IFLTS: 'And Your Bird Can Sing,' The Beatles

Posted on Sep 9th 2009 11:15AM by Rob Smy
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'And Your Bird Can Sing,' The Beatles
From 1966's 'Revolver'

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it says something about this 1966 stomper that my first hearing of it was as a cover on the Jam's 'Extras' -- an album of B-sides and rarities. I'm a pretty big fan of most of Mr. Weller's music, but this tune entirely stood out from everything else on the record -- a credit to the trio's rendering of it -- and I had a "yeah, duh" moment when I read the Lennon/McCartney song credit.

My parents being pre-'Rubber Soul' Beatles fans, I borrowed 'Revolver' from a savvy pal and was struck anew by the throbbing sense of indignation pulsing from 'And Your Bird...' Even before the vocal starts (and who better for sounding indignant than Lennon?), the dueling and jangling guitars are those of, well, a rock song, and the goose-bump-raising pureness of the three-part harmony doesn't undo that sense of defiance, managing to sound sweetly mocking instead. It's fair to say at least a couple of generations of hurt feelings must have made this their bedroom anthem, and it's hard to think of a better one.

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