About the Book
The definitive book of Beatles songs, shown as first written by their own hands and put into authoritative context, for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America. For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime– songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been published before. More than 100 songs and lyrics are reproduced in ‘The Beatles Lyrics,’ providing Hunter Davies a unique platform to tell the story of the music. The intimacy of these reproductions– there are sections crossed out and rewritten, and words tossed into the final recordings that were never written down– ensures that ‘The Beatles Lyrics’ will be a treasure for musicians, scholars, and fans everywher
Book Synopsis
“Rich with insider authenticity…Gives us a glimpse into genius” the definitive book of Beatles songs, shown as first written by their own hands and put into authoritative context (Wall Street Journal).
For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime — songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been published before. More than 100 songs and lyrics are reproduced in The Beatles Lyrics, providing Hunter Davies a unique platform to tell the story of the music.
The intimacy of these reproductions — there are sections crossed out and rewritten, and words tossed into the final recordings that were never written down — ensures that The Beatles Lyrics will be a treasure for musicians, scholars, and fans everywhere.
“A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written.” —Christian Science Monitor
Review Quotes
“A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written.”–Christian Science Monitor
“A stunning collection.”–BookPage
“An unprecedented glimpse into the true genius of the band.”–Alan Petrucelli, Examiner.com
“Beatles expert Hunter Davies demonstrates that the Fab Four wrote their songs just about anywhere–many began as a scribble on the back of an envelope, on a napkin, or on hotel stationery. The collection reproduces more than one original manuscript, granting the reader an all-access look behind the music.”–Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Publishers Weekly
“Rich with insider authenticity. To paraphrase Walt Whitman, Mr. Davies was the man, he suffered, he was there…. The book itself-with Mr. Davies’s expert guidance-gives us a glimpse into genius. No better monument could mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in America, nothing, that is, short of coming up with a hitherto lost scrap of paper with a Beatles lyric on it, wittily doodled on.”–Alexander Theroux, Wall Street Journal
“This tome still finds some fresh ground to break and observations to make for diehard and casual fans alike, often derived from their handwritten words.”–Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press
A “chatty, knowledgeable, readable account of the back stories behind all the Beatles lyrics.”–The Seattle Times
About the Author
Hunter Davies is the author of over 40 books, including the New York Times bestseller The John Lennon Letters, and has written for The Guardian, New Statesman, and The Sunday Times. He is married to the novelist and biographer Margaret Forster, and they live in London.
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