(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
The Beatles - "Come Together"
Hit Number 1: November 29, 1969
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
Something has happened that had never happened before in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Two songs technically reached #1 at the same time, as a double A-Side was released by the Beatles featuring "Come Together" and "Something". The main single was "Come Together" though, which means I will only be talking about that song. Not without mentioning how "Something" is a freaking masterpiece though, and one of the few Beatles songs that George Harrison sang lead on. ("Something" actually made it to #3 in its own right. It's a 10) Since double A-Sides are going to become more common, we will see other instances of those singles becoming #1 hits. I thought it would be a good idea to clear up how I'm going to go about that, so without further a do, let's start discussing "Come Together".
For so long, I've wondered to myself what the ever-loving hell "Come Together" is about. Apparently I'm not alone either, because I've seen and heard many other people's theories on what it is about. A popular theory seems to be that "Come Together" is yet another one of those songs that expressed its antiwar stances, and was mainly trying to stress that everyone is different, and to leave everyone alone. Looking at the lyrics, that's not a ridiculous conclusion. But John Lennon shot down everyone's theories, and revealed sometime down the line that "Come Together" didn't make any sense, and he intended it on being that way. "Come Together" was inspired by a request from Timothy Leary for Lennon to write a song that he could use for his campaign for governor of California against Ronald Reagan. (His bid for governor ended when he was sent to prison for possession of marijuana) Lennon said that the phrase "come together" was something Leary came up with as a sort of campaign slogan. As far as the rest of the lyrics go, Lennon said that it was all made up in the studio, and that it was just a bunch of "gobbledygook".
So no, "Come Together" is not some powerful message of a song. There's nothing in the lyrics that turns it into something amazing. It makes no damn sense at all. But it doesn't have to. Because, "Come Together" features a cool, bad-ass rhythm that's hard to ignore. This would go on to be rather sad for obvious reasons, but Lennon can be heard saying "shoot me" throughout the song in a whisper, while a tangy drum pattern played by Ringo Starr is heard. The bassline is cool, the drums are cool, everything just sounds cool. Lennon sings in a laid-back yell, like he knows how ridiculous the words are, but at the same time, knows that he's going to get away with something. "Come Together" works as a meaningless funky strut, and while it's not particularly upbeat, it still works as a banger in my eyes. That's what's great about it. And hey, if you'd like to view the song as being tied with the times in the real world in 1969, you wouldn't be that far off the beaten path. Even though Lennon said there is no meaning to it, with lyrics like this, the meaning can be left up to the listener to decide.
It's also worth mentioning that "Come Together" (if you don't count "Something") is the only song off the Abbey Road album to reach #1, and it's the last Beatles #1 song that Lennon sang lead on. Unfortunately, it does spell the end of the Beatles getting along, as when Let It Be was released, Lennon and Paul McCartney were about as far apart as they could possibly be. Despite that, the Beatles will, of course, end up in this blog again.
GRADE: 9/10
JUST MISSED:
It's come to my attention that Blood, Sweat & Tears had an unlucky chart run, because this is the third time that they had a song that peaked at #2. This time, it was with "And When I Die", which peaked at #2 behind "Come Together"/"Something". It's pretty good, but it's also all over the place it seems. It's a 6.
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