SKU: 41248671537

Who Wrote the Beatle Songs?: A History of Lennon-McCartney

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Who Wrote the Beatle Songs?: A History of Lennon-McCartneyWho Wrote the Beatle Songs: A History of Lennon McCartney is a book in the tradition of Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions, Walter Everett's The Beatles as Musicians, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, and Tim Riley's Tell Me Why it surveys all of the songs by the Beatles. However, unlike those books, Who Wrote the Beatle Songs concentrates solely on songwriting. It also has a strong biographical element: I tell the fascinating story

Who Wrote the Beatle Songs: A History of Lennon-McCartney is a book in the tradition of Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions, Walter Everett's The Beatles as Musicians, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, and Tim Riley's Tell Me Why --it surveys all of the songs by the Beatles. However, unlike those books, Who Wrote the Beatle Songs concentrates solely on songwriting. It also has a strong biographical element: I tell the fascinating story of John Lennon and Paul McCartney as songwriters.

The Beatles are arguably the most influential group in the history of popular music, and the single most important element in their success was their songwriting. Unlike rock stars such as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, they were songwriters first and performers second. They have been widely misunderstood because the history of their songwriting has not been examined carefully. Setting aside the songs of Harrison and Starr at this time, all their songs were attributed to "Lennon-McCartney," which suggests 50-50 songwriting ownership, in the tradition of George and Ira Gershwin. In fact, most of the Beatle songs were dominated by Paul or by John, and some were written entirely by one or the other (such as John's "Across the Universe" or Paul's "Hey Jude").

After the Beatles breakup, Lennon and McCartney have given a number of interviews discussing who wrote which Beatle songs. Unfortunately, these interviews are often contradictory, a natural result of trying to remember events that took place many years (sometimes decades) earlier. John had a tendency to emphasize individual authorship in his interviews, while Paul frequently remembered collaboration (though often "finishing" collaboration, after one writer had substantially begun the song). To evaluate such complex, contradictory evidence, I've tried to use standard historical tools to come to a valid judgment on who wrote each Beatle song.

The result is the first comprehensive, detailed assessment of who wrote the Beatle songs. Every chapter is devoted to a Beatles album, and its attendant singles. I give a careful attribution for every song and tell the story of how it was written. Then I evaluate conflicts or unities in the evidence. So this book is full of great stories--how John wrote "She Said She Said" after he heard Peter Fonda tell of a near-death experience at a party with the Byrds in L.A.; how Paul wrote "Yesterday" in his sleep, then sang it for months with the lyrics "Scrambled eggs--Oh baby, how I love your legs"; how George's mother, Louise French Harrison, filled in a gap in "Piggies" with "What they need's a damn good whacking ".

When this survey is complete, we can draw conclusions about the individual songwriting talents of Paul, John and George, and can reject many widespread stereotypes about them. One clich is that John specialized in rock while Paul produced ballads. Actually, both of them wrote strong rock songs (like Paul's "Helter Skelter") and strong quiet songs (like John's "Goodnight"). Another common misapprehension is that the Beatles' best songs were based on close collaboration; actually, as these two songwriters progressed in maturity they wrote together less. Paradoxically, the songwriting flourished as the collaboration decreased.

John became increasingly interested in lyrics, while Paul was always obsessively devoted to music (though they both wrote great music and lyrics at times). Who Wrote the Beatle Songs will celebrate and give a wealth of insight into the idiosyncratic brilliance of both of the Beatles' two main songwriters.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Todd M. Compton
Published: 05/09/2017
ISBN: 9780998899725
Pages: 434
Weight: 1.64lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.94d
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SKU: 41248671537

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niresha allen
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Awesome
Organization is good fit for all my jewels
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2026
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lyric
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
So cutie
Color: Cloud White, Material Type: Paper, PU
This is a bit large for a travel size jewelry box lol I really thought it was going to be a bit smaller than what it was. I can see why some of the ladies in the comments are saying they’re using it as their main jewelry box since they don’t have much jewelry for a standard sized jewelry box. With that being said, it’s cute and CAN be small enough for travel. It fits a lot and I got this one in particular bc I like that it has a bigger lower compartment for larger pieces. It’s a nice quality travel jewelry box. It’ll fit my needs. But if you have a knack for packing small and you value space. I’d say skip on this one or do due diligence to double check the measurements to see if it’s something you’re okay with packing.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2026
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Deena M
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Good value
Color: Jelly Pink, Material Type: Paper, PU
This is a great jewelry box for travel or to just keep at home. Very stylish and holds more than it looks like it would.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2026
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Chavely
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
CUTE
Color: Cloud White, Material Type: Paper, PU
I absolutely love this jewelry organizer! The 2-layer design gives it plenty of space without being bulky, making it perfect for travel. I was able to neatly store my earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets without anything getting tangled. The interior is soft and protects my jewelry really well, and the compartments are thoughtfully designed to keep everything in place. The compact size fits easily in my suitcase or handbag, which is a huge plus. The cloud white color looks elegant and makes it feel like a great gift option too. Overall, it’s practical, stylish, and very convenient for keeping jewelry organized on the go. Highly
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Lisa T.
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
I bought myself one and this one was gift for a friend.
Color: Cloud White, Material Type: Paper, PU
Very classy travel jewelry box. Just the size. Made well.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2026

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