Monday 8 September 2014

A Little Song Review #2

Cry Baby Cry is a Lennon-McCartney composition (written by Lennon) from The Beatles' 1968 self-titled LP. I was first alerted to the song by a cover by Beady Eye for Absolute Radio. Liam Gallagher's snarl through the track intrigued me enough to listen to the original.

The track certainly has a more whispered quality than upon first listen. It opens with an acoustic guitar and Lennon's vocal, 'Cry baby cry, make your mother sigh,' as this chorus leads into the ambiguously written verse, telling us about the King and Queen of Marigold's lives.

The chorus kicks back in with drums and piano, leading into a just as ambiguously written verse about the Duchess of Kircaldy. Despite all the nonsense, there's something drawing, and convincingly serious about Lennon's lyrics. Maybe it's in the tone of the voice, or the imagery of a crying baby, but this is not just a song about nothing.

After another verse and chorus in similar vain, the song breaks down into an almost random to McCartney's vocal, 'Take me back.' Similar to the reprise in Strawberry Fields Forever, it catches you off guard, and adds to that often bonkers vibe that The Beatles so often give off.


Cry Baby Cry may not be a Beatles greatest hit, however it amuses and entertains me, and I hope it does to you too!





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