Despite the myriad of brilliant songwriting duos over the years, no one comes close in impact or significance to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Steering the journey of The Beatles, the pair of Liverpudlians changed the world, with the effects of their music still reverberating throughout life today, over 50 years since the band’s split.
While both brought considerably impressive efforts to the table, with Lennon writing hits such as ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and McCartney compositions such as ‘Yesterday’, together the duo formed a formidable partnership, which pulled music by the lapels into its kaleidoscopic future. Thanks to them, contemporary music is so compelling and committed to subversion. Taking from the attitude of the rock ‘n’ roll pioneers that galvanised their generation, Lennon and McCartney set a precedent with their increasingly experimental music.
Despite hitting such heights together, Lennon and McCartney were aware of the parameters of their talents. Even in the years since the acrimonious end of the Fab Four in 1970 – which mainly centred on the shortcomings of their relationship – the two would still agree on songs they weren’t happy with. While some of these accounts might have been used to send not-so-subtle digs at one another, the point remained: for Lennon and McCartney, some of their best-loved efforts were not as great as fans believed.
One song both men agreed on in the years following the split is ‘It’s Only Love’ from their fifth album, Help. In separate interviews, the pair would tear into the piece, with Lennon outlining his utter disdain for it and McCartney calling the track – written mainly by his old friend – “bland”.
“‘It’s Only Love’ is mine. I always thought it was a lousy song. The lyrics were abysmal. I always hated that song,” Lennon told David Sheff in 1980. “That’s the one song I really hate of mine. Terrible lyric.”
Following this, McCartney would explain how he and Lennon wouldn’t fight it if the lyrics were bland on “filler songs” such as the one in question. In a departure from Lennon’s account, he maintained that they weren’t bothered about it, as they knew they weren’t writing a piece of literature.
“Sometimes we didn’t fight it if the lyric came out rather bland on some of those filler songs like ‘It’s Only Love’,” McCartney told Barry Miles in Many Years From Now, “If a lyric was really bad we’d edit it, but we weren’t that fussy about it, because it’s only a rock ‘n’ roll song. I mean, this is not literature.”
While not as commercially successful as some of The Beatles’ bigger hits, ‘It’s Only Love’ endures as a showcase of their ability to convey emotional depth and vulnerability through their music. Despite criticism for the band, its introspective lyrics and understated melody continue to resonate with audiences, offering a glimpse into the band’s multifaceted exploration of love and relationships during a pivotal period in their career.
Listen to ‘It’s Only Love’ below.
