Thursday Inspiration #113 We Can Work It Out

Respond to this challenge, by either by using the prompt word crime, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘We Can Work It Out’, or by going with another song by The Beatles, or anything else that you think fits.  Back in the day, 7″ vinyl singles were pressed with the song that was supposed to receive more radio airplay on Side A and Side B of the record contained a bonus song.  The Beatles recorded singles and albums because their producer George Martin thought their fans who bought the single shouldn’t have to pay for those songs again when they came out on an album.  That policy on singles didn’t hold in America, and there were major differences between British and American albums.

‘We Can Work It Out’ was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and it was first issued as a double A-side single with ‘Day Tripper’ in December 1965.  This was the first official double A-side record that was ever released and both songs were promoted A-sides.  ‘We Can Work It Out’ also appeared on the 1966 US release Yesterday and Today album, their twelfth American release overall.  The song was recorded during the sessions for the band’s Rubber Soul album.  The single went to #1 in Britain (where it won the Ivor Novello Award for the top-selling A-side of 1965), America, Australia, Canada and Ireland.  In Britain, both sides became equal hits, but the US did things differently by charting each side of a single individually.  Over here, ‘Day Tripper’ peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts, while ‘We Can Work It Out’ made it all the way to #1 and stayed there for three weeks.  In the UK, it was the seventh highest selling single of the 1960s.

The Beatles were perfectionists and they spent an average of 20 hours on each song, with some taking longer than others.  ‘We Can Work It Out’ was recorded over two days, amounting to 11 hours, and this song became a symbol of tolerance for Paul, because it allowed him to exercise some of his demons.  Paul was filled with hope and optimism and he wrote this after getting into an argument with his girlfriend Jane Asher, thinking that they could talk about their problems which would make their relationship work.  Paul did the first half, then John took over and wrote, “Life is very short and there’s no time/ for fussing and fighting, my friend”, showing the difference in their personalities with Paul willing to wait and John being much more impatient.  McCartney wrote songs that were bubbly, oozing happiness and sunshine, while Lennon’s lyrics were filled with emotional turmoil and they contained an outlook on the world that was uncomfortable.  This beautiful balance of optimism and pessimism made ‘We Can Work It Out’ a really great song.

Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it’s a crime
So I will ask you once again