Songwriting is not a talent that one is born with. It’s about trying to get better over time and creating music with a strong message; most people need years before they finally figure out how to write songs that resonate with them. Even though Stevie Nicks knew she wanted to write music since she was a young child, it wasn’t until she heard The Beatles that she received the proper direction.
Over the majority of her public career, relationships have been the subject of half of Nicks’ best songs. Nothing was off limits with Nicks as long as she could veil it all with a melody, whether it was the tender songs she wrote during her solo career or the bitter side of love that populated the majority of Rumours.
Nonetheless, The Beatles are essentially the starting point for anyone wishing to compose love songs. Although love ballads had been written by rock songwriters before them, such as Buddy Holly, Nicks realised that she had connected with the album Help! somehow. Not only was this the soundtrack to the film of the same name. However, it was also the band’s most laid-back collection of songs to date.
Although obviously tired of Beatles for Sale and having experienced Beatlemania, listening to Lennon’s songs like “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” involved more than just young love. This addressed what happens when people around you lack preparation for that level of commitment.
Harrison’s early attempts at songwriting paled in comparison to works like “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” The song “I Need You,” features Harrison pleading with his lover not to leave him for another. It may be the most melancholy one the Fab Four wrote at the time. Meanwhile, some might view “You Like Me Too Much” as a bit of filler.
For Stevie Nicks, listening to Help! was like having these wise elders who weren’t that much older than me. That gave you all the information about what love is. While most people saw a decent movie soundtrack, Nicks saw a manual for writing her own melodic confessions. She told Rolling Stone this. It was similar to learning how to write songs from four excellent teachers.
Many of the paths The Beatles blazed on the previous album still figure in Nicks’ songwriting today. They would go even farther into adult territory on Rubber Soul. Since everything is kept fairly universal, Nicks’ songs—especially her more tragic love songs like “Edge of Seventeen” or “Landslide“—work so well. They strike a balance between being sincere and heartbroken on half of the track list.
Any musician attempting to emulate The Beatles has improved as a songwriter as a result. They didn’t consider everything they did great, nor aimed to be the world’s best songwriters. But if you examine how they combined songwriting and music, you will likely be able to understand why so many people regard them as towering musical gods of today.
