Infernal Ramblings
A Malaysian Perspective on Politics, Society and Economics

Song - Real Love

Written by johnleemk on 11:20:27 am May 3, 2005.
Categories:


  • Lyrics10 out of 10

  • Melody10 out of 10

  • Clarity8 out of 10

  • Instruments10 out of 10


My first review of a song ever. "Real Love" was recorded by the Beatles around the mid-90s, using an original tape made by John Lennon before his death. If you don't know who the Beatles or John Lennon are, Wikipedia or Google is quite handy for this. This song appears on the Beatles' Anthology 2 album, and was also released as a single in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Now, I find this song to be quite underrated; Salon.com's review, for example, declares it "may not rank with such masterpieces as 'Penny Lane'". The charts also agree with this assessment; in the UK, it peaked at #4, while in the US, "Real Love" never got higher than #11.

Even so, this seems to be a bit of a closet favourite in the hearts of some Beatles fans out there. A straw poll on beatles-discography.com's forum indicates perhaps 3 out of 15 voters named this as their favourite song. Not bad considering this is one out of 200 possible choices.

Alright, I'll cut to the chase. This is my favourite song of all time. In my opinion, it's the best Beatles song ever, and indeed, the best song ever devised by human beings in the past century.

I'll start with the lyrics, since that's what really hooked me on this song. You can find them (with a brief history) here. You can hit the end key on your keyboard to view the lyrics if you're lazy like I am. The lyrics are deceptively simple, yet quite possibly the most meaningful of a love song that I've ever seen. Here's a couple of lines, for example, that I really love: "From this moment on I know / exactly where my life will go / Seems that all I really was doing was waiting for love / Don't need to be afraid / No need to be afraid / It's real love, it's real". To me, the song depicts exactly what real love is like, even though I don't think I've ever experienced it before. It just sounds so... real.

The melody and tune are perfect as well. I can't think of a better tune the Beatles have ever invented. Catchier, of course, many more catchy tunes have been spawned from the Lennon/McCartney partnership, but better? I don't think so. It's just...brilliant. Words cannot describe it.

However, I found the sound clarity to be a bit lacking. John Lennon's vocals are a bit unclear at points (and my mother tells me she has no idea what any of the lyrics are saying). Even so, this doesn't detract much from the overall beauty of the song.

The instruments are one thing I shouldn't forget either; I love them. The drumming fits nicely with the guitar fills, and when you turn the volume really high, their richness is quite overpowering.

All in all, a nice medium-paced love song. I'm not sure of my qualifications for this or whether the Beatles should take this as a compliment or an insult, but this song gets two thumbs-up from me. A real gem that's frequently underrated and overlooked.


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Related comments from forum thread "Quotes from music":
johnleemk
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Posted at 11:55:09 am Sep 22, 2005
Since a lot of us here clearly enjoy music, it might be interesting to see some our favourite quotes from songs.

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see." - The Beatles in "Strawberry Fields Forever"

"Life is what happens while you're making other plans." - John Lennon in "Beautiful Boy" (I don't like this song, but the quote sounds good)

"Spending our lives together, man and wife together, world without end, world without end." - John Lennon in "Grow Old With Me" (I want this song played at my wedding if I ever get married)

"You say you'll change the constitution, well, you know, we all want to change your head. You tell me it's the institution, well, you know, you better free your mind instead." - The Beatles in "Revolution" (don't confuse this with the inferior album track titled "Revolution 1"

"Somewhere in her smile, she knows, that I don't need no other lover. Something in her style that shows me, I don't want to leave her now, you know I believe and how." - The Beatles in "Something" (a good song, but sometimes overrated IMO)

"There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed. Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments, with lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living, in my life, I've loved them all." - The Beatles in "In My Life" (one of the best songs ever)

"From this moment onward I know, exactly where my life will go. Seems that all I really was doing, was waiting for love." - The Beatles in "Real Love" (my favourite song)
Last five replies (3 comments not shown):
Vamp
Flamer
Administrator
Posts: 456
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Posted at 11:54:56 am Sep 24, 2005
Omg its him!
Becky oh my freaking god is eminem!

I swear to freaking god,
Dude you freaking rock,
Please marshal please,
Let me suck your cock.

Eminem - my band
Nuitari
Member
Posts: 224
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Posted at 12:47:37 am Sep 25, 2005
Geadelt ist wer Schmerzen kennt
vom Feuer das in Lust verbrennt
Ein Funkenstoß
in ihren Schoß
Ein heißer Schrei

Whoever knows pain is raised
from the fire that burns in desire
A sparking thrust
into her womb
A hot cry
(translation)

Rammstein ~feur frei~

Broken this fragile thing now
And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces
And I've thrown my words all around
But I can't, I can't give you a reason

I feel so broken up (so broken up)
And I give up (I give up)
I just want to tell you so you know

Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you
You are my only one
I let go, but there's just no one that gets me like you
You are my only, my only one

Made my mistakes, let you down
And I can't, I can't hold on for too long
Ran my whole life in the ground
And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone

only 1 yellow card

(You know there is two sides to every story)

See I don't know why you cryin' like a bi***
Talkin' s*** like a snitch
Why you write a song 'bout me
If you really didn't care
You wouldn't wanna share
Tellin' everybody just how you feel

F*** what I did was your fault somehow
F*** the presents, I threw all that s*** out
F*** all the cryin' it didn't mean jack
Well guess what yo, f*** you right back

F*** what I did was your fault somehow
F*** the presents, I threw all that s*** out
F*** all the cryin' it didn't mean jack
Well guess what yo, f*** you right back

You thought you could really make me moan
I had better sex all alone (ha ha ha ha)
I had to turn to your friend
Now you want me to come back
You must be smokin' crack
Im goin' else where and thats a fact

F*** all those nights I moaned real loud
F*** it, I faked it, aren't you proud
F*** all those nights you thought you broke my back
Well guess what yo, your sex was wack

F*** all those nights I moaned real loud
F*** it, I faked it, aren't you proud
F*** all those nights you thought you broke my back
Well guess what yo, your sex was wack

f*** u right back ~franke
Reubinho
Official Sports Writer
Member
Posts: 264
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Posted at 1:39:10 pm Sep 26, 2005
Whoa oh oh
Ooh hooh
No No No

[Verse 1:]
See, I dont know why I liked you so much
I gave you all, of my trust
I told you, I loved you, now thats all down the drain
Ya put me through pain, I wanna let u know how I feel

[Chorus:]
F*** what I said it dont mean s*** now
F*** the presents might as well throw em out
F*** all those kisses, they didn't mean jack
F*** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

F*** what I said it dont mean s*** now
F*** the presents might as well throw em out
F*** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
F*** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

[Verse 2:]
You thought, you could
Keep this s*** from me, yeah
Ya burnt bi***, I heard the story
Ya played me, ya even gave him head
Now ya askin for me back
Ya just another act, look elsewhere
Cuz ya done with me

F*** what I said it dont mean s*** now
F*** the presents might as well throw em out
F*** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
F*** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

F*** what I said it dont mean s*** now
F*** the presents might as well throw em out
F*** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
F*** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah

Ya questioned, did I care
You could ask anyone, I even said
Ya were my great one
Now its, over, but I do admit I'm sad.
It hurts real bad, I cant sweat that, cuz I loved a hoe

F*** what I said it dont mean s*** now
F*** the presents might as well throw em out
F*** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
F*** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
[Until the end]

The song which was titled F*** It (I Don't Want You Back) by Eamon which provoked his ex, Frankee to write dat song.

Both sides seemed 2 gain from dis. Frankee got back at Eamon n Eamon made sum quick cash coz Frankee had 2 pay Eamon royalty (Frankee's song is similar 2 Eamon's).
johnleemk
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Head Administrator
Posts: 949
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Posted at 10:27:01 am Sep 28, 2005
Words are flowing out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

- The Beatles, "Across the Universe"

(The part about words flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup was written after John Lennon got pissed off with his wife bugging him.)
johnleemk
Infernally Rambling Thoughtless Mind
Head Administrator
Posts: 949
IP Logged
Posted at 9:14:47 am Oct 4, 2005
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.
So you think you can love me and leave me to die.
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.

Nothing really matters, Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.

- Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody".

You have to listen to the song to really appreciate the lyrics. The context in which they appear and the backing tune are beautiful.


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