I was watching Paul McCartney on Steven Colbert’s show. They were discussing the fact that virtually every singer of note, from anywhere within a few decades of Paul’s generation, has covered his song ‘Yesterday’. The list includes Sinatra, Elvis, and Marvin Gaye (he liked Marvin’s the best – listen below).
But Paul said Sinatra, Elvis, and Marvin all made the same mistake in his lyric.
Paul wrote:
I said something wrong
Now I long for Yesterday
Sinatra, Elvis, and Marvin all sang:
I must’ve said something wrong
Now I long for Yesterday
Paul’s comment: “They’re not owning up! ‘I must’ve… I don’t know… Search me’…”
I loved this! Why is Paul’s original lyric better? (Other than it probably sings better.) Because it takes a strong position, which is almost always better in a lyric than equivocating. Taking clear responsibility (in the song) has more attitude and personality.
Unless you’re trying to portray a mealy-mouthed weasel (“I must’ve said something wrong”), which in some songs you may well want to do, ‘fessing up shows more character and makes for a punchier lyric (it often works in life too…).
I review my lyrics as I work on them to ask myself if I’m taking what I call the ’strongest position’, narratively speaking, that the song can handle. Am I backing off or letting my personal discomfort get in the way of a juicier lyric? Am I using as powerful a narrative point of view as I can? Am I bringing stakes to bear that are as high as possible in this song’s reality?
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think Sir Paul was pointing in that same direction.
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Marvin doesn’t sing the melody, which is probably the most notable feature of the song, either. 🙂
Ha! Melody… McCartney… whatever…
Good to hear from you, John!
TC
Interesting! Like you, I try to use the most accurate word/wording possible to #1 avoid getting too chatty and #2 to convey exactly what I mean to in the song. Using “I must’ve said” instead of “I said” definitely conveys different perspectives. One sounds like “I don’t know if it was my fault but maybe, probably it was kinda your fault…” Whereas Paul’s lyric says it plain and simply, “I was definitely the bonehead here.”
As always, interesting post!
Thank you, Liz!
Best wishes,
Tony
Mr. Gaye’s version is my favorite, as well, but I’m a fan, so there’s that. But tho Paul does make a valid point, Liz’s post above makes perfect sense.
Thanks for reading and writing!
Best wishes,
Tony
Listening to Marvin’s voicings and timing I dont think he’s trying to misrepresent the narative of the song rather adding a drama that perhaps is typical of his style. In any event it’s what all great singers do when the cover someone else’s material. Pay tribute to the song by not straying from the musical intent but make it your own. Otherwise you’re simply signing it like the original artist..and that’s already been done.
Kam,
Totally agree that Marvin did the only way he could, as only he could – his way.
Thanks,
TC
I prefer “must’ve said.” Yes, the original is stronger. But it’s human nature to side step responsibility, to make ourselves look better even when we are wrong. “Must’ve said” makes the singer more human and makes me more sympathetic to his situation. “I said” is stating a fact, it’s relating a resignation to the situation. I prefer the doubt in the covers.
T.C.,
You got it!
Thanks for reading and writing,
Tony
Great observation. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, JT. My pleasure!
Tony
I’m wondering if Sinatra, Presley and Gaye were the type who couldn’t admit error. So they can’t come out and say, “I screwed up.” Instead, they say, “I must’ve screwed up, but there’s every possibility I didn’t and it was actually her fault.” The song’s protagonist has finally become self-aware and sees things clearly, and that is why he longs for yesterday. If you say “must’ve,” the longing is fake.
Also, don’t we have to consider author intent? It would be like getting up to do a dramatic reading from Shakespeare, and changing a few words you didn’t like.
For better or worse, actors and directors do that!
These changes probably fall more into the category of an ‘ad lib’… pretty common. Whether there was conscious intention, or whether it just felt better to sing their way, I don’t think we’ll ever know.
Thanks!
Tony
I can see the point about it perhaps being an ad lib, but were I a betting man, I’d say it was intentional with Sinatra — not because of his psychological makeup, but because he was, at the end of the day, a craftsman whose phrasing was exact. He made it look easy, but when you examine his singing (and I admit I’m no vocal expert) up close, every word was right where it had to be.
And, yeah, when you’re at that level, you’re performing, like an actor. The song is a role.
Thanks, David!