IFLTS: 'I Feel Fine,' The Beatles

'I Feel Fine,' The Beatles
1964 single

OK, so maybe it's not the most poetic song in the Beatles' canon, but who could deny its importance? 'I Feel Fine' is the type of song you can't necessarily recall hearing for the first time -- it has always just existed, as if it came pre-loaded in our brains. And anybody who's ever attempted to learn to play the guitar has at some point sat down to work out that iconic riff (though the inclusion of this song on 'The Beatles: Rock Band' will hopefully make that slightly less frustrating for aspiring future guitarists).

I've always preferred the earlier, moptop era Beatles, and songs like this one laid the groundwork for everything I know about pop music -- the chords, the structure, the euphoric harmonies. Haters may rag on the simplistic, teeny-bopper lyrics, but claiming to not feel some joy when that chorus hits would be like claiming to not enjoy food. It's just not possible.

It's frightening to think that kids somewhere might not know about this song, that they'll toss it away as "old people" music. I'm optimistic, though: I recently performed some cover songs at a bar with a friend of mine, and nothing got the crowd more excited than the one Beatles tune we played. I think that's inspiring. It's forty-five years later, and these songs still mean as much to people as they ever did.