# Lennon's best ballad, McCartney's best rocker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175 "2017-10-18T01:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/1 "2017-10-18T01:25:25Z")
The common conception seems to be that Paul is the king of the ballads, while John was the rocking soul of the guys. Of course that’s simplistic, because there are many exceptions on both counts, but well, the gist is true IMHO. But then, what were the great exceptions? I’m counting original Beatles, original solo songs and cover versions done by one of them. For me it’s “If I Fell” in Lennons’s case and “Long Tall Sally” in McCartney’s. I don’t know how much the two still collaborated in songwriting in 1964, and of course Paul provided great harmonies, but I think that “If I Fell” is John’s song, and it’s just beautiful. I’m sorry that I took “Long Tall Sally” over his own “I’m Down” in Paul’s case, but I think his rocking soul shines best when he’s doing Little Richard, which he obviously also does on “I’m Down”, but “Long Tall Sally” is just a tad more frenetic. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/2 "2017-10-18T01:27:52Z")
In My Life/Oh! Darling ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/3 "2017-10-18T01:38:53Z")
Beatles songs: Julia/Helter Skelter Solo songs: Love/Soily ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/4 "2017-10-18T02:12:02Z")
I’m with you in terms of the general vibe, but it doesn’t hold up with any scrutiny. I Saw Her Standing There, Paperback Writer rock hard and are all Paul. Hide Your Love Away, In My Life, Across the Universe are all John ballads. It’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/5 "2017-10-18T02:12:17Z")
Sexy Sadie/I Saw Her Standing There ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/6 "2017-10-18T02:17:26Z")
Duh, Imagine/ Hey Jude ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/7 "2017-10-18T02:47:01Z")
Jealous Guy / Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/8 "2017-10-18T04:17:05Z")
In My Life for Lennon, Live and Let Die for McCartney Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/9 "2017-10-18T04:25:37Z")
I’m gonna go with In My Life and Helter Skelter. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/10 "2017-10-18T04:34:33Z")
In My Life/I Saw Her Standing There ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/11 "2017-10-18T05:13:40Z")
I remember that John was especially proud of having written _Nowhere Man_. Probably due more to lyrical content than melody, but that’s just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/12 "2017-10-18T05:43:03Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I remember that John was especially proud of having written _Nowhere Man_. Probably due more to lyrical content than melody, but that’s just a guess. He considered “Nowhere Man” to be “honest,” in that it was reflective of how he felt at the time and not something he just knocked out for the sake of filling an album. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/13 "2017-10-18T07:07:36Z")
Sexy Sadie/Back in the U.S.S.R. so I won’t post again: Julia/I Saw Her Standing There ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/14 "2017-10-18T11:23:27Z")
I’ll Be Back/Got to Get You Into My Life ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/15 "2017-10-18T12:13:47Z")
Jealous guy / Jet. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/16 "2017-10-18T13:02:29Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > The common conception seems to be that Paul is the king of the ballads, while John was the rocking soul of the guys. Of course that’s simplistic, because there are many exceptions on both counts, but well, the gist is true IMHO. The more I think about this, the more I think it’s not just simplistic, it’s flat-out wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/17 "2017-10-18T13:34:01Z")
I’m Down is in the same vein as Long Tall Sally, and much more “rock-y”, imho. Plus Paul actually wrote it. . ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/18 "2017-10-18T13:36:13Z")
Image “I’m Looking Though You,” Paul’s badass tribute to Jane Asher. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/19 "2017-10-18T15:57:26Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Image Did you mean _Tell Me What You See?_😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175/20 "2017-10-18T16:01:25Z")
Does “Norwegian Wood” count as a ballad? If not then “In My Life”. Gotta be “Helter Skelter” for Paul. It definitely rocks harder than “I Can See For Miles”. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lennons-best-ballad-mccartneys-best-rocker/799175.md?page=2)