He Got Muddy Water

I found out today, in September 2024, that the first four lines of Come Together by The Beatles are, "Shoot me, Shoot me, Shoot me, Shoot me." Previously, I thought it was a vocal inflection or something like "shamone" in Michael Jackson's Bad... I hear it now. This is fine. The lyrics to this song make no sense, anyway. John Lennon stated in an interview with David Sheff that the words to this song were "gobbledygook." So in conclusion, it's not embarrassing that I didn't know some of the lyrics to a song I've heard and sung a hundred times. It's a vibe thing, after all. And vibe it does.

This song sounds rad. The opening notes of Come Together–fuzzy guitars and a smokey Fender Rhodes electric piano with Lennon whispering his "shoot me" lines–have a Pavlovian effect on people who love pop music and classic rock. It's a drool-worthy sonic confection.

Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Shoot me
Here come old flat-top, he come grooving up slowly
He got ju-ju eyeball, he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker, he just do what he please

Got it. Five-by-five now.

The nonsense lyrics thing is fine. Usually, I'm a whole-package guy when it comes to songs, but being vibes-only works well for me in this case. I enjoy Lennon's lyrics, but when I look too far into who he really was, I am disappointed with the anachronism between the man and the message. So, vibes it is.

I digress. John Lennon was not The Beatles. The Beatles were the Beatles, and they freakin' rock, particularly on this song. In addition to the drool-worthy opener, there's some really exceptional percussion detail (claps and maracas) to listen to. Paul McCartney's shouted-from-a-distance harmonies are subtle and add excellent texture and detail to reward critical listeners. Harrison's typically excellent and haunting Les Paul lead guitar work on the way out is a cherry on top.

There are a few ways to listen to Come Together, which all sound great. The original recording of Abbey Road was cutting-edge at the time. It was produced using an 8-track solid-state setup, a departure from earlier 4-track recordings. Abbey Road was the first Beatles album to not be released in mono.  

Come Together was treated to a remastering in 2009, along with most of the Beatles catalog. McCartney was involved. Opinions vary, but I think it sounds excellent. It helps that the original recording was arguably the best stereo mix in The Beatles catalog.

Then, in 2019, Come Together was remixed by Giles Martin for the 50th anniversary. Giles Martin is the son of legendary producer George Martin, often referred to as "the fifth Beatle" due to his intimate involvement in much of their early studio efforts. Giles had a successful music production career, and the Abbey Road remixes are excellent, if unnecessary. There's really no wrong way of vibing to this.

Data

Song: Come Together
Album: Abbey Road
Artist: The Beatles
Genre: Pop, Rock
Year: 1969
Length: 4:19
Composer: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin

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