The Beatles, particularly their main songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney, knew how to weave in some enigmatic and loaded lyrics into their music. This list of the five deepest lyrics from The Beatles’ songs is far from exhaustive. However, we think these tidbits from their biggest songs are some of the most underrated examples of stellar songwriting.
1. “The End”
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”
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“The End” is an iconic Beatles song with some of the deepest lyrics of their entire discography, namely because the band was basically writing their own epitaphs. The above lyric was McCartney’s contribution. It’s a Shakespearean, philosophical, and existential line that manages to be so simple at the same time.
2. “Strawberry Fields Forever”
“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see”
This lovely little poetic number from Magical Mystery Tour has a number of memorable lyrics, but we think the above line is sorely underrated. Lennon explored his childhood, mind state, depression, and loneliness in this song beautifully. This particular line notes that with all of his miseries, he can’t keep his eyes or heart closed to the reality of his feelings. They must be felt and understood instead of buried.
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3. “Hey Jude”
“And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain / Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders / For well, you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool / By making his world a little colder”
McCartney wrote this song for Lennon’s song Julian in the wake of his parents’ divorce. It’s enough to bring a tear to one’s eye, partly because it’s so relatable. With all of the burdens of being human in a harsh word, far too many people let their own personal miseries turn them into misery-makers themselves. These lyrics implore a young Julian (and all of us) to not make the world colder by being cruel.
4. “Blackbird”
“Blackbird singing in the dead of night / Take these broken wings and learn to fly / All your life /
You were only waiting for this moment to arise”
“Blackbird” is a fan favorite for a reason. It’s quite a tender, sweet song, but it’s also loaded with symbolism. McCartney was inspired by the civil rights movement going on in the United States in the late 60s. He wrote “Blackbird” as a message of support for black Americans who were struggling.
McCartney himself said that the song’s lyrics are speaking to black women specifically, as “bird” is a common English slang word for “woman”. If that’s the case, the above lyrics really are a hopeful message that even when we are broken down and struggling to survive in a society that sees us as inferior, we all have the strength and power inside of us to overcome it.
5. “Across The Universe”
“Words are flowing out / Like endless rain into a paper cup / They slither while they pass / They slip away across the universe”
It’s a little funny that Lennon came up with this line (and most of the song) while angry over a lack of sleep caused by the noisiness of his ex-wife. This song was likely inspired by the band’s time in India around 1968, as it paints a beautiful spiritual picture. The above line, in particular, notes the frivolousness of words in the grander scheme of time, space, and self.
Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive
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