tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post6211448732412594402..comments2024-03-28T14:27:19.894-07:00Comments on Burning Wood: TRACK TEN: "Things We Said Today" VS. "I'm Looking Through You"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-77076504104457151642017-08-01T11:59:36.099-07:002017-08-01T11:59:36.099-07:00I smell a comeback!I smell a comeback!Shrinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12908213967283171538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-38816517005769877372017-08-01T10:53:24.576-07:002017-08-01T10:53:24.576-07:00May I please be an awkward old curmudgeon and give...May I please be an awkward old curmudgeon and give half a point to each? Both tunes are very fab & have special memories for me which makes it even harder to choose just one!dogbreathnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-72564481976549318242017-08-01T09:49:17.980-07:002017-08-01T09:49:17.980-07:00"I'm looking Through You" is my choi..."I'm looking Through You" is my choice. Thanks! Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07995862687466535135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-66641834897002537332017-08-01T08:25:15.694-07:002017-08-01T08:25:15.694-07:00Forced to choose between two essential Beatles son...Forced to choose between two essential Beatles songs?? <br /><br />I'll die instead.<br /><br /><br />John B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-30531364240809080652017-08-01T08:15:23.618-07:002017-08-01T08:15:23.618-07:00"I'm Looking Through You" is a bit f..."I'm Looking Through You" is a bit fluffier than "Things We Said Today" but I enjoy it so much more.cmealhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03201121023050701074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-34397964579356357352017-08-01T05:07:00.503-07:002017-08-01T05:07:00.503-07:00I'm Looking Through You for the same reason as...I'm Looking Through You for the same reason as stated by FunnyBootsCityBoy. joeJoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02557009733886353093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-61234829192716824712017-08-01T01:14:10.570-07:002017-08-01T01:14:10.570-07:00"I'm Looking Through You" - ever sin..."I'm Looking Through You" - ever since I first heard it way back then, it's always given me a joyous lift. And you're right about Paul's belting out "you're not the same" and "and you're nowhere!" which go to show that, at heart, he was ALWAYS a rocker...FurryBootsCityBoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14823032991317503886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-75234220842198748452017-07-31T20:59:36.675-07:002017-07-31T20:59:36.675-07:00This pains me more than any other vote so far, but...This pains me more than any other vote so far, but have to go with TWST. "I'm Lookin' Through You" is one of the highlights of Rubber Soul.<br /><br />Dave F.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03743825684303825072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-72232702224572252542017-07-31T19:15:39.941-07:002017-07-31T19:15:39.941-07:00Before I listened to them, I thought, wow, this is...Before I listened to them, I thought, wow, this is going to be a hard call but I love the deathless melody of Things We Said Today and that'll win.<br /><br />So naturally, I'm voting for "I'm Looking Through You." <br /><br />All hail the tambourine!<br /><br />Poor Jane Asher! Paul's girlfriend for some five years, she inspired the marvelous "Things We Said Today," in which our hero wants to imagine a happy future on which they'll back fondly on this happy day but the somber music sure makes clear he's having trouble thinking it'll come to pass. And indeed, just two albums later on "I'm Looking Through You" he's snarling "Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight." <br /><br />I just love the melody of "Things We Said Today," Paul's plaintive vocals, the marvelous ambiguity of the lyrics (especially contrasted with the music) and the wonderful way that brilliant guitar strum is punctuated with the tambourine exclamation point! Duh-duh-duh-dum...SNAP!<br /><br />But "I'm Looking Through You" crushes it for me. Both are great songs and great records of course -- that's a given with most Beatles tracks -- and they are exhibits #75 and #87 in the Songs That Would Have Been The Glorious High Point Of Most Other Bands' Careers But Are Just Two More Gems In the Beatles Crown Hall of Fame. I would certainly agree that "Things" is a likelier song for other bands to cover and "Looking" the superior record, as in this particular recording. But actually I keep wanting to hear other bands cover the latter (like Steve Earle) -- thanks to that nasty Hammond Organ it sounds like a lost Nugget or a gem from the Stax vault. <br /><br />And "I'm Looking Through You" is chock full of fascinating sonic detail -- but not in the baroque sense one associates with the Beatles and which other bands ape when going for this sound. You don't even notice this shit 99%b of the time when you're singing along to either classic album. Which is why this showdown is so great -- anyone just voting from memory is missing half the fun here. Sitting down and just listening to two tracks back to back really lets you hear them afresh.<br /><br />I love the way the song starts with that jaunty acoustic guitar -- it sounds so happy and fun. Start smiling, gang! (Then the acidic lyrics begin.) <br /><br />And what is the crazy percussive sound on "I'm Looking Through You?" Spoons? Wooden blocks? Ringo has a funky little undercurrent going for a while (until thrashing away brilliantly on the tambourine or hitting those notes on the organ). And THEN he pops up in the middle with some other crazy little random vamp on that same percussive instrument. It's so random and different and...perfect. <br /><br />On the bridge, George (or paul's?( succinct little guitar fill echoes the curling menace in "right" from "Why tell me why did you not treat me ri-ghhhht?" and pops in and out throughout the bridge, just a few casual country-ish notes adding just the right detail. On "You were above me, but not today" it sounds like someone just sort of drops or unintentionally thrums the tambourine in an offhand way. Of course nothing happens casually (except for happy accidents) but it either was chosen or used to add to the "live" vibe of this soulful number.<br /><br />Paul's vocals just kill it, too. All these little details remain right in line with the song. They're not distracting or fussy or gilding the lily. You don't even notice them but they're the reason these songs can be played over and over and over again without ever getting bored. Your ears are kept off balance, always engaged and surprised, and you don't even really know it.<br /><br />"I'm Looking Through You"Michael Giltzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921048823380535339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-37276445320383093902017-07-31T19:12:15.512-07:002017-07-31T19:12:15.512-07:00I've been trying very hard all day to come up ...I've been trying very hard all day to come up with another song where a sentence begins in the bridge and ends in the next verse by fast humming through every song ever written (see Robert Klein, 'Every Record Ever Recorded' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRjl_nIRSLk), but so far to no avail. Sal, you know a hell of a lot more music than I do; can you think of others? I'm sure (not sure) they're out there; we may just have to stumble upon them. If there are, I don't think there are many; which would make the songwriting in Things We Said Today even more incredible...ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-652586747666797662017-07-31T19:07:46.412-07:002017-07-31T19:07:46.412-07:00Impossible. A tie. Is that an option?Impossible. A tie. Is that an option?Apetalk1971https://www.blogger.com/profile/17674656905559190136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-58835598764404041722017-07-31T18:53:38.122-07:002017-07-31T18:53:38.122-07:00I'm Looking Through You gets my vote. Love the...I'm Looking Through You gets my vote. Love the guitar part; love the harmonies; love the lyrics. <br /><br />MarcAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-20808769203005034912017-07-31T18:18:36.057-07:002017-07-31T18:18:36.057-07:00Things We Said Today - a classic, a real forward s...Things We Said Today - a classic, a real forward step in Paul's songwriting, with a beautiful low harmony from John. One of the best.Alexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086482083041009956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-37819521194146157362017-07-31T17:30:41.774-07:002017-07-31T17:30:41.774-07:00"Things We Said Today" is marvelous. Gla..."Things We Said Today" is marvelous. Glad Paul did it live in 89-90, although I think it hasn't been done since then. I always remember that Beatlefan called it "an outstanding and unexpected choice". Nothing wrong with the other option, but "Today" gets my vote.Brett Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15909286892005353279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-67875590678003195062017-07-31T16:06:52.298-07:002017-07-31T16:06:52.298-07:00Just what Jeff said - both terrific, but for me it...Just what Jeff said - both terrific, but for me it's Things We Said Today". It "blew my mind," as we used to say!<br />Charlie Messinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17378301036143943175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-21903845362039544592017-07-31T11:56:45.285-07:002017-07-31T11:56:45.285-07:00Both terrific songs, but "Things We Said Toda...Both terrific songs, but "Things We Said Today" is a top ten Beatles' track for me, so it gets my vote. Jeff in Denton TXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804698768704168077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-74799928204580445302017-07-31T11:54:12.440-07:002017-07-31T11:54:12.440-07:00"Things We Said Today" needed to come to..."Things We Said Today" needed to come to an immediate, abrupt end after the last line of the bridge:<br /><br />"And, though we may be blind<br />Love is here to stay<br />AND THAT'S ENOUGH"<br /><br />END!!!!<br /><br />Truth in advertising, right? If the song continues on, it's deceptive. And that's morally wrong!! And unclean!!<br /><br />I were the producer, I'd have taken a scissors and snipped the tape right there and put it on the album that way -- a la the ending of "I Want You."<br /><br /><br />Days of the Broken Arrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15978648267686072177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-77622025062417332342017-07-31T11:44:51.786-07:002017-07-31T11:44:51.786-07:00Feels like I'm going to be on the losing end o...Feels like I'm going to be on the losing end of this one. And I'll die just a little bit inside because of it...<br /><br />I think this bridge:<br /><br />Why, tell me why did you not treat me right<br />Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight<br /><br />Is better than this one (which always seemed awkward to me...)<br /><br />Me, I'm just the lucky kind<br />Love to hear you say that love is luck<br />And, though we may be blind<br />Love is here to stay<br />And that's enoughShrinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12908213967283171538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-44396448371450166842017-07-31T11:43:37.759-07:002017-07-31T11:43:37.759-07:00Hi Sal. I've loved this whole side-by-side com...Hi Sal. I've loved this whole side-by-side comparison all along. I haven't weighed in much (not sure why, I'm opinion about everything...), but here I go. I agree this is the closest one so far. I'm Looking Through You has always been one of my favorite Beatles songs, and of course, the anger and resentment of lost love resonates too well. So that's my vote, although I feel like a Bernie supporter on a losing team. Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08608707186700204749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-52553433215160813692017-07-31T11:03:49.901-07:002017-07-31T11:03:49.901-07:00TWST by a hair nose. Best Paul song ever?TWST by a hair nose. Best Paul song ever?mauijimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16043858066798152998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-27024984574597149282017-07-31T10:20:43.159-07:002017-07-31T10:20:43.159-07:00This was the closest one yet, but for me, it's...This was the closest one yet, but for me, it's "Things We Said Today" by a nose.<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695234118090695187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-86945050233508321502017-07-31T10:15:46.170-07:002017-07-31T10:15:46.170-07:00Probably the toughest one yet in this competition ...Probably the toughest one yet in this competition (IMO). Both are terrific songs. But Things We Said Today gets the nod here, for all the reasons listed above. Great explanation from Rick about what I love about it.Troyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04863565099476649907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-30250118967508489072017-07-31T09:19:34.310-07:002017-07-31T09:19:34.310-07:00"I'm Looking Through You"
Humming th..."I'm Looking Through You"<br />Humming through "Things We Said Today" I'll grant that Things has some good changes.<br /><br />You don't sound different, I've learned the game<br />I'm looking through you, you're not the same<br /><br />That's the game changer for me - the harmonies on that refrain are killer.<br />That's where you find me singing along with John,Paul & George.<br /><br />rob Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-68026184006229564442017-07-31T08:52:44.341-07:002017-07-31T08:52:44.341-07:00"Plus, I love how the bridge flows right into..."Plus, I love how the bridge flows right into the next verse: "And though we may be blind/Love is here to stay/And that's enough/To make you mine, girl..."<br /><br />That's a great detail, Rick. I love debating "songs" vs. "records." There is a difference. ILTY is a great record, for sure. I think "Things" is the better song. BUT...that detail you pointed out...does that fall into "making the record" or "writing the song?"<br /><br />I love The Beatles.Sal Nunziatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09221629293545204260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-13001694307393235092017-07-31T08:26:18.163-07:002017-07-31T08:26:18.163-07:00"Someday when we're dreaming/Deep in love..."Someday when we're dreaming/Deep in love, not a lot to say" I'm not sure why, but I've always loved these lines; maybe it just conjured up for me an image, at a time when I'd never yet been in love, of a day when I'd be deep in love with someone and we'd be looking back on when we first met. Those words felt wonderful, and still do. Plus, I love how the bridge flows right into the next verse: "And though we may be blind/Love is here to stay/And that's enough/To make you mine, girl..."<br />Things We Said Todayricknoreply@blogger.com