“Q - Did The Beatles get on each other’s nerves a lot? They were always so closely confined in their hotel rooms?“ "No. It was surprising. They always had a suite. George and Ringo stayed together in one room, and John and Paul in the other bedroom, and a big, big room in between.”
— Gary James’ Interview With The Beatles’ Road Manager Bob Bonis
puppy energy off the charts someone has to stop him
Hey can you tell me more about I Don't Know (Johnny, Johnny)? because there is very very little info about it online and the only source of the song i can listen to was a youtube video. Considering the excessive research of everything beatles by a fuckton of people, I'm surprised we don't know much about this. (because really, it it is what people say it is, it burned down all the mclennon doubts i had)
You’re right. This song was written around 1959/1960. The only audio we have, this one, is the recording of a rehearsal made in 1960 at Paul’s house.
Even if the recording is damaged and the sound is shitty the lyrics are quite easy to understand:
P- Well oh Johnny, oh Johnny, oh god Johnny boy
How are we gonna tell him
Why don’t we go somewhere where he don’t own me
Where can i go?
Oh Johnny boy you wore me out.
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny, oh Johnny boy
Oh Johnny, you got me, you be my boy
Well, a long time ago, I called you Johnny boy.
J- Hey little boy, I’m packing my shoes, and I’m leaving you.
I told my Mama I’m going to see my sister
She don’t see me, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
P- A long time ago I called you Johnny boy.
I don’t know what to tell the fellas.
Please, oh please, Johnny.
J- Well I’ll tell the fellas that I do love you.
P- I don’t know what I’m gonna do.
I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I tell my father
You love me Johnny, I love you Johnny
I’m not gonna let you go.
P- I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I tell my father
You wore me down, you wore me down.
You’re gonna leave, you’re gonna leave me
Please, oh, I’m not gonna let you go
J- Take the next bus out of town
Then you won’t let your father down.
I don’t know what good I am since I see life in front of us.
P- Well get out of town,
don’t hold me down.
I don’t care.
J- Get out of town,
I don’t know (3x)
I want to leave right now
To get out of town.
P- You know I want to do it all.
I want to go far away, far away,
I want to go far away.
J- No, no, no, no
P- Yeah, I’m going far away.
Yeah, we’re going far away.
We’re gonna leave.
J- We’re going away,
Yeah, we’re going away,
Gonna leave town right now.
This is one of the very first mclennon song, it’s very clear that they sing their desire to escape together: Paul is afraid of what his father might think of it cause he loves John:
and at 2:39 John replies:
Like, it’s so clear you don’t even need to investigate much about it, no metaphors, no double-meanings, it’s all SO SIMPLE AND EVIDENT, they’ re singing I LOVE YOU to each other, that’s it! And the song ends with both John and Paul singing that the only solution is to leave and go away from the town.
This song was never put in any Anthology, even if there’s another song of the same year, You’ll be mine, that has the same shitty audio (the same recording) but they decided to include it! “I don’t know (Johnny Johnny)” instead was never included, neither edited or cleaned, that’s why some people have doubted its veracity, because very few people have ever listened to it, and it’s considered rare. It’s such a pity they didn’t try to clean it a bit, but, i think WE ALL KNOW WHY. Can’t imagine this song listed in the Anthology, cleaned, a bit edited, and a random 40s old white man listening to it and exclaiming: “Wow! what a friendship!”
Happy B-Day, George!
(and happy super late b-day to yoko too ig)
Anon requested: Paul’s true love……MARTHA!!!!
Plus two facts taken from Beatlegirlsworld (great blog by the way. You should follow if you haven’t already).
Back in 2010, Yoko had a Q&A on Twitter, and it occurred to someone to ask her this, and she actually replied:
User: Hey Yoko! Do you believe in soulmates? John and Paul were most defenitely…dont you think so?
Yoko: Ask Paul.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20101109052459/http://imaginepeace.com/archives/12671
Sorry John, but George's looks and smiles are for his favorite Paulie.
Paul McCartney in Portugal, taken by Linda McCartney, 1968.
“you could be mine” at ritz theatre, 1991
The Beatles Anthology - Director’s Cut