Variations on a Theme: The Love Songs of the Beatles
International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, 28 (1):
37--62 (June 1997)ArticleType: primary\_article / Full publication date: Jun., 1997 / Copyright © 1997 Croatian Musicological Society.Abstract
Explorations and expressions of love have dominated the lyrical content of popular music for decades, to the extent that the love song can be said to be the archetypal pop song. A detailed division of "lovestyles" has been proposed by the psychologist John Alan Lee, who suggests that there are six distinct styles of loving. Through a consideration of the application of his typology to the lyrics of popular songs, it can be seen that the categories he has identified have relevance musically, as well as socially and emotionally. When these insights are employed in the analysis of songs written and performed by the Beatles, significant differences are seen in the approach to love between the group's earlier and later material. It is argued that these are not random variations, but indications of the ways in which their personal experiences and professional evolution were reflected in the nature of their music.