After failing auditions, George Martin
Decided to take them on
Simply because they were funny.
Really? How does that translate into love songs making money?
Are comedians good musicians?
Perhaps. But these lads had failed auditions.
It turned out Martin was right. He knew
That humor is generally bold and smart,
Can tell a story, and humor hides a broken heart.
Humor also covers the hostility of rivalry
And transforms it into love. He could see
The fierce kidding of rivals, John and Paul,
Might be the impetus to conquer all.
Humor likes surprise, finds a way, is pliable.
Martin, knowing his own musicianship reliable,
Felt, with empathy, he might engineer
Success, with patience and a ruthless ear.
Finally, and this is perhaps the best
Advantage of humor: the studio is a test
Of patience as one produces a song,
Singing, playing, writing, recording can all go wrong.
Humor keeps one going between takes,
Between all the faking pop music makes.
“Do you want to hold a penis?” as they wait.
Time and work is important to make a band great,
“Do You Want To Know A Secret?” is heard
And loved. Not the 32nd take, but the 33rd,
And the engineer erased what didn’t sound right.
For George Martin it was a hard day’s night.
In the beginning, doubt. Love Me Do
Was Paul’s. Not bad. But they all knew
They had to do better. Nothing is easy.
John stepped up with Please Please Me
Because he knew he could do better than Paul.
“Last night I said these words to my girl,”
Had dramatic immediacy; John had won.
This song would be their first number one.
But George Martin—who made the prophecy
That it would be number one—with empathy,
Did not reject it, but increased the tempo,
And it all went well. Until humorless Yoko.