# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/21 "2010-09-11T13:06:13Z")
I’ll Cry Instead - John Lennon as James Dean ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/22 "2010-09-11T15:30:16Z")
A Hard Days Night for me. Just the opening alone, possibly the most famous opening chord in pop/rock history, makes it worthy of my vote. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/23 "2010-09-11T16:06:30Z")
Gah, this is almost impossible! I ended up with “And I Love Her” because it’s achingly lovely, and really 'cause I figured no one else would pick it (and I like to go for underdogs). But I could’ve gone with almost anything – this album is one of their strongest, and that’s saying something. “Hard Day’s Night,” “If I Fell,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “You Can’t Do That,” “Things We Said Today,” “When I Get Home…” all amazing songs. In my younger years I’d have said “I Should Have Known Better,” because it’s the song I vividly remember getting a crush on John with when I saw a rerelease of AHDN in my local movie theater when I was about 13 or so. So I have great fondness for it. But I think these days it’s moved to fourth or fifth, behind “And I Love Her” and “Hard Day’s Night” and “You Can’t Do That” and “When I Get Home.” > [@RealityChuck](#): > > 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. Boy oh boy, do I disagree. I mean, Nilsson’s version is … all right, I guess. But next to John’s, it sounds like a half-hearted tribute by a cruise ship lounge singer. He saps all the energy and edge out of the song. Lennon’s version is vaguely threatening, bitter, and has _such_ wonderful, sharp-tongued backup vocals. Nilsson ruins the middle section with his silly “Sha-la-las.” It’s really not much of a threat when a wet noodle like Nilsson says “if I catch you talkin’ to that boy again…” Not to mention the pseudo-tropical “de lime and de coconut”-esque accompaniment. Don’t get me wrong, I dig the guy, but I just don’t like this version of this song _at all_. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/24 "2010-09-11T17:12:26Z")
Another _Hard Day’s Night_ vote brought on by the opening chord. ---
**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, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/25 "2010-09-11T17:36:35Z")
In reviewing the current standings, I notice that two songs - ‘When I Get Home’ and ‘I’m Happy Just To Dance with You’ have received zero votes. And I realized: these are both, IMO, outstanding songs. Says something about the strength of the album. 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, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/26 "2010-09-11T17:55:13Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Boy oh boy, do I disagree. I mean, Nilsson’s version is … all right, I guess. But next to John’s, it sounds like a half-hearted tribute by a cruise ship lounge singer. He saps all the energy and edge out of the song. Lennon’s version is vaguely threatening, bitter, and has _such_ wonderful, sharp-tongued backup vocals. Nilsson ruins the middle section with his silly “Sha-la-las.” It’s really not much of a threat when a wet noodle like Nilsson says “if I catch you talkin’ to that boy again…” Not to mention the pseudo-tropical “de lime and de coconut”-esque accompaniment. Don’t get me wrong, I dig the guy, but I just don’t like this version of this song _at all_. Well, Lennon loved it. Nilsson isn’t covering “You Can’t Do That”; he’s performing a tribute to **all** Beatles songs and the way he combines them is magical. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/27 "2010-09-13T15:26:16Z")
Beatles bump. Will probably get the next poll up later today, but wanted this one to get at least as many participants as “PPM”. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/28 "2010-09-13T15:37:07Z")
This is my favourite Beatles album so yes, it’s very difficult. The album is almost a greatest hits collection for me - “I Should Have Known Better”, “Things We Said Today”, “You Can’t Do That”, and “I’ll Be Back” are all A-list Beatles tracks, and the two singles are of course excellent too. But I think “If I Fell” is one of the most beautiful tunes Lennon ever wrote, so I voted for that. (It also tickles me that they referred to it as “If I Fell Over”.) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/29 "2010-09-13T16:56:37Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > 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. This. 🙂 What a great album! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/30 "2010-09-13T17:31:41Z")
I’m sad that no one’s picked “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You” or “When I Get Home.” Which I guess just goes to show how deep this album’s bench is – these are terrific songs but there are simply too many other even better tracks to choose from. “I’m Happy…” has a baseline that’s a mandatory singalong for me. “When I Get Home” is yet another solid performance from Lennon (he was really on fire for this album, wasn’t he?) and as a song is also eminently singalongable. For me, it’s easier to pick the “weakest” song off this album, but only by process of elimination of all the great ones. I’d reluctantly pick “I’ll Be Back.” Which is _still_ an enjoyable song, with lovely harmonizing from the lads. I just find it the least of an astonishing list … no big insult, that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/31 "2010-09-13T19:51:24Z")
> [@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. Yeah count me in for **Things We Said Today** , too - just a brilliantly crafted song all around. I keep finding myself hearing the whole, picking it apart and the re-hearing the whole - and still not getting how all the parts work so well together. A Hard Day’s Night would be next for me… ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/32 "2010-09-13T21:58:25Z")
Difficult choice, but then almost every album is going to be a very difficult choice for me. But, I gotta go with the title track. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/33 "2010-09-14T00:25:59Z")
I’d forgotten just how crazy strong this album is. I chose “If I Fell”, but I could have just as easily picked “Things We Said Today”, “I Should Have Known Better”, “I’ll Be Back”, or the title track. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/34 "2010-09-14T00:53:10Z")
Impossible to choose, but on this particular day I’ll go with CBML. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/35 "2010-09-24T02:41:20Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > > [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > > > 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. > > Yeah count me in for **Things We Said Today** , too - just a brilliantly crafted song all around. I keep finding myself hearing the whole, picking it apart and the re-hearing the whole - and still not getting how all the parts work so well together. > > A Hard Day’s Night would be next for me… Ditto. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/36 "2010-09-24T02:51:05Z")
I went for “You Can’t Do That” for the riff, the great cutting guitar interplay between John and George, and the superb backing provided by George and Paul — their best in that mold since “Money.” It was a close tie with “Can’t Buy Me Love” and the title track. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347/37 "2010-10-18T18:37:22Z")
The Beatles’ first few albums (the original, canonical British ones), before they stopped touring, alternate between being great and being mostly dull filler with just one or two good songs: Please Please Me - Wonderful, a gem With the Beatles - Mostly forgettable A Hard Day’s Night - The first where they wrote all the songs, and they are all great! Beatles for Sale - Weak Help - Starting to get more experimental. It doesn’t all work, but plenty enough works beautifully On the good ones, it is hard to pick out a favorite. On the weaker ones it is fairly easy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-song-off-of-a-hard-days-night/553347.md?page=1)