Deciphering The Beatles ........Fifteen...........Old Brown Shoe

[Mrrusty1]

There is a good demo version of old brown shoe on the Beatles Anthology CD box set collection


[video]https://youtu.be/XrvXGdDNYd4[/video]

Deciphering The Beatles..........Old Brown Shoe....................Fifteen



Lyrics


I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.
Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.

You know you pick me up from where some try to drag me down
And when I see your smile replace every thoughtless frown.
Got me escaping from this zoo, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.

If I grow up I’ll be a singer wearing rings on every finger.
Not worrying what they or you say I’ll live and love and maybe someday
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.
I may appear to be imperfect, my love is something you can’t reject.
I’m changing faster than the weather if you and me should get together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.

That love of your, to miss that love is something I’d hate.
I’ll make an early start, I’m making sure that I’m not late.
For you sweet top lip I’m in the queue, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.


This is one of the Beatles hidden gems, initially it was hidden on the B side of The Ballad Of John and Yoko. It appears to have been some kind of contender for The Get Back sessions but is not really a feature of the final product. There are two commercially available versions, one, on Anthology Three and The single B side on Past Masters. There appears to be some controversy about various contributions to this track. It is assumed that the Bass part was played by Paul but in an interview with George it was said that the bass parts was his and hat it is actually a mixture of bass and lead guitar. IT is also said that John added a guitar part which is on the multi-track master that was mixed out of the final mix. There appear to be scant few other takes available in the bootleg world o show us much more about the track or its genesis.

The Meaning of this song :


This is a song which shows quite a few of George’s song writing techniques

It is written in the first person and appears to convey a message from its writer .

The early parts document he kind of girl that George is looking for and in its ambiguity suggest that inside is more important that outside appearance.


I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.
Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.


As I have pointed out before in George’s writing there ae many opposites references in his lyrics:


I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long

I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong


There is also reference to stepping out of This old Brown Shoe and again this is an opposite :

Word play suggests that shoes have a sole which of course is a soul. Now turn this around a bit and use the opposites idea and George is stepping out of everyday life and wants to go to a more spiritual or soulful place..............................


With this in mind verse two suggests that the two ideas of escape and he girl he wants can be running side by side .

The zoo reference is interesting ............Personal speculation suggest that George was well aware of what was happening with other writers of he time..............Paul Simon had used a zoo in Bookends as a way of looking at life and he people in it , so maybe George could to ? This escape ? To spiritualism!


You know you pick me up from where some try to drag me down
And when I see your smile replace every thoughtless frown.
Got me escaping from this zoo, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.


The next section seems to follow an idea used by John in Come together

George turns to his friend Ringo for a section.


If I grow up I’ll be a singer wearing rings on every finger.
Not worrying what they or you say I’ll live and love and maybe someday
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.
I may appear to be imperfect, my love is something you can’t reject.
I’m changing faster than the weather if you and me should get together
Who knows, baby, you may comfort me.


Ringo was the Beatles “Elder statesman” and as aresult this might explain the “if” part which in the demo is “When “ Rings on every finger is about Ringo.

We go back to the spiritualism /ideal woman section in the last part.

The Final verses develops the main themes again


That love of your, to miss that love is something I’d hate.
I’ll make an early start, I’m making sure that I’m not late.
For you sweet top lip I’m in the queue, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now when I’m with you


It seems that the indirect approach of using a person to represent a idea is deep in this one and has been used by Paul on several occasions before...........The Ideal girl or The Spiritual goal ?

The Ideal woman ........Should be Patti Boyd or Harrison .............rumour says could have been an affair

I want a love that’s right but right is only half of what’s wrong.
I want a short haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.


This is vague could be Patti or someone else ...........at times Patti had long hair ........However in the end , she did become Patti Clapton ( Layla !!!) and George and Eric were good friends at this time!!

This is a great George song and maybe one of the Beatles beat rockers.