Lennon & McCartney debate.

Years ago, in a college paper, I tried to argue that the lyrics of Lennon and McCartney were as important, cuturally and in terms of literature, as many of Britain's famous writers/poets past or present.

The guy who marked my paper wasn't impressed. He asserted that something that was regarded as 'youth culture' (Lennon & McCartney) had no place in the realms of 'high' literature or culture. I totally disagree. What are your views on this.....?

I do not know what the guy who graded
your paper was thinking. But did not the
Beatles, change rock n roll history. The
First records put out by them were a lot
of cover songs and original love songs.
I think it was 1967 the Beatles changed
rock n roll again. By writing longer songs
with deep meaning behind them. Not your
two minute love songs, and by adding and
dubbing in the Orchestra.

Paul has always written love songs, whereas
John started writing about current and changing
free thinking of the youth at that time. Like
Strawberry Fields and Yellow Submarine. The
Double White album has lots of deep meaning
in it. Paul’s “Let it Be” song was one of their
biggest songs ever, and has lots of meaning.

After the Beatles broke up, I think John’s
music was nothing but written with deep
great meaning behind them. George’s first
solo album “All Things Must Past” gives
great spiritual meaning in it.

“All You Need is Love” by John
“Here Comes the Sun” by George
“Let it Be” by Paul
If you can not hear great meaning in
these few songs of many they wrote,
I think your brain dead!

The Beatles influence surely affected
the music industry by production and
writing songs not just two minute love
songs, but deeper thinking and with
more influence then ever before. So
culturally and in terms of literature
they altered both in the music industry.

That is my opinion, I agree with you Mel,
Peace.

I guess that what I was getting at in the paper I submitted was the 'literariness' of some of their songs:

'Blackbird' alluded to the 'Black-Power' movement.

'Across the Universe' was spiritual and rich in language: 'thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox' etc.

'A Day in the Life' was Postmodern.

'Lucy in the Skies' was rich in imagery.

What I'm suggesting, is that you can prize open these songs/lyrics and discover something about the period/mood in which the work was produced. Also the mind has to work at many levels to achieve this. Isn't that what literature does?

I'm talking post 1964 Lennon & McCartney compositions and not the earlier stuff.