# What's the best song off of "A Hard Day's Night"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347 "2010-09-10T23:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/1 "2010-09-10T23:02:29Z")
Previous polls (still active): [**Please Please Me**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=577382) and [**With the Beatles**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=577641). There can be only one–which would you choose? ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/2 "2010-09-10T23:22:49Z")
I was at a “bad ass biker bar” in the 90s on a Saturday night. The bar played very alternative to the day hard edge rock. About midnight, in a packed bar the DJ put played Hard Days Night. At first it got quizical looks, then at about 60-90 seconds the bad boys started to smile. It wasn’t quite a sing along, but by the time the song finished, it wasn’t such a bad ass bar anymore. Yet, it was and will always be a Great rock and roll song. Perfect for any time or place. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/3 "2010-09-10T23:45:31Z")
This is an album I listened to a lot of when I was a kid. “Things We Said Today” is my favorite off it. It’s not as well known as a lot of Beatles tracks, but I just love how the feel of the song changes between the verse and bridge. Beautiful harmonies, great interplay of minor and major tonalities. A simple, but perfect song in every respect. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/4 "2010-09-10T23:51:57Z")
One of the most difficult for me. I picked “You Can’t Do That” for the nasty grit in John’s voice and the alternately raunchy and chiming guitars, but it could as easily have been the title track, “Any Time At All”, “Tell Me Why”, “Things We Said Today”, “I’ll Be Back”… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/5 "2010-09-11T00:03:14Z")
This is where it starts getting impossible…though not as impossible as the next album. I’m going to give the nod to “Can’t Buy Me Love” for the electrifying opening (as in “She Loves You,” the Beatles dive right in with the refrain, one of their many clever song structure ideas) and that awesome Paul vocal (“Tell me that you want the kind of _thahngs_…”). But it could just as well have been the title track, or “You Can’t Do That,” or “I’ll Cry Instead,” or “I Should Have Known Better,” or… ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/6 "2010-09-11T00:14:26Z")
‘If I Fell’, with ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ close behind. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/7 "2010-09-11T00:26:39Z")
Hard Day’s Night for the guitar solo if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/8 "2010-09-11T00:48:08Z")
“I Should Have Known Better” was a close 2nd, but I have to give my vote to “Tell Me Why,” if for no other reason than sheer exuberance of the performance. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/9 "2010-09-11T02:08:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “I Should Have Known Better” was a close 2nd, but I have to give my vote to “Tell Me Why,” if for no other reason than sheer exuberance of the performance. God, what an intro! How did they ever come up with that astonishing rhythm? Loses points for me for the squealy falsetto bit in the bridge, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/10 "2010-09-11T02:17:43Z")
This actually was very difficult for me to choose. My personal favorite varies between “You Can’t do That” and “A Hard Day’s Night.” I love the energy of how the title track starts, it’s like an explosion. So, I went with it. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/11 "2010-09-11T02:22:19Z")
It was close between \*I Should Have Known Better \*and _If I Fell_, with the former winning by an eighth note. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/12 "2010-09-11T02:29:34Z")
Ahhh, now we’re talking. This is one of my favorite Beatles albums, and it contains what I often cite as my favorite Beatles song: “ **I Should Have Known Better** ”. Love the harmonizing, love the harmonica, love when they sing, “…and when I ask you to be mi, i-_i-iiiiiine!_” But I certainly can’t fault anyone for choosing any of the other tunes; they’re all first-rate. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/13 "2010-09-11T02:32:59Z")
Got to go with “A Hard Day’s Night,” thought I was very tempted to choose “You Can’t Do That.” Ultimately, I couldn’t choose it because the Beatles version is inferior to [Harry Nilsson’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-3IH3T1DoE) masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/14 "2010-09-11T03:27:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > “ **I Should Have Known Better** ”. Love the harmonizing, love the harmonica, love when they sing, “…and when I ask you to be mi, i-_i-iiiiiine!_” Now _that’s_ what a falsetto should sound like. ---
**Author:** ![I-VI-ii-V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I-VI-ii-V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I-VI-ii-V)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/15 "2010-09-11T04:59:55Z")
“Any Time at All” for the following reasons: 1. Starts with a rocking chorus 2. The call and response between John and Paul in the chorus 3. The overdubbed vocals in the verses that blend the two halves seamlessly Big honorable mention for the [opening chord](http://everything2.com/title/The+%2522A+Hard+Day%2527s+Night%2522+Chord+-+Rock%2527s+Holy+Grail) of “A Hard Day’s Night”. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/16 "2010-09-11T06:56:11Z")
This was hard as I liked all the songs on it. I gave the vote to the title track though ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/17 "2010-09-11T07:14:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > This is an album I listened to a lot of when I was a kid. “Things We Said Today” is my favorite off it. It’s not as well known as a lot of Beatles tracks, but I just love how the feel of the song changes between the verse and bridge. Beautiful harmonies, great interplay of minor and major tonalities. A simple, but perfect song in every respect. You said what I wanted to say, but better. 🙂 _Things We Said Today_ is one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. Just the sound of it captivated me from the very first time I heard it. _Hard Day’s Night_ is good too, but it doesn’t really come near any of the top slots IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/18 "2010-09-11T08:09:53Z")
After a ten minute debate, I had to go with **Can’t Buy Me Love**. But I also really wanted to vote for **If I Fell** and **I Should Have Known Better** …well, I wanted to vote for the whole album, that’s why it was a ten minute debate. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/19 "2010-09-11T11:23:47Z")
I voted for “Any Time At All” for sentimental reasons, but this is essentially a 6- or 7-way tie for me. What a record. And to think I was stuck with the US version for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/20 "2010-09-11T12:20:00Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > > [@pulykamell](#): > > > > This is an album I listened to a lot of when I was a kid. “Things We Said Today” is my favorite off it. It’s not as well known as a lot of Beatles tracks, but I just love how the feel of the song changes between the verse and bridge. Beautiful harmonies, great interplay of minor and major tonalities. A simple, but perfect song in every respect. > > You said what I wanted to say, but better. 🙂 > > _Things We Said Today_ is one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. Just the sound of it captivated me from the very first time I heard it. _Hard Day’s Night_ is good too, but it doesn’t really come near any of the top slots IMHO. I’m glad it’s running third (albeit distant) in this poll. “All My Loving” blew away the competition in the last poll, but when it comes to Long-Distance Love Songs, it can’t even hold a candle to this beautiful, musically sophisticated song. One of my Fab Four Faves as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347.md?page=2)