Bad To Me

[Amalthea]

Well, I've had this bootleg for a year now - it was if not the first, about the first Beatles bootleg I've ever had - so I think I would have celebrated its birthday (http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif) with a thread about it.

I know this song has been officially sung by Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, but the Lennon demo is way better, in my opinion.

It's a plain acoustic piece, with just Johnny and his guitar. It starts with 5 chords that go along John voice, then it goes on with the normal folk guitar piece, with strophes and choruses and a solo riff in the middle.

The lyrics are simple, but at the same way they show the typical Lennoness, and with that I mean:
- the poetic imagines ([i]the leaves on the trees would be softly sighing[i] - isn't it a wonderful part? http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif),
- the attachment to love as the only force that reign over us and that can be felt even by the inanimate beings and that is the one thing that makes the whole life/world going on,
- the attention for nature and the bonds among all its habitants, so that if John is sad, then even the birds would be...

And well, that soft voice that we can hear all the song long... wonderful http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif

Just wanted to share my thoughts on this song, and in case someone doesn't own it, go and look for it, it's worth any time spent to find it, I promise.

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"Because there wasn't any reason left to keep it all inside"
- Paul McCartney, 1982

[joelcrowservo]

I agree, the demo is far superior to the actual record..well, one is Fab, one is Billy J. Is there any real competition? BTW, I always see this referred to as Johns demo. But there must be another Beatle on it, or else Dick James office had a multi track recorder. The lead guitar lines are much too smooth for John to have played, and beyond that, someones singing harmony! It wasnt Dick, I'm sure. But Paul or George? It could be either one. But seeing they were demoing a Lennon/McCartney song, you'd think it was Paul.

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Visit the Beatles experience that is The Walrus Was Crow at www.geocities.com/joelcrowservo (http://www.geocities.com/joelcrowservo)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ah Amalt, I love the John/Paul Bad To Me. Even though it's about a minute long, I'd still take it over Billy J.'s version anyday.

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"I wish I was like you, easily amused..."

[darkhorse]

Absolutely... that song is pure magic. http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif

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"Take my smile and my heart, they were yours from the start
The pieces to omit are mine" ~ George, 1987

[jtal909]

It's an absolutely beautiful song that the Beatles should have recorded.
Billy J's version is quite good as well but the Beatles could have made magic with it.

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"Why don't you say it in your famous James Mason impersonation?" www.billyshearsband.com (http://www.billyshearsband.com)

[Legs]

"the leaves on the trees would be softly sighing, if they knew from a breeze that you left me crying".
I like that part also, lifts the song up and gives it something extra.