Who wrote the Beatles 'In My Life'?

WGH · « **on:** 11 Aug 2018, 05:06 pm »

John and Paul wrote a song back in 1965 and named it "In My Life" and included it in the album 'Rubber Soul'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBcdt6DsLQA

But they don't remember who composed it, John wrote most of the lyrics but Paul says he wrote the music. The latest statistical analysis says otherwise.

Weekend Edition Saturday has an easy to listen to report on the incomprehensibly titled ""Assessing Authorship of Beatles Songs from Musical Content: Bayesian Classification Modeling from Bags-Of-Words Representations."

A Songwriting Mystery Solved: Math Proves John Lennon Wrote 'In My Life'
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/11/637468053/a-songwriting-mystery-solved-math-proves-john-lennon-wrote-in-my-life

The musicians on AC will want to listen to the more technical interview with Mark Glickman, senior lecturer in statistics at Harvard University on 'Science Friday'
Who Wrote That Beatles Song? This Algorithm Will Tell You
https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/who-wrote-that-beatles-song-this-algorithm-will-tell-you/

S Clark · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Aug 2018, 08:17 pm »

If Sir Paul says he wrote it, why would you doubt it? Looking at the preponderance of musical bits is based on an assumption of their significance- and introducing error with the initial degree of invalid assumptions. I'd bet that if both Paul and John said Paul wrote some of it, that Paul wrote some of it.

orthobiz · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Aug 2018, 09:05 pm »

John.

Paul

wushuliu · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Aug 2018, 02:04 am »

When operating in a creative space it becomes very, very difficult if not pointless to try and discern and separate points of influence, though it may pose a pleasant distraction for the appreciator.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Aug 2018, 02:11 am »

Read in an Interview with Lennon that Paul was the main writer on 'Michelle' but he hit writers block on the bridge, and went to John, who came up with "I love you, I love you, I LOVVVVVE you", which broke the logjam.

I suspect there are similar elements to many of their songs.

bluemeanies · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 Aug 2018, 06:31 pm »

No doubt Lennon!

jtwrace · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 Aug 2018, 06:33 pm »

Who cares? He was a terrible human being.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 Aug 2018, 10:42 pm »

He had his issues, to be sure. 'Terrible human being' I'll reserve for Pol Pot, Idi Amin etc.

bluemeanies · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 Aug 2018, 12:24 am »

I read a lot about John Lennon.
Yes I am a big fan of IMO the Greatest band in R&R music history. Some of their music are spiritual hymns. No one is perfect, no one is without sin, no one should be casting stones.
Lennon had troubles like everyone else. Money and notoriety does not take away those struggles...people are confronted with mental, emotional and spiritual challenges despite fame.

"Terrible human being" is rather harsh and darn right nasty. When I think about the man (whose name I will not mention) who MURDERED him...there is a terrible human being taking a life...along with his fan club.
They are emotionally disturbing IMO.

RIP John Lennon

firedog · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Aug 2018, 06:08 am »

Quote from: wushuliu on 12 Aug 2018, 02:04 am

When operating in a creative space it becomes very, very difficult if not pointless to try and discern and separate points of influence, though it may pose a pleasant distraction for the appreciator.

As one of the Beatles once said, "we had our fingers in each other's pies". By the time of Rubber Soul, they were often working by bringing new songs to the studio to demo for the others and record. Very often the songs were unfinished, and the other band members who weren't "the originator" of the song helped finish it. "Finishing" could include anything from helping with one line of a lyric to substantially rewriting or adding to a song. My guess is something like that happened here.

Bendingwave · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Aug 2018, 09:23 am »

Lets just enjoy this wonderfully written and composed music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l0qgCX46vA

Tyson · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Aug 2018, 04:57 pm »

Why does it matter who wrote it?

Scroof Neachy · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Aug 2018, 11:53 pm »

Whoever does the lead vocals is usually the main writer. So it would be Lennon in this case. McCartney likes to take credit for certain things because he’s always felt somewhat shortchanged.

WGH · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 Aug 2018, 01:33 am »

Quote from: Tyson on 14 Aug 2018, 04:57 pm

Why does it matter who wrote it?

Shakespeare would take umbrage at that comment (in unrhymed iambic pentameter).

S Clark · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Aug 2018, 02:23 am »

Quote from: WGH on 15 Aug 2018, 01:33 am

Shakespeare would take umbrage at that comment (in unrhymed iambic pentameter).

You mean that uneducated hack that stole Marlow's plays?

WGH · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Aug 2018, 02:52 am »

Marlow's life and death mysteriously parallel John Lennon's. (cue spooky music)

macrojack · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 Aug 2018, 10:45 am »

Beautiful song. I don't care if it was written by Arlo Guthrie. Speculation about which Beatle played a larger role seems rather useless. Will it affect your appreciation at all? And, Jesus, just look at the difference between the post Beatle catalog contributed by each man. McCartney has had 38 more years to build his solo legacy and still hasn't provided half as much truth and beauty as Lennon did in the 1970s alone. Sir Paul is much more average than we choose to believe. I find it amazing that Lennon's coat tails have carried him so far.

ohenry · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 Aug 2018, 01:38 pm »

Quote from: macrojack on 16 Aug 2018, 10:45 am

...McCartney has had 38 more years to build his solo legacy and still hasn't provided half as much truth and beauty as Lennon did in the 1970s alone. Sir Paul is much more average than we choose to believe. I find it amazing that Lennon's coat tails have carried him so far.

Anyone that allows Yoko within a quarter mile of a microphone can't be taken seriously.

I do enjoy his music, but death doesn't change reality.

macrojack · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 Aug 2018, 02:51 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 13 Aug 2018, 06:33 pm

Who cares? He was a terrible human being.

Jason - As you surely know, I have a lot of respect for you and your opinions. That is why I have to ask you to justify that observation about John Lennon. Why on earth, especially in the context of modern times, would you say he was a horrible person. Does not compute over here. Yoko is a very nice person although I never actually knew her. Nonetheless, why would anyone care about her voice. I just put her in the category of Mrs. Miller. Does anyone on AC remember the glorious tones of that short lived career?

Goosepond · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Aug 2018, 03:10 pm »

Wow! Mrs. Miller! I would have thought no one else would have even heard of her. I was in college when she had at least one hit on the radio.

And if I'm not mistaken (too lazy to look for it), I think I actually have her album (you know, actual vinyl). And then she just faded away.

Gene