“All You Need Is Love” was a number one single in mid-1967, becoming the unofficial hippie anthem for the Summer of Love, that brief time that ranks among the most optimistic periods in popular music and culture. It is to the Beatles’ credit that the song endures as a pop classic today, removed from its original context.
~Richie Unterberger (allmusic.com)
We kick off our countdown of The Beatles 40 best songs with “All You Need Is Love”.
Wikipedia:
“All You Need Is Love” is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first performed by the Beatles on Our World, the first live global television link. Watched by over 150 million in 26 countries, the program was broadcast via satellite on 25 June 1967. The BBC had commissioned the Beatles to write a song for the United Kingdom’s contribution.
“I don’t think it was written specially for it. But it was one of the songs we had. … It was certainly tailored to it once we had it. But I’ve got a feeling it was just one of John’s songs that was coming there. We went down to Olympic Studios in Barnes and recorded it and then it became the song they said, ‘Ah. This is the one we should use.’ I don’t actually think it was written for it.”
~Paul McCartney
Probably written ~100% by John Lennon.
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, loveThere’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easyNothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easyAll you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you needLove, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, loveAll you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Nothing you can know that isn’t known
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be
It’s easyAll you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you needAll you need is love (All together, now!)
All you need is love (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Yee-hai! (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)Yesterday (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Oh yeah! (Love is all you need)
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah (Love is all you need)
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah (Love is all you need)
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During the materialistic Eighties, this song’s tide was the butt of cynics, there being, obviously, any number of additional things needed to sustain life on earth. It should, perhaps, be pointed out that this record was not conceived as a blueprint for a successful career. ‘All you need is love’ is a transcendental statement, as true on its level as the principle of investment on the level of the stock exchange. In the Idealistic perspective of 1967 – the polar opposite of 1987 – its tide
makes perfect sense.
~Ian MacDonald (Revolution in the Head: The Beatles’ Records and the Sixties)
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Egil & Hallgeir:
To me, these “40 greatest” type lists are kinda boring per se… let’s face it: whether you are picking Beatles tunes, or basketball players or restaurants in NYC… there is going to be de facto universal agreement on a large percentage of the chosen top 40, and then a whole lot of “How could you not include ‘such-n’such’ … or how could you include that stupid song… etc. … for the remainder.
To me .. the better game would be: Pick a legitimate “40-Greatest” type list. Then ask people to come up with a top-10 list (or whatever) of songs that are favorites outside of that top-40 list. That’s where you would see some real diversity of taste and opinion.
Oh, we love lists!
…but they shouldn’t be taken too seriously, it is just a little game we play. We love much more than 40 Beatles songs of course, but we’ve tried to narrow it down to 40 essential tracks.
I think it’s a good idea to ask readers to submit their own list, and if they want to do it the way you describe (10 outside of our list) that would fine also.
Thanks for your comment!
– Hallgeir