actually DO love one another! There was a term of those times known as "British reserve". It was a cultural matter that the British simply didn't show their emotions to the outside World. The fact that these parents didn't SHOW love and affection really doesn't say much as to how they felt inside. Different people show their love in different ways, which may not LOOK LIKE love to those unfamiliar with their ways. "Sacrificed all of our lives" and "We gave her everything money could buy" could very well be their way of showing their love, which their culture did not allow them to display as open affection. Was that a good thing? No, and songs such as this helped to point it out. But for parents who grew up around war, death, hunger, and destruction, supplying their child with safety and security was a far bigger deal than it is for those of us who have been born and lived in "The Long Peace". I'm not trying to agree with the attitude of the mother in this song ... I just think that ; to some extent, the situation is unavoidable. Some handle it better than others, but even in the best of circumstances there is a touch of sadness mixed with the pride of your child growing up and setting out on his/her own. In my opinion a parent who fails to prepare their child for setting out on their own as an adult has failed as a parent. It doesn't appear to me that these parents did that ... they just didn't want to let go! Doesn't that show their love?
The lyrical age old story of a child leaving home for the 1st time, when they've come of age, but the parents are not emotionally prepared & begin to fear the worst; they did something wrong; they're @fault for this abrupt change to their world. Beautifully done. Lovely to see other's reactions, to see how well these artfully done compositions hold up over time. ♡■
I'm more of an Elvis fan but there was one song I wish you would play it in future HEY JUDE keep up the good work you're doing a phenomenal job especially with your reactions👍
This song paints a picture like a scene in a mini drama we've come into part way through. Paul McCartney's lyrics leave many things to our own imaginations, but it's clear the parents have loved her in the way they thought was right. Although, having all your material needs provided for is not really enough, a child needs their parents time and attention, and some real enjoyment in their lives, clearly the daughter had never had that. I wouldn't judge the parent or the daughter characters, they're just different generations that sadly couldn't make the right connection. This was written in the 1960's, there was the flowering of a youth culture that had begun in the late1950's, and also young women becoming more independent and ambitious, and saw a chance for something other than settling for a domestic life straight away. The parents would have grown up in a Britain still recovering from World War 2, and their own parents had a Victorian upbringing and lived through The First World War. The daughter would have had none of the hardships and losses her parents and grandparents would have suffered, and only saw a fresh world of opportunity which she desperately wanted to be a part of. Apart from her frustration, we don't really hear from the daughters point of view. It would be nice to think she found love with her car salesman or mechanic and was eventually reconciled with her parents once they talked things through, but there could also be more tragedy if she had an unplanned child, or even maybe was never heard of again. Tragedy or love story? The appeal of the song is that you can imagine your own scenario.
"We gave her everything money could buy" but "fun is the one thing that money can't buy." No connection. The daughter leaves home "after living alone for so many years." The explanations are all in the lyrics. Still, it is written and sung so heartfelt that one also feels a lot of empathy and compassion for the parents, who just do not understand. As they probably never did understand who their daughter really was. A very gripping song.
Exactly. You described what the song is about perfectly and that's how I've always interpreted the song. I think it's so well written I'm not sure why people don't easily comprehend what the song is about. And it has a sad but very profound message to parents as well as children.
My father gave me this as my first album I ever owned, and I listened to it over and over, reading the lyrics in the liner when I was old enough to read--but before I could read, I always heard the lyrics as "LOVE is the one thing that money can't buy." To be honest, that little change made more sense than the original lyrics.
@@rikk319 Interesting. It can be a very personal thing though... I think that her parents might have given her love... but in a way that she could not enjoy it... but, as I said, it's open for interpretation.
A McCartney masterpiece. To quote an earlier Beatles song, money can't buy you love. The lyrics are beautiful and powerful, and very cleverly written. We see both the girl's side of the story and the parents' side, and we feel sympathy for both - but there are clues in what the parents say that they could buy their daughter happiness - which they couldn't - and there is definitely a subtext there that they were as angry at her "ungratefulness" as they were sad. The daughter may have been provided for with "anything money could buy", but throwing gifts at someone isn't the same as making them feel loved, fulfilled, or happy. The daughter was leaving to find a life of her own away from a loveless family.
When the song was written in 1967, a lot of teenagers - especially in America - were running away from home to go be hippies in places like the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco. So, the song had a cultural relevance at the time.
I'm 66 year old dad and my 12 year old son went to his buddies house for a sleep over. I missed him so much. His presence is beautiful. I couldn't imagine if he just up and left for any reason.
"She's Leaving Home"...One of my favourite ever songs...Harmonies, CLARITY OF DELIVERY..and of course...an amazing story...just genius and beautiful x10 The lines....Daddy 'OUR babies gone....which then becomes...'How could she do this to me' where the mother becomes so 'internal, almost selfish...which shows the relationship she had with her daughter.....wow....just pure genius. The mothers lack of awareness....expecting they know what their daughter needs and wants...and their ignorance of how she really feels...all about them and their pain. A lesson for any parent. Perfection personified. AND...No needless 'middle Eight'! One of my best ever favourites....Harmonies, clarity of delivery...and of course...an amazing story...just genius and beautiful x10 The lines....Daddy 'OUR babies gone....which then becomes...'How could she do this to me' where the mother becomes so self reflecting....wow....'Fun' "Something inside that was always denied for so many years" (Not out of malice but what the mother thought was love and protection... "just pure genius. The mothers lack of awareness....expecting they know what their daughter needs and wants...and their ignorance of how she really feels...all about them and their pain. A lesson for any parent. Perfection personified.
I don't see a contradiction. I would take it that she always came first, up until this point when she turned her back on them, and it's the first time they have thought of themselves.
@@MrDiddyDee Sounds more like they worked hard and spent their time making money to buy her things, instead of spending time with her. You can make more money, but you can never make more time. A lot of the generation who grew up in the Depression saw money as safety, and after WW2, tried to provide every creature comfort for their children, the Baby Boomers. What we ended up with was the most self-important generation we've ever seen in this nation.
One thing that makes this song even more distressing if you think about when it was written is that there were NO cell phones to track. No glimmer of hoping she or he would maybe have that on. No cell ph to ping. No social media to possibly see a post of where they may be. You simply had to hope and pray a call was made from a phone booth, which, again, couldn't be traced unless there were preparations for such a call and then you had to pray they "stayed on the line" long enough to trace. The stress & worry was doubly hard to deal with....
I've always related to the girl in the song. She felt suffocated at home, with all the parental over-caring. I moved out at age 19 and lived it up far away from home. This timeless song is so relatable!
Great reaction, OP! Maybe they provided her everything she needed monetarily, but there was no love or respect? No freedom? Family can be very difficult.
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She Leaves because that's just how life is. Beatles are without a doubt the greatest band ever.
As amazing as this song is musically, I think the most incredible part of it may be the fact that Paul McCartney was all of 25 years old when he wrote it, and John was 27. The level of sophistication from both of them in terms of the concepts in the song, the dual points of view of the girl and her parents... it's a lot for a couple of 20-something guys to come up with and really shows wisdom beyond their years. Just such an amazing piece of work.
I loved this song. They were underrated singers. This song made cry.
Can't say I disagree
@@victoriajohnson5461 underrated?
Totally agree Nerf. Amazing young men have such insight...Listen to 'Marmalade' singing 'Reflections of my life'...I'm 64 and can't believe such young men wrote such a song.
I feel like such a slacker thinking of all they did in their 20's.
Never leave home without an orchestral accompaniment
or at least a harp.
You cracked me up !
@@dave20thmay The harpist on this has done a RUclips video talking about the experience, her name is Sheila Bromberg.
I once read that this McCartney song was seen as a real musical masterpiece by experts. This was back when songs had melodies.
It is beautifully conceived and assembled all the way through. A perfect, poignantly sad slice of life, floating like a dream on its little string quartet. 🎻💔
They smothered her,now she's free,masterpiece.
She left home because, even though her parents gave her everything money can buy, they didn't give her the one thing money can't buy. Love. She left home after living alone for so many years. Excellent reaction to one of the Beatles' best.
Spot on! And near the end we hear “something inside that was always denied for so many years” to further drive home the point.
I'm not convinced they didn't love her, I just think perhaps they didn't know how to love her in a way that made her FEEL loved. Many people think their parents are cold and distant, and in the old days people were not in touch with their emotions due to societal norms and sense of duty to provide. In either case, such a sad and beautiful song.
You're hearing mama's story, you're not hearing hers. She might be 25 years old and it's finally time to leave the nest. You gotta let go some time mama.
@@Grisostomo06 That would be cool if Paul would circle back and write one from the daughter's perspective.
The lyrics at the end of the song say "What did we do that was wrong?" - "FUN" - "Fun is the one thing that money can't buy".
I think its not about finding love or being loved, its about being free from your parents, finding your self and having fun in life. Lets not forget, the idea of anyone let alone young people to have their fun in the 50's and early 60's was something that wasnt "allowed". Something inside that was always denied for so many years. Beautiful song...
There is an unbelievable coincidence about this song. Paul wrote it after reading a newspaper ad about a 17 hear old girl who ran away from home. He didn't know that a few years earlier he had picked this girl as the winner of a lip syncing contest on TV.
VERY TRUE, her name was Melanie Coe, and there IS a video of that lip sycning contest. Not sure if it is on You Tube, but search it out
@@patticrichton1135 its on youtube!
The other amazing coincidence is that the boy she met had at one time worked in the motor trade.
@@patticrichton1135 It's all explained here: ruclips.net/video/Jt-IUwUE924/видео.html (interview with Melanie in 2010)
Video is on RUclips, including a discussion with middle-aged Melanie Cole. The chap she went to live with was a croupier, but before meeting her, he had worked in the motor trade - so, another magic coincidence.
Reaction is wrong about the true story in that parents were very strict (demanding she be home in their flat by 4pm) but they were always arguing and fighting, so home was a miserable place to be
Melancholy, so beautiful. She left because she was not fulfilled.
This song was first released in June 1967. 54 years later it is being listened to on a technology that would have been viewed as 'science fiction' in 1967.
The Beatles music is legendary. It is timeless. Those beautiful melodies and lyrics will still be popular in another 54 years.
Suspect next 200 years...
This is exemplary of the sheer magnitude of their creativity.
“Something inside that was always denied for so many years.” So subtle and powerful. Genius!
This is the first time I have ever watched a vid without a single thumbs down, That means the Beatles were perfect.
This song has brought me to tears since 1968..
Money and possessions can't buy happiness. She left to find her own life and was happy for the first time in her life. Listen to it again from that perspective.
I forgot how brilliant and beautiful this song is.
Paul was only 25 years old when he wrote this song! What a talent!
The answer to your question "why did she leave?" is implied in the repeated chorus "she's leaving home after living alone for so many years" .....meaning she was emotionally alone/neglected throughout her upbringing with her well-intentioned but emotionally-detached parents.
Apparently, this song is difficult for a first hearing video. The egocentric parents in every line show that everything is about themselves, and there is little room for the daughter’s fun, or anything else. The mother, first recognizing the daughter may be gone, shows the parents’ narcissism early on with ironic line, “We never thought of ourselves.” Isn’t that what the line is immediately doing? I have always wondered why the Beatles chose the word “fun” (as the only thing money can’t buy); perhaps it is the realization that for all of their success, it was becoming less and less fun.
@georgehannen8539
Even after 50 years it still brings me to tears!!
This is my favourite Beatles' song. You can imagine being the girl, who has been lonely her whole life, her parents have been providing for her financially but not seeing her and what she really needs. And you can also imagine being the parents who feel they have done everything in their power for their daughter but she abandons them. It's about a lack of communication that leads to her feeling trapped and breaking their hearts to be free.
It's so beautiful. The contrasting lyrics and perspectives, the string arrangement, John and Paul's voices. Ahhh, I just love it so so much.
This album changed rock and roll forever.
Any story written that can paint a picture in your mind while you listen to it read or sung is a work of art. The beatles, trule musical geniuses in their time, my time and for all of time to come.
I think it was more about feeling like your parents don’t understand you or don’t give you enough quality time.
Thank you so much for enjoying the music without stopping it a thousand times to comment on it. Appreciating the work fully is the true way to appreciate the music, it doesn't break the mood of it. Your face expressed every drop of beauty in this song
The song tells a story, but this woman's does the same.
The story is so true. McCartney really shot an arrow into everyone's heart wit this song. Saddest Beatle song of all of them, beats out Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday for sadness., hands down.
I think " For No One " is a sadder song.
@@stevevasell429 That one is bitter, which is rare for The Beatles.
It's really only sad for the parents, of course. The song's protagonist, the young woman, is having the time of her life. Her parents gave her everything but fun and emotional closeness, and this is their reward.
@@ChrisMaxfieldActs yes, you are exactly right!
This is not a sad song.
It's about growing up and getting independent.
Unbelievably mature song writing for someone relatively young, and remember this was less than 4 years after Love Me Do. Spectacular progress the band made in such a short time.
This is the most beautiful beatles track.
Fun (love) is the one thing money cant buy "something inside that was denied for so many years....!
Of course I enjoyed it.
The Beatles are forever!
THE only band that could pull off just did it!! THE BEATLES
I remember the first time I heard this. Breaks your heart. What a great song.
I love watching these ypung woman, and seeing the effect of freedom brings to their expressions....beautiful...
Everything but love?, Everything but something...
When I first heard this when I was a teenager I thought it was so poetic,beautiful and heart breaking...and it still touches a nerve even today.
Beatles forever!!!
Beautiful song - have known it most of my life but can still bring tears. The song is basically saying money can't buy happiness and if you hold someone too tight they'll only try and break away
She's leaving home. Bye bye
Gives me chills. Their voices.
I remember being 16 when SP was released and I was already a huge fan I loved their music growing up with it. When I first saw the cover of SP my heart sank. I thought to myself “The Beatles aren’t The Beatles anymore.” But of course they were just becoming different and better songwriters.
It's astonishing that Sgt. Pepper's was recorded on four tracks! According to George Martin, there were only two tracks left to capture the melody and lyrics. He wanted them double- tracked, so John and Paul did them live and then doubled the vocals. Exquisite! I love the lyrical homophones of ' Buy, " " Bye, " and " By. " Mike Leander's melancholy string arrangement is superb!
The sheer range of their styles--proto-funk, Boy Band, World Music, roadhouse rock, Latin rock, experimental, avant garde, French Jazz, Music Hall, Caribbean, Indian, Soul, R&B, neo-Classical, Heavy Metal, and so on and on--ensures their stature as the greatest band ever. Only a select few peer geniuses could so thrive in wildly diverse styles and make such epic social and political impact --fellow guitar genius and visionary composer Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Dylan and Marley, Beyoncé, and only but a few others--on a worldwide scale as the Beatles did.
But it is the striking, wilful contradictions of the Beatles that stand singular, even among the aforementioned fellow geniuses: 1). The Beatles' ability to sell more records than any other musical act in history AND still thrive as astonishing innovators and experimentalists 2) Although from a nation that practically invented modern imperialism and racism, the Beatles questioned and then undermined Britain's very core imperial belief system: through their astonishingly prescient, otherworldly ability to articulate, ally with, and evoke through their music and styles (as well as direct support via statements, aid concerts, and financial support) civil rights, feminism, LGBTQ, environmentalism, anti-militarism, anti-Colonialism, individualism AND communitarian values in ways that absolutely as relevant today as they were over fifty years ago when they erupted on the world stage.
To say that they were a phenomenon doesn't quite get it right; fifty years after they broke up, forty years after an assassin took John Lennon's life, and twenty years after cancer took George Harrison's life, the life and meanings of the Beatles live on, their influence coursing through every major genre of music and art of dissent and cultural innovation. They are of the Ages
Not to mention "Country Western" music and "Comedic Novelty songs" such as "You Know my Name, Look up the Number" --- In fact, if you really take a good look at some of the scenes in the Magical Mystery Tour film and listen to John Lennon's sometimes insane lyrics ("I am the Walrus) as well as his comedic writings --- and just the bands unique brand of humor in general --- they were, in many ways "Monty Python" before their time.
@@Hernal03 Hernal03: Funny, so to speak, that you should mention the Beatles of sketch comedy, Monty Python. The Beatles were big fans, and none more so than George Harrison. His Handmade Films record company financed several of the classic Monty Python feature films, which Harrison, in typical droll fashion, claimed made his "ticket to the cinéma" to see the likes of Life of Brian " the most expensive in history." Harrison also did numerous cameos in the Python's now classic films
They'll NEVER be another band like the Beatles. Ever.
@@chrisb9122 : I couldn't agree more. The fact that over two generations AFTER they broke up, and on a communications medium that did not even exist when they last recorded, a whole new multiracial generation is streaming and discussing in stunned, awed reverie as to what the Beatles achieved, what they meant, what they sought to do, how they changed EVERYTHING, and how, strangely, poignantly, monumentally, much of their revolutionary music and lyrics are even MORE relevant today than during the halcyon moment of their Event Horizon career.
This is why The Beatles are the greatest rock band of all time.
As it is written in the third verse Ambrose, "fun is the one thing that
money can`t buy". She had everything she wanted, living with her
parents, except fun. So important to a young person.
The answer was in the end of the song She is having fun " fun in the one thing Money can't buy " listen to it again stay blessed luv...
Even now, this album is the most creative imaginative masterpiece. You need to listen to the whole thing in one sitting and just sink into that world.
paul mccartney and george martin would disagree, they would say pet sounds by the beach boys
This one brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. So beautifully composed with the intersecting vocals of Paul explaining and John singing the parents point of view.
This entire album should be listened to all at once. Fabulous
Without a doubt, the saddest Beatles song ever. Still gets me teary eyed every time.
A very sad, but beautiful and melodic song. It's got such an interesting song structure, and wonderful lyrical interplay between the main and backing vocals representing the parents/daughter's point of view. One of their best.
A heartbreak of a song.
John Lennon provides the voice of the bereaved parents. The timbre of his double tracked vocal ,matches the message of his lyrics to perfection. Terrific reaction O P. Thanks so much for sharing, RNB
If u ever get to see the Beatles tribute band, RAIN, they're great. They did this song with a giant screen behind the stage showing the whole story. So cool.
John's vocals on this whole album were almost ethereal-like he was floating above it all (mildly chemically induced, no doubt), dropping in here and there to drop some magic. Like "lovely Rita, meter maid", "cellophane flowers .." and "what did we do that was wrong?" etc.
In June 1967, the Beatles Sgt Pepper and Doors one came out. Those two albums still rock my world,
They gave her everything except their time and attention. That's what she needed most of all.
That's only a small sample of the Beatles genius, so diverse, always evolving. Don't see that too often nowadays!
Never will Music ,such as this be composed.So glad I was born when i was ,The 60's 70's were the best
U said it brother. Im 62 goin on 63 in december, and the 60's and 70's music was the best! Remember Midnight Special and Don Kershners Rock Concert on T.V. on friday nights? Man, the weed was good back then too. Alcapulco Gold, Redbud, 714's. Ha.
Back then, there were a lot of young people leaving mom and dad to go pursue an idealistic life abounding with peace, love and understand. This song happened to coincide with this movement and resonate though Paul actually got the idea from something he'd read about a particular girl. He brought the song to the studio, John added a few things taking on the role of the despairing parents. The result was this disarming tear jerker. In the hands of lesser talents, this could have been indulgent pretension. These guys were always brilliant at avoiding that creative trap.
You have a very expressive face, Onyin, and this is one of the BEST reaction videos.
I've always fancied that the woman in the song 'Another Day' is the girl from this song a few years hence, when she's learned that the freedom she sought was not all it was cracked up to be.
I left home age 15, when Sgt Pepper's just came out. In my case it was parental abuse, not mere emotional neglect ("...fun is the one thing that money can't buy."), but no matter... It was the single best decision I ever made in my life, which has been pretty fantastic, and with tunes like this bolstering my youth!
Lennon's final "bye-bye" is so hauntingly beautiful.
Another masterpiece from the masters!
The Beatles were not individual top tier vocalists, but they were creative geniuses. And their harmonies came together to make such a distinctive sound that made up for any individual shortcomings. These guys made an unparalleled impact on popular music.
Vocalmente Paul es un genio
Beautiful reaction, you are a beautiful person.
This is masterpiece from The Beatles!
During the time when this was written, many young people were running away from home. It was extreme. In America, many traveled to San Francisco but it was happening in England too, for certain. I love Lennon's input in regards to the parents. So many cultures instill responsibility without tempering it with joy. My Father was quite rigid when growing up yet he would talk with me if I needed him. ( He also relaxed in a most delightful way in the last 3rd of his life and loved The Beatles!) 😽🎶
I'm listening in this moment and crying for my baby what leaving home
Beautiful song and beautiful woman reacting!
Fun is the one thing that money can't buy.
A lot of people argue that they are put off by that particular line --- they say it's because "FUN" CAN actually be brought and that Paul should have used the word "LOVE" or "HAPPINESS" instead (after all, hadn't he already used the former in "Can't Buy Me Love'?) I however beg to differ --- FUN is an aspect of HAPPINESS and even with all the money in the world, you cannot truly have FUN in life if you are not HAPPY --- I think they go hand in hand. Therefore, I think the lyrics of the song get it right, especially if you consider two very important things: (1) - the line is delivered by John Lennon who has been stating the parent's perspective throughout --- it is obvious that the parents believe (incorrectly or not) that they have given their daughter everything including LOVE (which tragically they believe Money can elicit), so it would make no sense for them to deliver that particular line in that way. (2) - And this is a more practical point from a songwriting perspective --- the 3 choices you had for that key word were FUN (which they used), LOVE (which would NOT have been appropriate and had already been used in an older song anyway) and finally, the third choice, HAPPINESS --- just try using that 3 syllable word in place of FUN and you'll see why it would not have worked musically. Hope I have made a case in defense of this often maligned lyric.
That is why the times when something is written is important. Yes, today many would sympathize with the parents providing everything that money could buy, but it did not buy her love. That is why she left, to find love. Of course, people at that time were just as much into material needs as today, but there was also a very strong movement to seek and find true meaning and love in life that is not as strong or not as apparent today.
This song is based on an actual runaway girl. Paul saw an article in the newspaper which inspired him to write this song. The lyrics said the parents did not know what they did wrong and gave her everything money could buy, but what was missing the whole time was them showing her love and understanding.
True Story: Paul wrote this after reading in a newspaper about a girl who ran away from home and that same girl won a prize on TV from a music show about the Beatles years before.
One of the most important lyrics was that she was having fun and fun is the one thing money can't buy.
I have watched a few of these reaction videos about this song. Thank you very much. It is thught provoking. Why did she leave home? The answer is in the last chorus. Fun is the one thing that money can't buy. Speaking for myself, my parents survived the great depresion of the 1930's. My father survived the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War Two. They were kind Christain hearted people. But they never knew me. They worked hard to accomplish much. But, they didn't know how to have fun.
Great reaction. Such a sad song where neither party is wrong. Unfortunately, children have to leave the nest at some point. It's strange but it matters not how old your children are - you still worry about them!!
Yeah but the implication is that she was a teenager, not college age, and she ran away from home
A domestic drama raised to the level of a Shakespearen Tragedy. A true work of genius.
Absolutely brilliant song. If anyone ever had any doubt as to who are the best writing team ever songs like this leaves zero doubt.
Gerswhin, the composer said, Lennon/ McCartney were the best song writers/ composers of the 20th century.
Key lines -"She's leaving home after living alone for so many years" and "Love is the only thing money can't buy"
Fun not Love
@@beatlebrian4404 And that line ("fun" -- just changing that word to "love" would be such an improvement IMO) almost ruins the lyrics of the whole song for me, even though for the most part I think it's one of the Beatles' best songs.
@@snicky58 iam sorry you feel that Way, but don't you think it would have been quite easy to use the word love? The girl obviously, had love in her home, but something else was missing and that was, adventure and fun!
@@beatlebrian4404 I thought about what you said and I think you have a really good point. I'm always open to changing my mind, thanks!
A spectacular musical achievement! Remember, these fellows were singing " Twist and Shout " a few years before. Leander's string arrangement is bliss!
Freedom is priceless.
Her parents gave her no love ( " she's leaving home AFTER LIVING ALONE for so many years "). Also, all the mother thinks about after reading the note is HERSELF! NOT HER DAUGHTER. The last verse - " she is having fun - something inside that was always denied for so many years ".
Yes, Melanie Coe, the girl who Paul based the song on, said in an interview for 'Rolling Stone' magazine, "I wanted excitement and affection. My mother wasn't affectionate at all, she never kissed me". Her father is quoted as saying, " I cannot imagine why she ran away. She has everything here. She is very keen on clothes but she left them all, even her fur coat!"
I MOSTLY agree with what you're saying, but think there's a bit more to it.
"How could she do this to me?" is definitely a self-centered comment. But, "Daddy our baby's gone" gives some insight. I've seen countless parents who seem to live in denial of the fact that their children aren't children any longer. It's instinctual for mammalian parents to protect their offspring while they are young and vulnerable. In the case of human development, that's an extremely long time. The habit of protecting the child from the dangers of the World become damned-near chiseled in stone, and can be difficult; and emotionally painful, to break. But eventually, protection becomes overprotection as the child cannot grow into full adulthood without learning to survive on its own. The child MUST leave; or stagnate, and the process can often be quite painful for ALL parties involved, because they actually DO love one another!
There was a term of those times known as "British reserve". It was a cultural matter that the British simply didn't show their emotions to the outside World. The fact that these parents didn't SHOW love and affection really doesn't say much as to how they felt inside. Different people show their love in different ways, which may not LOOK LIKE love to those unfamiliar with their ways. "Sacrificed all of our lives" and "We gave her everything money could buy" could very well be their way of showing their love, which their culture did not allow them to display as open affection. Was that a good thing? No, and songs such as this helped to point it out. But for parents who grew up around war, death, hunger, and destruction, supplying their child with safety and security was a far bigger deal than it is for those of us who have been born and lived in "The Long Peace".
I'm not trying to agree with the attitude of the mother in this song ... I just think that ; to some extent, the situation is unavoidable. Some handle it better than others, but even in the best of circumstances there is a touch of sadness mixed with the pride of your child growing up and setting out on his/her own. In my opinion a parent who fails to prepare their child for setting out on their own as an adult has failed as a parent. It doesn't appear to me that these parents did that ... they just didn't want to let go! Doesn't that show their love?
The lyrical age old story of a child leaving home for the 1st time, when they've come of age, but the parents are not emotionally prepared & begin to fear the worst; they did something wrong; they're @fault for this abrupt change to their world. Beautifully done. Lovely to see other's reactions, to see how well these artfully done compositions hold up over time. ♡■
Nothing beats good story telling.
Em minha opinião uma das dez músicas com a melodia mais bonitas da história da música.... absolutamente e definitivamente amazing...
Just watched your reaction again dear Pearl. Beautiful and honest. Loved your comments.
I'm more of an Elvis fan but there was one song I wish you would play it in future HEY JUDE keep up the good work you're doing a phenomenal job especially with your reactions👍
This song paints a picture like a scene in a mini drama we've come into part way through. Paul McCartney's lyrics leave many things to our own imaginations, but it's clear the parents have loved her in the way they thought was right. Although, having all your material needs provided for is not really enough, a child needs their parents time and attention, and some real enjoyment in their lives, clearly the daughter had never had that. I wouldn't judge the parent or the daughter characters, they're just different generations that sadly couldn't make the right connection. This was written in the 1960's, there was the flowering of a youth culture that had begun in the late1950's, and also young women becoming more independent and ambitious, and saw a chance for something other than settling for a domestic life straight away. The parents would have grown up in a Britain still recovering from World War 2, and their own parents had a Victorian upbringing and lived through The First World War. The daughter would have had none of the hardships and losses her parents and grandparents would have suffered, and only saw a fresh world of opportunity which she desperately wanted to be a part of. Apart from her frustration, we don't really hear from the daughters point of view. It would be nice to think she found love with her car salesman or mechanic and was eventually reconciled with her parents once they talked things through, but there could also be more tragedy if she had an unplanned child, or even maybe was never heard of again. Tragedy or love story? The appeal of the song is that you can imagine your own scenario.
"We gave her everything money could buy" but "fun is the one thing that money can't buy."
No connection.
The daughter leaves home "after living alone for so many years." The explanations are all in the lyrics. Still, it is written and sung so heartfelt that one also feels a lot of empathy and compassion for the parents, who just do not understand. As they probably never did understand who their daughter really was. A very gripping song.
Exactly. You described what the song is about perfectly and that's how I've always interpreted the song. I think it's so well written I'm not sure why people don't easily comprehend what the song is about. And it has a sad but very profound message to parents as well as children.
My father gave me this as my first album I ever owned, and I listened to it over and over, reading the lyrics in the liner when I was old enough to read--but before I could read, I always heard the lyrics as "LOVE is the one thing that money can't buy." To be honest, that little change made more sense than the original lyrics.
@@rikk319 Interesting. It can be a very personal thing though... I think that her parents might have given her love... but in a way that she could not enjoy it... but, as I said, it's open for interpretation.
A McCartney masterpiece. To quote an earlier Beatles song, money can't buy you love. The lyrics are beautiful and powerful, and very cleverly written. We see both the girl's side of the story and the parents' side, and we feel sympathy for both - but there are clues in what the parents say that they could buy their daughter happiness - which they couldn't - and there is definitely a subtext there that they were as angry at her "ungratefulness" as they were sad. The daughter may have been provided for with "anything money could buy", but throwing gifts at someone isn't the same as making them feel loved, fulfilled, or happy. The daughter was leaving to find a life of her own away from a loveless family.
You see the song exactly as I see it and there's no doubt that's exactly what Paul McCartney wanted us to get out of the song.
When the song was written in 1967, a lot of teenagers - especially in America - were running away from home to go be hippies in places like the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco. So, the song had a cultural relevance at the time.
Music inspires emotions. This one is sad and happy for the girl.
Shout out to all the Beatles across the world from India 🇮🇳 absolutely the greatest there was
I'm 66 year old dad and my 12 year old son went to his buddies house for a sleep over. I missed him so much. His presence is beautiful. I couldn't imagine if he just up and left for any reason.
"She's Leaving Home"...One of my favourite ever songs...Harmonies, CLARITY OF DELIVERY..and of course...an amazing story...just genius and beautiful x10
The lines....Daddy 'OUR babies gone....which then becomes...'How could she do this to me' where the mother becomes so 'internal, almost selfish...which shows the relationship she had with her daughter.....wow....just pure genius.
The mothers lack of awareness....expecting they know what their daughter needs and wants...and their ignorance of how she really feels...all about them and their pain. A lesson for any parent. Perfection personified.
AND...No needless 'middle Eight'!
One of my best ever favourites....Harmonies, clarity of delivery...and of course...an amazing story...just genius and beautiful x10
The lines....Daddy 'OUR babies gone....which then becomes...'How could she do this to me' where the mother becomes so self reflecting....wow....'Fun' "Something inside that was always denied for so many years" (Not out of malice but what the mother thought was love and protection... "just pure genius.
The mothers lack of awareness....expecting they know what their daughter needs and wants...and their ignorance of how she really feels...all about them and their pain. A lesson for any parent. Perfection personified.
Gave her everything money could buy….except love!
A hint to the reason she is leaving home may be found in the two contradictory lines:
"How can she do this to me?...
Never a thought for ourselves."
When people are in pain, their minds can become a little discombobulated.
I don't see a contradiction. I would take it that she always came first, up until this point when she turned her back on them, and it's the first time they have thought of themselves.
@@MrDiddyDee Sounds more like they worked hard and spent their time making money to buy her things, instead of spending time with her. You can make more money, but you can never make more time. A lot of the generation who grew up in the Depression saw money as safety, and after WW2, tried to provide every creature comfort for their children, the Baby Boomers. What we ended up with was the most self-important generation we've ever seen in this nation.
One thing that makes this song even more distressing if you think about when it was written is that there were NO cell phones to track. No glimmer of hoping she or he would maybe have that on. No cell ph to ping. No social media to possibly see a post of where they may be. You simply had to hope and pray a call was made from a phone booth, which, again, couldn't be traced unless there were preparations for such a call and then you had to pray they "stayed on the line" long enough to trace. The stress & worry was doubly hard to deal with....
this song along with For No One and Here There and Everywhere are 3 of my very favorite Beatles songs
heart wrenching.
A haunting song that hits at home
I've always related to the girl in the song. She felt suffocated at home, with all the parental over-caring. I moved out at age 19 and lived it up far away from home. This timeless song is so relatable!
So jealous.....At 67 years of age ive heard so many absolutely great songs....You have yet to discover them.. Great uninterrupted reaction vid
Hi Onyin Pearl I want to wish you and you’re family a wonderful 2023 I love you’re channel keep it great 😘😘
the one thing money can't buy LOVE
When one becomes a parent, songs like this change perspective drastically.
Brilliant songwriters...story tellers. No one comes close to them when it comes to the variety of topics they wrote songs about.
Great reaction, OP! Maybe they provided her everything she needed monetarily, but there was no love or respect? No freedom? Family can be very difficult.