The Beatles might have broken up in 1970. But that didn’t stop them from writing songs about each other once they went their separate ways. There are enough of these tracks that you can make up a solid playlist of about a half-hour or so consisting of them.
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These songs ran the gamut from nostalgic to humorous to flat-out nasty. We counted six of them. Let’s rank them based purely on their musical effectiveness, without taking sides in the post-Beatles breakup wars.
6. “Early 1970” by Ringo Starr
“Early 1970” kind of spells out its problems within the lyrics, when Starr sings in the final verse about his musical limitations: I play guitar, A-D-E / I don’t play bass ’cause that’s too hard for me / I play the piano if it’s in C. Indeed, this song doesn’t do enough musically to be compelling. It’s also odd that he puts the verse about Paul McCartney first. It feels like the I wonder if he’ll play with me one-liner would work better as the song’s punch line. Still, there’s something charming about the whole track, if only because there’s no animosity.
5. “Dear Friend” by Paul McCartney
After they lobbed haymakers at each other in the press and took pot shots in song, McCartney decided to deliver a subtle olive branch to John Lennon in the form of “Dear Friend.” Found on the 1971 Wings album Wild Life, the song, like much of the record which contains it, is somewhat underwritten. There’s a nice melody here, and the sentiment is admirable. But still, one wishes “Dear Friend” made its point a bit less obliquely. Without knowing this was about the feud, this song just sort of floats away without making enough impact.
4. “How Do You Sleep?” by John Lennon
Legend has it that Allan Klein and Yoko Ono wrote more of this song (the lyrics, anyway) than Lennon did. Stories also abound that Ringo Starr was present and tried to get Lennon to rein it in a bit (which might have worked, since there were unused lyrics that were even harsher). What saves “How Do You Sleep?” from seeming like just an act of pettiness is the quality of Lennon’s vocal. You can hear vividly the indignation and fury that he clearly felt when McCartney struck the first blow in the musical wars with the No. 2 song on this list, and those emotions stick with you.
3. “Sue Me, Sue You Blues” by George Harrison
George Harrison always seemed a bit more clear-eyed about his former band and their various entanglements than the other members. In this track, which eventually surfaced on his 1973 album Living in the Material World (he had written it a few years earlier), he subtly admits that he’s just as much to blame, as one of the four trying to solve problems with lawsuits instead of sitting down talking about it. The recording benefits from a typically impressive group of Harrison sidemen (Nicky Hopkins, Gary Wright, Klaus Voorman, and Jim Keltner), while Harrison’s gallows humor is very welcome.
2. “Too Many People” by Paul McCartney
Remember that we’re judging these based on song quality. Thus, even if you believe McCartney was jerky for throwing the first musical brick at Lennon, you can’t deny he was firing on all artistic cylinders. The melody is typically strong, and the arrangement does a great job of heightening the drama. For all the targeted insults on “How Do You Sleep?” is there any that’s quite as cutting as You took your lucky break and broke it two? Also, by staying away from specifics, McCartney allows listeners the chance to insert their own enemies and get a cathartic jolt.
1. “Run of the Mill” by George Harrison
Again, here’s Harrison delivering something even-handed, even tender, about the tension among the ex-Beatles. In this case, he directs the song toward McCartney, whom you’ll remember was all alone on an island in these wars because he wouldn’t align with manager Allan Klein. Harrison keeps things relatively non-specific, which means anyone can relate to a song about being frustrated with an acquaintance’s actions while putting the ball in their court for a potential reconciliation (It’s you that decides). The lines You’ve got me wondering how I lost your friendship / But I see it in your eyes touchingly depicts the human damage done during this rock and roll cold war.
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Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
