4 Beatles Songs That Put the Focus on Specific Occupations

In their earliest recordings, The Beatles focused on the most common of all song topics: love. But as time progressed, they started to move away from that idea. On occasion, they penned songs that highlighted different occupations.

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Sometimes, they took a benign look at these particular jobs. And, in one notable exception, they cast a job in a very bad light. Here are four Beatles tracks that are all about the work being done.

“Paperback Writer”

By the time they recorded “Paperback Writer” for release as a single in 1966, The Beatles had surpassed all expectations for just how successful a rock and roll act could be. And yet, in this song, Paul McCartney gets to the heart of what it feels like to be a frustrated artist. After all, at one point, the Fab Four had been in that boat. They failed auditions, and record companies turned them away. McCartney’s would-be author tries everything to get someone, anyone, to take a look at his work. He’s not at all set in his ways and offers the malleability to change the book around if need be. By the end, he sounds a little desperate. That feeling should be familiar to anyone else looking to peddle their life’s work.

“Taxman”

When George Harrison sings in Taxman, “There’s one for you, nineteen for me,” you might think that he chose those words because they sounded good and/or fit the meter. And they do. But they also represent the actual level of taxation that The Beatles faced in their native Great Britain. It says something about the group dynamic that Harrison, who had written precious few songs for the group to that point, was the first Beatle to write a song you might characterize as “complaining.” He pulled it off with wicked humor, aided by John Lennon’s assistance on a few lines. Even when we shuffle off this mortal coil, the “Taxman” is waiting for us, insist the Fab Four on one of their most biting tracks.

“Penny Lane”

John Lennon and Paul McCartney originally thought they’d write an album based on childhood remembrances for 1967. That idea fell by the wayside in favor of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. But the remnants of it could be found in the “Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” single that kicked off the year’s releases for the band. In the case of “Penny Lane”, McCartney looked back to a particularly bustling Liverpool street. He touches on all the different workers going about their day in this location. That includes a proud barber, a mocked banker, a daydreaming nurse, and a frantic fireman. All come together in the end of this charming slice of life.

“Lovely Rita”

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band gained notoriety for the forward-thinking nature of its music and its ambitious packaging. But at its heart, it’s an album filled with the stories of everyday people. “Lovely Rita” tells the tale of somebody trying to drum up the courage to ask a girl out. In a bit of a twist, at least for the era, it’s the girl who’s the professional in this couple. This meter maid goes about her business, originally unaware of the guy spying on her from a distance. That’s because she’s too busy tending to her work. Later, when they do go out for a date, she ends up paying for the bill. We don’t know how much she enjoyed the date, even though the guy sounds hopeful by the end of the song.

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