♫ We Can Work It Out ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I strongly considered another redux tonight, for it is late, I am tired, and I still have 70 or so comments awaiting my response.  But, it seems that’s all I’ve done lately — redux, redux, redux!  I’m starting to sound like a … wait for it … broken record!  Anyway, Clive mentioned this as one of his favourite Beatles’ tunes a few days ago, so … this one’s for you, Clive!

From my old standby Songfacts …

Paul McCartney wrote this about his girlfriend, an actress named Jane Asher. They split for good in 1968.
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The Beatles recorded this specifically for release as a single at two quick sessions while they were making the Rubber Soul album in October 1965. When it was released as a single backed with “Day Tripper,” debate raged over which was the A-side. Most pop groups put B-sides on their singles that were far inferior, but The Beatles often came out with 45s containing two great songs.
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John Lennon sang the “life is very short” part (which he also wrote); McCartney sang the rest.  (Prophetic?)
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Now here’s something I did NOT know!!!
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  • Stevie Wonder covered this on his 1970 album Signed, Sealed and Delivered. His version, which hit US #13, plays during the end credits of the 2005 movie Kicking And Screaming.

    In 2014, Wonder performed the song on the CBS special The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, which aired exactly 50 years after the group first performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. Wonder introduced the song by saying that he first heard it when he was 15 years old. “It had a nice thing to it, but I said, Someday I’m going to do it again, with a little more funky thing with it,” Wonder said when he introduced the song.

WHOA … be still my heart … I must go in search of!

In England, a cover by a soundalike group was used in commercials for Hewlett-Packard.
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The only time The Beatles played this live was on their final British tour in November/December 1965. McCartney didn’t perform the song until 1991, when he played it on his 1991 MTV Unplugged appearance. On his 2002 Back In The US tour, McCartney played a solo version on his acoustic guitar.
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We Can Work It Out
Song by The Beatles
Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking ’til I can’t go on?
While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone
We can work it out
We can work it out
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Think of what you’re saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s alright
Think of what I’m saying
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night
We can work it out
We can work it out
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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
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
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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
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
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Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
We Can Work It Out lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

20 thoughts on “♫ We Can Work It Out ♫”

  2. I’ll take the Beatles’ version every day of the week. BUT this song is actually a bit too chauvanistic for me, even though I lived the experience a few monthe before this record came out. My girlfriend and I were fighting about something stupid, and we questioned should we even be together. After talking we both agreed we wanted to be together, but we had different ideas on how to make things work for us. I do not remember the particulars, but I was convinced I knew better than her what would work. After all, I was older and “wiser,” AND I WAS THE GUY! Her way made no sense to me. Finally she gave in, and we spent another year together, but in the end we broke up. I got it wrong even though I thought I had it right. She married the guy she met after me, and ended up in an abusive relationship, and had to raise her two girls alone once she got out of it. I know that isn’t on me, but maybe if I had listened better things would have worked out differently, for both of us.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yeah, after listening to Stevie’s, even though he is still my #1 man, I prefer the Beatles’ version of this. Your story could probably be repeated by half the people in the world, my friend. We grow, we learn … or at least some of us do. Some people never learn things like there ain’t no such thing as male superiority or white supremacy or … need I continue?

      Liked by 1 person

      • You d9n’t need to continue, for we who already understand. But continuing might help someone who hasn’t learned yet. One never knows what match will start a fire.

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Thank you for playing this, it brings back so many memories of happy days. I love this video too: George and Ringo looking bored out of their skulls while John is trying to make Paul laugh.

    I’m amazed you didn’t know Stevie Wonder had covered this. I remember his version just about scraped into our top thirty. Guess what? I hated it! 🤣

    Liked by 2 people

    • I’m so glad it brought back happy memories for you! I did just go listen to Stevie’s version and … you won’t believe this … as much as I love Stevie, I prefer the Beatles version. There … happy? And no, I’m not surprised in the least to hear that you hated it! 🤭

      Liked by 2 people

      • I am amazed, but I think you made the right choice. To me there is something about Stevie’s version that feels stilted, it doesn’t have the flow of the original.

        Liked by 2 people

    • I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I’ve heard it is very hot over there. My friend, David, lives in Wales and said it was 40° C there! It is hot here, too, but only about 34° C, so not quite as bad as there. I hear there are a lot of fires over there … I don’t know HOW anybody can still deny climate change!!! xx

      Liked by 1 person

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