The Surprising Influence of "P.S. I Love You"

[@samattapoluttamayotin1457]

55 years ago , this song influenced a 5 years old thai boy ....made him fall in love with the english songs both from USA & Uk since then till now. I was that boy.

[@mickavellian]

My friend we lived the same life but I was all the way in Cuba and I still have tears flooding my eyes remembering those nights where we shook our heads and only asked .. "BUT HOW"

[@garysandiego]

Happened in San Diego, California, too….

[@graemeking7336]

I two, this boy was that boy three, amigo mio

[@MusoMaker-SouthAfrica]

I am on the southern tip of Africa and can appreciate what you say, also what the Beatles gave us.

[@olaby_ola6707]

I’m Amazed of all those artist used the same sequence of a 1962 song ; Beatles always ahead of time .

[@jensstergard9380]

'As I write this letter'. Refining the concept of Rock n' Roll and simplifying the concept of love.

[@DeeckyRizzo]

When someone says they don't like The Beatles because "their music is so simple", this is what comes to my mind... maybe it's "simple" now, because THEY MADE IT SIMPLER for everybody else. They made it "simple" FIRST. That's their genius.

[@nthdegree1269]

I also think their ability to write incredibley different melodies within a short time period. "I Feel Fine" as opposed to "All My loving"...."Hard Days Night" compared with "Im Down" The differences get more extreme in short time. Eleanor Rigby vs All I've Got to Do Nowhere Man vs From Me to You, or Tomorrow Never Knows vs She Loves You.

[@DeeckyRizzo]

@@nthdegree1269 You are right. And the fact that they went from "I Saw her standing there", to "A day on the Life" just in 4 years!!!!! (Album time). It's amazing.

[@waynej2608]

@@DeeckyRizzo Even after all these years, stuff like that still blows my mind. 👍

[@stephenhosking7384]

This is third of your Beatles videos I've watched. I'm normally a bit wary of titles like "The brilliance of Lennon and McCartney", expecting 20 minutes of fluff, but the first one of yours I saw ("Penny Lane") just got to the point and demonstrated it clearly in a couple of minutes. Clearly, and convincingly! It's the way you don't use the record at all, but just do it at the piano, with your playing demonstrating the technical jargon. All the while evoking the familiar sounds of the song! Great stuff!

[@lejoe48]

Great video, very well done..PS. I love You is a clearly underrated song..It's wonderful, and its chord progression is really beautiful.. Paul's voice do the rest. Thanks!

[@dabreu]

It is not underrated. It is much appreciated as you have just seen in this video.

[@hollywoodjoe123]

very good of you to tell the world of the BEATLES using the odd but wonderful - FLAT 6 to FLAT 7 to Root chord changes-in their song - P.S. I LOVE YOU - that sequence is also on their song PLEASE - PLEASE ME -

[@inyourfaceguitar5454]

When The Beatles are singing, ♪ Billy Shears♪ they use that very sequence but in the key of E major...C....D...E. Another interesting chord sequence in P.S. I Love You is the G...C#7...D. but only in the first verse! the remaining verses play, G...D. Quite clever. And the main melody plus the harmonies are really beautiful.

[@dunnoyeno8406]

Its G#dim not C#7 Isint it?

[@inyourfaceguitar5454]

@@dunnoyeno8406 There are musicians that think it is a diminished chord. But when I play with the record, C#7 sounds perfect whereas a G # dim sounds way off.

[@evelioherrera64]

Beatles are underrated

[@6x14ludwig1992]

I think The Beatles are underrated as arrangers. Commercially and as a band, they’re where they deserve to be; they’re undeniable. You may not love them, but you can’t deny they’re one of the most influential groups of all time. The fact that musicians are still dissecting and studying their music shows just how ahead of their time they were.

[@seaton1288]

I think his joking, guys

[@muchanadziko6378]

actually you're right

[@GabrielSoares-lj9rv]

Yes! If one says: "The Beatles are the greatest band of all time, the Beethoven/Mozart of our times", well, one is still underrating them!!! No doubt!

[@mickavellian]

You are a fucking idiot

[@andyrharris]

She's Electric by Oasis uses this too, but in that example they are essentially aping the Bealtes use of it at the end of the opening version of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the album of the same name (when the band sings "Bi-lly Shears")

[@johneygd]

Just mind blowing how flat 6 & 7 in just simple song had sooo much influance in the entire music industry, it’s really hard to believe.

[@mickavellian]

AS just a piece of music it is AMAZING. A Baroque piece with a simplicity that denies the power of the tune. The the arragenbets rhe harmonies over the refrain and the most powerful piece that "yoo yoo yoo.. I love YOU... which an fading harmony worth of ANY major composer. These were 4 old souls born a bus ride from each other with talent, wit, an artistic structure that even today season composers wonder HOW?

[@drexlerjohn3822]

Wow just wow just wow

[@ghostnote3550]

Growing up with the 70s music and playing lots of music myself its only now I learned that the Beatles first introduced that pattern for concluding segments. Yeah that beatles song came much earlier than when phillip morris 70s ads also use it quite famously as well.

[@lennonladroma593]

Beatles doesn't know any music theory at that time and now we examine a lot of beatles stuff. Beatles songwriting abilities came from real emotions. Sometimes the less you know the better

[@waynej2608]

True enough. They had amazing musical instincts. And, John and Paul's vocal harmonies are otherworldly.

[@wariswaldo9790]

Let’s not forget the amazing influence and knowledge of the “fifth” Beatle. Sir George Martin….✨

[@douglasj.arcuri1370]

And George Martin the 5th Beatle.Classically trained in the studio with them always.Why? Any intelligent reader here can figure that out.The Beatles got a lot of help.To their credit-Them and Martin changed Popular Music Single-handedly.

[@budgoforth100]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of music with us. There is so much to learn!

[@narayan581]

amazing!

[@LuisEduardoGalindo]

Beautifully put.

[@raindrops21_9]

Proving yet again why The Beatles are the GOAT! This was mainly a Paul song (and his vocals are like silk here) but I think the unusual chord ideas (for pop/rock, at any rate) comes really from Paul's early musical influences in the home with his father - jazz, in this instance I would guess, but also the old show tunes that he used to play for his family on the piano.

[@slaphead8835]

I’ve always felt that “P.S. I Love You” was A more interesting and beautiful composition than “Love Me Do”.

[@donovanalex9751]

My favorite a Beatles song... I miss you Mom!!

[@michavandam]

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love... you make." And after that the last three chords.

[@cuebj]

First really new thing (to me) I've heard or read in ages. Been killing a lot of time reading or watching and almost every 'new revelation' is stuff I'd seen documented years ago. Having said that, UK classical musicologists were waxing impressed with Beatles before they broke USA but I don't remember them picking up on this

[@mandyaromas476]

Fascinating. Can hardly wait for your live in Tucson this summer

[@misterrd7291]

Also the three chords in the intro are very bizarre. “As I write this letter.”

[@MrDgoodrow]

I really like this is awesome also brilliant

[@westfield90]

I am so glad I found your channel

[@CultureSonar]

Thanks so much for visiting -- and for your kind comment. Please tell your friends about us!

[@jaymebounkhun8342]

Beautiful break down

[@marie-evebouchard5572]

Good video. I've noticed that you hear the bVI/I cadence a lot in songs of George Formby's Era like When I'm cleaning Windows. I've always wondered if the Beatles somehow unconsciously channeled it and added the bVII in between...

[@6x14ludwig1992]

Can you deconstruct the harmonies on the last chorus? It sounds like John and George are both singing under Paul’s melody. I love the texture it provides and I believe it’s a credit to them as arrangers.

[@jeffreywickens3379]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@walkercatenaccio]

A different way to look at the sequence is as a IV-V-vi, which is a very common progression, substituting the relative minor for the tonic. But then you play the parallel major instead - another standard move. I know this sounds complicated, but it really isn't. What makes this progression particularly interesting is that the ear is hearing both ways of structuring the chords at the same time, that is, both the modal way and the tonal way.

[@TabithaElkins]

Just so you all know, it is (in D Major): Bb, C, D.

[@Paul-dw2cl]

Haha. Well just so you know, Ms. Tabitha Elkins, Bb and C are not in D Major. The song itself is in D Major, but the song modulates during the Bb and C chords. Some would call these “borrowed notes.” Writing “Just so you all know” like you’re the authority of a subject is obnoxious.

[@Paul-dw2cl]

I’ve always loved ABBA SOS, and who doesn’t love Lola? Soon after watching this video I was listening to King of The World by Steely Dan. I noticed the same progression. The verse is C, D, E.

[@annelouisemaclellan485]

There are V-vi and V-bVI deceptive cadences too. Cool channel! 🙏🏼

[@JBDazen]

I'm pretty sure this isn't true. Paul McCartney listened to all kinds of musical and music hall music ('Till There Was You' comes to mind). I'm sure he must've heard that progression somewhere in that repertoire. It's such a nice sounding progression that I doubt he was the first one in history to use it. (Granted, you say it's the first one in "rock 'n' roll", but P.S. I Love You hardly qualifies as that, does it now?) But even then? "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is pure rock 'n' roll, I'm sure you must be able to find that progression in the 50s rock 'n' roll it's based on? Didn't Bill Haley ever use it? Chuck Berry? Little Richard?

[@march4503]

Great stuff!!!

[@jamieminsky9436]

Very good! Technically, etc..Thank u! Just found in 2022. And I am a musician..

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

Genius analysis

[@IDLERACER]

Steely Dan's "King Of The World" is essentially nothing BUT this chord sequence repeated over and over again. Other tunes it can be found in include The Four Season's "Dawn," Gary Lewis & The Playboy's "She's Just My Style," The Who's "Whiskey Man" and Leonard Nimoy's "The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins." Of course, we can't forget that the Beatles themselves also used it in other songs, most notably the ending of "With A Little Help From My Friends." ♫♬Bii...llyy...SHEARS!"♫♬

[@gcrichman53]

University of Pennsylvania ( 1 of the top ivy league universities in the US) graduate musicologist Alan W.Pollack who did an 11 year extensive analysis called,Notes On Series of every one of the 200 Beatles songs, analyzes the 1962 John Lennon song I always loved, Ask Me Why and explains that it's structurally complex. In Alan's analysis of Paul McCartney's 1963 very good song All My Loving and he describes it as having a lot of complex chords and other unusual musical things.Many people have pointed out on music and Beatles fan site forums that John Lennon played great,difficult fast rhythm guitar triplets,well it turns out John( and George and Paul on bass) was playing a whole bunch of complex chords this fast and great! So is Paul McCartney's 1962 song P.S. I Love You There is an interview with University of Pennsylvania graduate musicologist Alan Pollack who did an 11 year study of all 200 Beatles songs, here he says The Beatles specifically John and Paul wrote what he calls chord anomalies which are very clever complex unusual including in their early music, and he said about these chord anomalies in their early music that people tend to underrate the first half of their catalog in this respect.

[@armandgallanosa]

Fascinating

[@juliobauer7451]

That's why they were the best in the bizz....they influenced everybody..all genres.

[@JeremiahPickardMusic]

That b6 b7 1 sequence was also used in the billy shears transition from Sgt pepper to with a little help from my friends

[@THE_ALMAN]

Well spotted, young man! BTW, here's something I just realized (60 years later!!) . . . in the intro ("As I write this letter"), the chord sequence is G / C# / D. This happens three times - BUT . . . that chord sequence is never repeated in the song DESPITE the fact that the exact same musical phrase IS repeated several times! I just thought that was . . . strange 😮- Any comments?

[@seancrowley]

Love this song, but Link Wray was before the Beatles with the bVI-bVII-I riff in “Poppin’ Popeye” released in March 1962. Link first recorded the song as “Vernon’s Diamond” in 1958, and while that version was unreleased, he played it live. The second half of Link’s riff is Bb-C-D… just like the Beatles

[@alanshapiro5669]

Considering that no Beatle was well versed in music theory, I believe they put guitar chords together just because they sounded good. It's very interesting to see you theoretically showcase it but I don't think they sat around discussing those kinds of modulations as you do.

[@CultureSonar]

We completely agree with you. The Beatles themselves poked fun at the analysis that sometimes accompanied their music. But it's still fun to appreciate their craft.

[@emiliewoltering3595]

this is an awesome video! thank you for the info

[@gonzadiazsola]

your content is great

[@Rodrigodealencarlima]

AMAZING!

[@montauk6]

They did this in "If I Fell" also, right?

[@williamkeith7630]

Dion and the belmonts used it before on the songs, “in the still of the night”, “through with love”, and “then I’ll be tired of you”. That’s a rock n roll band

[@АлександрЛапченко-н4е]

Very smart adviced. Thank!

[@kennysofyan3452]

Awesome content you have there sir

[@InDreamsYourMine]

Another interesting tidbit, The album please please me it was from, was inspired by Roy Orbison and his music.

[@gtrdoc911]

Not the album just the song. But isn't it curious the bridge of Pretty Woman and I Want to Hold Your Hand have practically the same chord progression. I believe IWTHYH was written first.

[@javierdepaizpaetow9603]

You forgot the intro of With a little Help from my Friends,when they sing Billie Shears...thats a very obvious one

[@jean-marieboucherit4716]

An eye or ear opener for me

[@hufstetermedina8023]

Wow what's most amazing is that whoever wrote 'A Taste of Honey' in 1960 must have had a time machine to travel to 1962 so they could hear the Beatles! You can hear MUCH more effective use of that cadence in Taste of Honey, during the lyric 'I'll come back (flat6) for the honey (flat7) and you (tonic).

[@hufstetermedina8023]

also can be sure Beatles were familiar with the Shadows worldwide hit, 'Apache'. This cadence is standard in many cowboy songs of the 40s and 50s.

[@Two_Seat_Pete_FatA55]

I'm a massive Beatles fan but i think sometimes these analysts give them too much credit and look too far into things. As Lennon and McCartney said, they stole just as much as people stole from them. I think people often over analyse things and give misplaced credit sometimes.

[@MarianoBeatlero]

Theres no flat7 in a taste of honey. Is a pause with flat6...

[@Fordham1969]

A Taste of Honey is in a MINOR key,not major like PS I Love You,therefore the change you're referring to is NOT flat6-flat7 but simply 6-7.That's a big difference since the flat6 chord in a major key song contains the minor third of the key you're in.The same is true for Apache which the other guy mentioned,also a minor key song.For that matter it's also true of Paranoid which this guy incorrectly lists as an example.

[@OutFreak28]

This guy.... you need to listen A Taste of Honey again, pal

[@coreywiley3981]

Oasis "She's Electric" has that progression n it also I think.

[@mandarin1257]

I always found it weird how ABBA's SOS reminded me of P.S. I love you...

[@alejandrocorona1766]

I'm impressed by the examples. Although you already had that sequence in classical music, right @culturesonar ?

[@CultureSonar]

Thanks, Alejandro. Scott does indeed make the point that The Beatles absorbed influences from many different styles, classical included, and put it all to use in their rock context.

[@OutFreak28]

He said they were the first band using that sequence in rock

[@CounterBison]

No, that sequence did not exist in classical music, its a new thing in rock music

[@martinstubs6203]

Are you sure the Beatles were the first to use that sequence? I seem to remember thinking "how nice, they use that sequence, too", being already well aquainted with the sequence when that song came out. But my recollection may be wrong, of course.

[@CultureSonar]

Thanks, Martin. The sequence was definitely used in other music before, but Scott's POV is that The Beatles were the first to use in rock. If that turns out be to incorrect, please do let us know.

[@martinstubs6203]

@@CultureSonar Sorry, what I meant was in popular music, which was the only kind of music I was interested in at the time. I had started to play bass in a jazz band at that time and so had to know all about chord progressions.

[@FairyTalesInYoghourt]

The point is interesting, but it must be said that "PS I love you" is not a very rock'n'roll song, more a "Great American Songbook" one, very soft and gentle.

[@williamkeith7630]

I think dion and the belmonts used it also in like 1961

[@EVERYBODYSGOTSOMETHI]

Truly. But what amazed me most was the very first 3 chords of this song. G→C#→D. What???

[@jbyesterday3959]

I knew someone had to mention it - bravo !

[@romuloVG]

That final sequence was not rare in Renaissance music.

[@robertvangeel9451]

I'll give you a ring was written by mcCartney before ps I love you and contains the same technique. So it is a mcCartney element.

[@erniepianezza8940]

Yr cute!! 😀😁🎼🎹🎵🎶🎧

[@Tonetwisters]

A RISE progression. And with a flat second string, to boot.

[@brianwarner308]

what do u mean? on the recording?

[@FerdinandDGr8]

Great video, thank you. Please drink more water. Thanks.

[@oneman1812]

Mania beetle

[@Ronno4691]

Flat 6 or b6, Flat 7 or b7? Flat 6 ,Flat 7 to 1...

[@Wired4Life2]

"They listened to jazz..." **John Lennon triggered**

[@modernsheep6845]

Lol

[@oneman1812]

GOD ROCKS HIS WORLD!!!!. Yes I am,

[@2340Vegas]

...and they listened to George Martin.

[@axiomist1076]

Does anyone still think that calling the Beatles geniuses is just a bunch of hype from obsessed fans ?

[@johnerikson828]

But chords are not the song . The melody is.

[@michaelwood875]

not really a big deal...