The Beatles wrote the best birthday song and John Lennon hated it

The Beatles’ The White Album is one of the most famous records of all time. Yet few seem to remember that The White Album contains the best birthday song of all time. John Lennon was not happy with the melody in question. When asked about it, he said it was derived from a big hit from the 1950s.

The Beatles’ “White Album” contains a birthday song and every other genre

The joy of The White Album is how wildly it jumps from genre to genre. The record contains rock’n’roll, pop, folk, blues, ska, one or two protest songs, avant-garde music, children’s songs, vaudeville and early heavy metal. One of the hard rock numbers from The White Album is an underrated tune called “Birthday”.

The tune has a great opening riff. Although the Fab Four had become more experimental with the release of “Birthday” in 1968, the track retains some of the simple joy of their early hits. The screaming harmonies make it seem like a normal performance of “Happy Birthday to You.” When you listen to the song, it’s like the Beatles are performing for you at a fantasy birthday party.

Why “Birthday” works better than other birthday songs

Of course, “Birthday” has a lot of competition, but it’s still considered the best birthday song of all time. The simple “Happy Birthday to You” just doesn’t cut it anymore. “Birthday” by Katy Perry is a lot of fun, but a bit too risqué for a family celebration. “Birthday Cake” by Rihanna and “Birthday” by Selena Gomez are even more sexual than Perry’s song.

“In da Club” by 50 Cent is about celebrating like it’s your birthday when you don’t have one. It’s fun, but it’s not a birthday song. “The Unbirthday Song” from Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is even more explicit in this regard. Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party” is a great time capsule of early 1960s pop, but it only works as a birthday song if your party has gone wrong. The Beatles’ “Birthday” is the reigning champion of this type of song.

John Lennon didn’t like the song as much as other Beatles songs

During an interview in 1980 in the book All we say: The last big interview with John Lennon and Yoko OnoJohn Lennon spoke about the origin of “Birthday.” “‘Birthday’ was written in the studio,” he said. “Just made up on the spot. I think Paul wanted to write a song like ‘Happy Birthday Baby,’ the old hit from the ’50s. But it was kind of made up in the studio. It was a piece of rubbish.”

John admitted that he had mixed feelings The White Album“I’m not an album person,” explained the “Imagine” singer. “There were only two great albums that I listened to in their entirety when I was about 16. One was the first or second Carl Perkins album, I can’t remember which. And one was the first Elvis album. Those are the only ones where I really liked every track.”

“As I said, I’m not happy with any single Beatles album,” John added. “There’s too much filler and stuff. I like the inspired stuff, not the created, clever stuff. But I like pepper for what it is. I like the White Album for what it is, and I like revolver and I like Rubber core.”

John wasn’t thrilled with “Birthday,” but it’s perfect.