Comments on: When I’m Sixty-Four

By: MikeP

MikeP — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 22:00:16 +0000

Yeah. That’s what McCartney had in mind when he wrote it……

By: Binne

Binne — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 16:17:22 +0000

It has to do with the tonality within the key, the direction and forward momentum of the chords and harmony within the song. It also depends on the instrument. There’s arguably less of a noticeable difference when a tune is played on a piano, where the player has no control over the sharpness or flatness of a given note, than when it’s played on, say, a violin, or a clarinet, where the player can “push” a note slightly higher or lower to make the resolution of a chord more satisfying. Or less.

By: john

john — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 06:26:59 +0000

Sorry to break it to you, but science and philosophy lead us to not believing in god

By: Chris Collins

Chris Collins — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 23:55:15 +0000

That’s because the tracks were quite severely separated when the albums were remixed for stereo. Most of the lows were placed entirely in one channel, together with the vocals. Pretty poor stereo mixing but fascinating if you become interested in how the Beatles created and arranged tracks, as my friends and I did in the 80s. Not only do you get a particularly clear rendition of half the song, you also get to hear lots of bits of studio chat and noises that were buried in the mono mix. Gives you a bizarre sense of intimacy with the performers, almost as if you were there when it was recorded.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:32:57 +0000

Lennon also said “….one that was quite a hit with us.” , Do you agree with that as well?

It’s no trend-setting masterpiece, but it’s a very enjoyable, listenable, sing-alongable song. Well done, indeed.

By: Michael R

Michael R — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 11:31:51 +0000

Has anyone considered possibly a deeper meaning in the number 64. It takes 64 tetrahedrons to make 2 octaves of geometric symmetry and was called vector equilibrium by Bucky Fuller, there are 64 outcomes in the icheng. According to the dead Sea scrolls it requires 64 articles to approach the arch of the covenant, 64 codeons in human DNA, fs is the basic number used in all modern day computing, so “will you still need me willl you still feed me when I’m 64”.

By: Kees Oosterwijk

Kees Oosterwijk — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:04:23 +0000

I have tried to play “When I’m 64 on bass guitar in C# but that” impossible.
If you listen to the record, the lowest note is an D#.
The lowest not on a normal bass guitar is an E.
The only way to play it, is to tune the bass guitar 1 note lower so that the lowest note is an D#.
I find i strange that nobody else has noticed this before.

Kees Oosterwijk

By: Arnold

Arnold — Wed, 31 May 2017 16:22:03 +0000

I GOT NEWS for you, it wasn’t John that misled us, it was unfortunately true when he said they were more popular than Jesus, it was a sad fact based on a culture of dead churches. period.
And I’m a Christian so don’t jump on your high horse.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 30 May 2017 00:29:23 +0000

How can a note sound brighter depending on what you call it, if its exactly the same note? lol this makes no sense to me. I understand fully what enharmonics are but your comment makes no sense.

By: I'm Sixty-Four Today

I'm Sixty-Four Today — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 12:30:14 +0000

As much as he was admired, John Lennon was a disturbed man-child who misled a generation into turning our backs on God. Want to listen to a better anthem for your life? Try “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.

By: Thomas Aubin

Thomas Aubin — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 14:10:12 +0000

Did George sing the last vocal phrase “will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty four”?

By: Ken Simpson

Ken Simpson — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 11:23:28 +0000

Turned 64 yesterday and revisited the Sgt. Pepper album. It holds up well after near 50 years. Wondering if there’s any way to hear When I’m Sixty-four in its original key of C?

By: barudug

barudug — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:31:58 +0000

Am I the only one who hears Paul was using a different english accent when he sang “grand children on your knee” part?

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 00:51:08 +0000

I’m 64 today, and am listening to my original Sgt Peppers vinyl LP.

By: natureaker

natureaker — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:10:06 +0000

I honestly don’t consider it a drug reference, but I read that that line is what caused BBC to ban the song from their radio.

By: John Leper

John Leper — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:37:28 +0000

That little diddly bit he plays around the end on the recording really gets me every time. Reminds me of his playing on Honey Pie.

By: Martin Zukor

Martin Zukor — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:36:50 +0000

Is it me, or is the bass a mile out of tune? asks whacko.

I am not sure but the indispensable Alan Pollack reckons the clarinets are flat in places ( http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/wisf.shtml).

FWIW I think its placement on the album is part of what makes the album the strange masterpiece it is. My own theory (and maybe not even original) is that the whole work is best read as a musical meditation on an Englishness that was undergoing massive change. Old values and social norms were changing and under threat from a generation experimenting with everything from eastern spirituality, drugs, new sexual freedoms and a questioning of received wisdoms. In that sense it is a period piece but somehow (and maybe here’s the genius bit) they made it universal in terms of time and geography in ways I am not entirely sure about. Nostalgia is maybe a key factor here…

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 00:05:30 +0000

I was 17 when this song came out and on my 64th birthday I played guitar and had the whole family sing along. It was fun. The following year my wife turned 64 and we did it all over again. Long live The Beatles.

By: Nige

Nige — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:29:12 +0000

Vince if you are working class English and had a grandad with a love of gardening you wouldn’t need to ask my friend. I think my Grandad loved his gardening as much as he loved my gran 🙂

Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more’
Plenty of 64 yr olds would totally agree with that line 🙂

By: Vince

Vince — Sun, 31 May 2015 18:48:30 +0000

Does anyone think that this lyric is a drug reference?
Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more?