I realized something on Saturday afternoon as I was waxing my car and listening to the radio: “I Am the Walrus” is quite possibly the most aggravating song ever recorded. Yes, even more so than Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” The nonsensical, deliberately inscrutable lyrics, delivered by John Lennon in a voice that is simultaneously high-pitched, yet whiskey-raspy (two qualities which, combined, suggest to me the way Mickey Mouse might sound if he’d just smoked several bowls of particularly harsh ganja), and set to a plodding, mechanical beat… well, let’s just say that the overall effect of the song is to set my teeth on a razor-thin edge.
In fact, when I’m really honest with myself, I have to admit that I really don’t like The Beatles that much at all. Oh, I can’t deny that they were historically significant, or that they influenced countless bands that followed, or that they did a handful of songs that only a completely joyless churl could criticize — “Yesterday,” “Norweigian Wood,” and “Here Comes the Sun” are genuinely wonderful — but, generally speaking, they just don’t do much for me. I can’t recall the last time I landed on one of their songs on the radio and happily stayed there without surfing on in search of something I preferred.
And as long as I’m revealing the depths of my philistinism, what the heck is the big deal about U2? Yeah, “Where the Streets Have No Name” is a great song, but why do so many people seem to think listening to this band is akin to communing with Buddha himself? I just don’t get it…
Gasp . . . someone . . . remove . . . knife . . . from . . . my . . . back . . .
Somehow I knew that would your reaction, Robert… sorry…
I’ve been saying this stuff for years. Oddly enough “Here Comes the Sun” is my favorite song of all time. One of my earliest memories is standing with my nose over the console record player making my oldest brother play the song over and over. But, I don’t like the Beatles. I never have. U2 is probably the second most overrated band in history. And while I’m at it Elvis sucks. Never could understand a word that man sang. He’s not even that good looking. Blah.
I don’t get the Beatles or U2. But then again, I watch American Idol, so I may not be qualified to say who rocks and who doesn’t.
I really think so much of this sort of thing depends on what you were exposed to growing up. My mom was an Elvis fan, so I have a lot of positive associations with him (even though I wouldn’t call myself a fan), but she disliked late-60s music in general, so I never heard The Beatles until I was older, and I never developed any deep love for them.
In addition, there’s a question of context. I personally don’t think ’60s music has aged all that well, for the most part, and The Beatles music that sounds the most “sixties-ish” — i.e., drug-inspired and/or influenced — is the stuff I like the least.
And there’s that whole matter of “whatever floats your boat.” Some music simply doesn’t speak to some people; some of it annoys you on a physical level for reasons you really can’t explain. Like “I Am the Walrus.”