"Anna (Go to Him)"

My Beatles criticism project continued:

This ballad, a cover of a song by Arthur Alexander, begins with drum and rhythm guitar. A hesitant staccato lead guitar line then enters and sets the musical tone for the rest of the song.

Alexander's lyrics of self sacrifice and anguish display a confident piece of songwriting. The tone of the lyric is not self-pitying or maudlin in any way, and Lennon's vocal take on it is a thing to behold. Working mostly in his lower register, Lennon sounds silky smooth on the verses which are lyrically set up to be sung to the girl in question. When the bridge comes the lyrics become an internal monologue, and it is here that the power & raw edge to Lennon's voice comes to the forefront. For the listener the contrast is stark between the outward show of emotion in the verse (the resigned "Go to him"), and the inward cry of the bridge (a heartbroken "What am I, What am I supposed to do?")

Another nice addition can be found in George's backing vocals as the song comes to a conclusion. His sing-songy "Anna"s add an almost ghostly touch from the girl that's forever gone.

All in all this is a masterful record that deserves to be remembered as such.