# You love the song and then you listen closely and hear... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642 "2013-04-13T23:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/61 "2013-08-16T04:37:11Z")
On the Beatles’ Paperback Writer, the background vocals are “Frère Jacques.” ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/62 "2013-08-16T17:13:55Z")
I don’t listen to a lot of current music, but it’s hard to listen to the radio these days and not hear Robin Thicke’s _Blurred Lines_. I liked the live performance he did on _America’s Got Talent_, but in the radio recording there’s a sample of Michael Jackson’s high-pitched “Woo” from _Billy Jean_. The problem is that it is not synced with the beat, so it’s all out of rhythm and drives me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/63 "2013-08-16T17:38:11Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > On the Beatles’ Paperback Writer, the background vocals are “Frère Jacques.” What? I’ve heard this song a hundred bajillion times and have no idea what you mean by this. Who is singing “Frère Jacques” and where? ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/64 "2013-08-16T18:05:24Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > What? I’ve heard this song a hundred bajillion times and have no idea what you mean by this. Who is singing “Frère Jacques” and where? [Listen to it (Skip to 1:00).](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taADLPtyDb0) While McCartney starts singing “It’s a thousand pages, will you take a few…” the background vocals John and George are singing aren’t just indistinct sounds, they’re singing “Frère Jacques.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/65 "2013-08-16T18:09:22Z")
I can’t listen at work but will later. BTW, I always heard it as “It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few…” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/66 "2013-08-16T18:10:38Z")
FWIW, the first dozen or so Google hits for “Beatles lyrics it’s a thousand pages” say the next words are “give or take.” ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/67 "2013-08-16T18:14:53Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > FWIW, the first dozen or so Google hits for “Beatles lyrics it’s a thousand pages” say the next words are “give or take.” 😃 Ha! I remember the obscure stuff, and forget the obvious stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/68 "2013-08-16T22:48:00Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > On the Beatles’ Paperback Writer, the background vocals are “Frère Jacques.” They’re not singing “Frère Jacques” they’re just harmonizing in the background. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/69 "2013-08-16T23:17:27Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > They’re not singing “Frère Jacques” they’re just harmonizing in the background. Yes, they are. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback_Writer#Recording) [Rolling Stone](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-beatles-music-20120612/john-and-george-sang-frere-jacques-on-paperback-writer-0973259) [Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=531854) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/70 "2013-08-17T00:26:22Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Yes, they are. > > [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback_Writer#Recording) > [Rolling Stone](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-beatles-music-20120612/john-and-george-sang-frere-jacques-on-paperback-writer-0973259) > [Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=531854) I’m interested, but the first cite is Wikipedia, the second cite doesn’t play for me, and the third cite is a circular reference back to the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/71 "2013-08-17T00:46:07Z")
For crying out loud. [Here](http://i.imgur.com/9ravoAj.jpg). That is a picture taken from my copy of [Mark Lewisohn’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lewisohn) authoritative book [The Beatles Recording Sessions](http://www.amazon.com/The-Beatles-Recording-Sessions-1962-1970/dp/0517570661). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/72 "2013-08-17T00:51:06Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > For crying out loud. [Here](http://i.imgur.com/9ravoAj.jpg). That is a picture taken from my copy of [Mark Lewisohn’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lewisohn) authoritative book [The Beatles Recording Sessions](http://www.amazon.com/The-Beatles-Recording-Sessions-1962-1970/dp/0517570661). Apologies for my skepticism. Fascinating backdrop. Thank you. And again, apologies, but you know how this Internet thing works sometimes. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/73 "2013-08-17T02:18:32Z")
I’ve always been a fan of Robert Plant’s [Big Log](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIvWBkagc3w). Still am. But I can’t listen to it on headphones, as the clapping on the offbeats sticks out too much. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/74 "2013-08-17T08:00:19Z")
There are several tracks of The Beach Boys’, most notably “Barbara Ann,” where it sounds like they invited their friends into the studio during recording and forgot to tell them “Oh, by the way, we’re trying to lay down a track – could you keep it down?” [“Purple Haze”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpAn1tbqDfQ) has Jimi Hendrix muttering something during the instrumental break. RIght about 1:33-1:35 he whispers something that sounds like “Son of Sam, Son of Sam.” :dubious: Supposedly this is what gave the serial killer David Berkowitz… I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642/75 "2013-08-17T14:39:07Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > I don’t listen to a lot of current music, but it’s hard to listen to the radio these days and not hear Robin Thicke’s _Blurred Lines_. I liked the live performance he did on _America’s Got Talent_, but in the radio recording there’s a sample of Michael Jackson’s high-pitched “Woo” from _Billy Jean_. The problem is that it is not synced with the beat, so it’s all out of rhythm and drives me nuts. This annoys me so much that I started my own [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=698048)about it. Heh. Yes, that song drives me nuts too because of that sound, and I can’t escape that song because it’s played everywhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-love-the-song-and-then-you-listen-closely-and-hear/655642.md?page=3)