Liberal Arts Blog — I Want To Hold Your Hand” and the Miracle Year of 1964
By: John Muresianu
Tags: Liberal Arts Blog, Beatles, Songs, Music

Liberal Arts Blog — I Want To Hold Your Hand” and the Miracle Year of 1964 John Muresianu Jun 17·4 min read

Liberal Arts Blog — Thursday is the Joy of Music Day

Today’s Topic: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (1963) and the Miracle Year of 1964

This song was the Beatles’ first number one hit in the US, launched the British invasion, and changed musical history. It was the first of seven number one hits for the band in the calendar year 1964! Will any band or artist ever match that string? Highly unlikely. It’s like Nadal’s fourteen French Open victories. Untouchable. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.

The Beatles — I Want To Hold Your Hand — Performed Live On The Ed Sullivan Show 2/9/64

IF YOU HAVE NOT CLICKED ON THE ABOVE LINK, DO SO NOW

1. Notice the facial expressions of each Beatle.

2. Notice the three different guitar shapes.

3. Notice the hair, the ties, the feet.

NB: Notice the position of Ringo and George. Notice the audience. Live, Ed Sullivan show, 2/9/21.

“THE MOST JOYOUS THREE MINUTES IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN NOISE”

1. Bob Dylan: “They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid.”

2. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys: “I flipped. It was like a shock went through my system … I immediately knew that everything had changed”

3. “The Beatles left behind more great music than anybody can process in a lifetime … Just check out “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which explodes out of the speakers with the most passionate singing, drumming, lyrics, guitars, and girl-crazy howls ever — it’s no insult to the Beatles to say they never topped this song because nobody else has either … It’s the most joyous three minutes in the history of human noise.” (Rob Sheffield, The Rolling Stone Album Guide, 2004)

LYRICS — note that many people hear “I get high” instead of “I can’t hide”

1. Oh yeah, I’ll tell you somethin’ I think you’ll understand When I say that somethin’

I want to hold your hand I want to hold your hand I want to hold your hand

2. Oh please, say to me You’ll let me be your man And please, say to me

You’ll let me hold your hand You’ll let me hold your hand I want to hold your hand

3. And when I touch you I feel happy inside It’s such a feelin’ that my love

I can’t hide I can’t hide I can’t hide

NB: Yeah, you got that somethin’ I think you’ll understand When I say that somethin’ I want to hold your hand I want to hold your hand I want to hold your hand

SEVEN #1 HITS OF 1964 IN THE US — All co-written by Lennon and McCartney

1. “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, “She Loves You”, “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

2. “Love Me Do” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “I Feel Fine”

3. “Eight Days A Week”

FOOTNOTES — instructional video, greatest artists of all time, ordering the Beatles

1. The second and third links are the best instructional videos I could find for how to play “I want to Hold Your Hand” on guitar. They might even be illuminating for non-guitarists.

2. The Beatles led Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ahead of: Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, and Jimi Hendrix…(see fifth link below)

3. The standard ordering of the Beatles is: Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Ringo. This is not random. Lennon formed “The Quarrymen” in 1956. McCartney joined in 1957. Harrison in 1958. The band became the Beatles in 1960. Ringo joined in 1962.

NB: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” is one of two songs the Beatles sang in German! The other was “She Loves You.” The band resisted. The producer, George Martin, insisted. The band reluctantly complied. Martin later agreed that the band was right. (See last link.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Want_to_Hold_Your_Hand#cite_note-Hot_100_turns_60-5

How to play I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles (Beginner Song Guitar Lesson BS-410)

The Beatles ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ Guitar Lesson // chords & how to play

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_100_Greatest_Artists_of_All_Time

Komm gib mir deine Hand (Remastered 2009)

Last three years of posts organized thematically:

PDF with headlines — Google Drive

YOUR TURN

Time to share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to music. Or the coolest thing you learned in your life related to music. Say your favorite song or songs. Or your favorite tips for breathing, posture, or relaxation. Or some insight into the history of music….Or just something random about music… like a joke about drummers. jazz, rock….or share an episode or chapter in your musical autobiography.

This is your chance to make some one else’s day. And perhaps to cement in your memory something important you would otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than you otherwise would about something that matters to you.