McCartney's "Yesterday" Was "Scrambled Eggs"

Cover Design: Christabella Designs

The song Yesterday came to Paul McCartney in a dream and when he woke up he recorded the melody on a tape recorder using his keyboard. The lyrics in response to the rhythm were, "Scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs."

The book Love Me Tender "tells the stories behind the world's favourite songs".  I am not sure how many of the songs listed are favourites of yours but I found that there are only a couple I am not familiar with. 

Written in simple language this 192 page *book reveals the origins of 40 popular songs, ranging from a song composed as early as 1584 to another as late as 1981. The list  on the Content page is impressive from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Memory  up to the last one which is It's A Long Way to Tipperary.

Some of the other songs include, Love Me Tender (book title), Edelweiss, Danny Boy, Blue Moon, Moon River, I Don't Know How to Love Him, Send in the Clowns, Ave Maria, Bali H'ai and Candle in the Wind.  There are 30 other entries. Even nursery rhymes and sing-a-longs have their history.

 

According to the blurb this easy reader is "full of surprises and curiosities" as the author describes each song's fascinating history from composer, lyricist and singer

up to the time it was recorded in the sound studio.

Here's a short paragraph-teaser from page 86 of the book as writer Max Cryer explains the origin of Begin the Beguine by composer Cole Porter who cruised in a ship with a piano in his cabin:

           During the trip he soaked in mineral pools in New Zealand,
           met feathered chieftains in Papua New Guinea, had a small
           pox scare in Singapore, was richkshawed by extravagantly
           dressed and painted African in Durban...

Need I reveal more?  The blurb doesn't lie and the book is a good excuse to stay home during this rainy season. You wouldn't want to get caught in our floods again would you?  So go get Love Me Tender.

*I believe that a good book SHOULD have an extensive Bibliography. This one does.

"Love Me Tender" by Max Cryer, Exisle Publishing Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand (2008). Available in our libraries: 782.42164 CRY (ART).

(This posting is a personal review and  is neither promoting the book nor the library).

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.
Images: Google.
For good friend Larry Lai.