As a songwriter, it’s not always simple to determine which songs are good and which ones are bad. Most musicians write all the time and then struggle to decide which songs will make the biggest impact on the album. This is in contrast to artists who spend hours upon hours at their instruments in the hopes that something truly amazing will come out. Paul McCartney insisted he and John Lennon never had a dull moment recording “Here There and Everywhere.” Despite that, he knew he had a hit song.
However, Lennon and McCartney could have easily continued to make rock music for the rest of their lives and continue to be remembered if they had chosen to. They were at the forefront of the genre because of their role as representatives of the British Invasion. When they made Rubber Soul, their audacious experimentation with folk music elevated them above all of their contemporaries.
But if that demonstrated the efficacy of experimentation, Revolver represented the swan dive into uncharted territory from which they would never emerge. Although listening to “Norwegian Wood” might have seemed strange at first, the endearing moptops had transformed into art-rock weirdos. They were eager to explore the most outrageous ideas without any boundaries.
Did they wish to compose a funk song addressing contemporary social issues? They penned “Taxman.” Did McCartney wish to embrace his romantic side? He composed “For No One.” In “Tomorrow Never Knows,” Lennon offers a psychedelic interpretation of reincarnation. Would this turn off people? Simply take it and run with it, doesn’t it?
While the album has a variety of moods depending on the song you’re listening to, McCartney’s “Here There and Everywhere” gets straight to the point. This is perhaps one of McCartney’s most intriguing melodies. It straddles the line between a straightforward ballad and the kind of tune that wouldn’t sound out of place in a jazz song. The arrangement is adorned with a few overdubs and the occasional guitar break.
Before he was even done, Paul McCartney commented, “Sometimes when you write a thing you think, ‘Oh, this is good,’ and it’s not a modesty or an immodesty thing, you just…,” expressing his attraction to the song’s melodic sensibility. It’s the same with anything; you just realise that you’re hitting a streak when you write a piece. I’m starting to get the hang of this; it’s good. Certain parts are superior to others. That one was good for me since I thought the melody and structure worked well together.
However, “Here There and Everywhere” achieved its greatest honour by becoming one of the rare McCartney songs to accomplish the seemingly impossible: receiving a genuine compliment from John Lennon. Working between sessions, Lennon declared it to be one of McCartney’s best melodies. He described it as if he were witnessing his partner gradually blossom into a seasoned songwriting pro.
Most musicians have to put in a lot of work to make their songs sound this good. McCartney’s hours in front of the guitar were what brought him to this point. This is the moment when, after all that time spent honing his craft, a miraculous song appeared to him.
