“The Word” was John Lennon’s first (and better) “All You Need is Love”
With harmonies that are off-putting yet satisfying, Lennon introduces us to the unfamiliar practice of love and how it can enrich our life.
I was first introduced to The Beatles at age 12 when for our end-of-the-year celebration, the sixth grade teachers chose for their students to perform “All You Need is Love” in front of the other students and their parents. From the first second I heard that French anthem playing, I was disgusted. The harmonies of “Love, love, love” were not pleasant and even as a kid, I thought Lennon’s lyrics were cheesy and stupid. Not to mention, attending a tiny charter school for middle school meant that every other student in my class humiliated and bullied me as a group, so standing in the middle of them waving flags we spent 20 minutes drawing with crayons and hearing their off-pitch voices screaming as they tried to find the pitch was torture and filled me with rage.
Needless to say, I hated the band from then on for the next three years. To this day, I still see “All You Need is Love” as my least favorite song of all time (next to another beloved hit, “Baba O’Riley” by The Who). It wasn’t until I discovered Paul McCartney that I started to give The Beatles a chance.
But that’s not to say I hate John Lennon. And while I still despise “All You Need is Love,” there is another song from my favorite Beatles album that is infinitely better but doesn’t get as much spotlight: “The Word” from the Rubber Soul album. With its use of harmonies and suspension of information, “The Word” not only delivers the message that “All You Need is Love” set out to fulfill, but it exemplifies it in a more effective and thought-provoking manner that is less annoying than the Yellow Submarine track.
The first thing you may notice about “The Word” is that the harmonies don’t feel like they quite fit with the chords. There is something about them that is off, like a scene you have often seen before with something unfamiliar has been added. But it is not unfamiliar in the sense that it is unpleasant, rather the strangeness of it intrigues you and is somewhat satisfying.
Say the word and you’ll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I’m thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
The title, the lyrics, “the word” is never shoved in your face like with “All You Need is Love.” Instead of forcing you to see the importance and convenience of love, “The Word” builds tension. It draws you in, makes you ask, “What is the word? What will make me free?” It makes you promises, makes you want to know what the word is. And then you hear it: the word is “love.” You know that word. And as you think about it, you start to understand the promises mentioned earlier.
It is not a new word. We have all heard it before. But just as the harmonies seem off but satisfying at the same time, all of a sudden, the lyrics start to make sense. And you begin to make the journey with Lennon.
In the beginning I misunderstood
But now I’ve got it, the word is good
Not unlike “All You Need is Love,” the lyrics of “The Word” are so easily comprehensible, a kindergartner could do it. There is no hidden meaning behind the words said. Lennon is simply saying, “Love is good.” But the way the word is introduced to us is presented in a way not unlike the feeling of learning a new skill. While it is such a simple concept, the world doesn’t seem to except how easy it would be if everyone decided to express love instead of hate towards each other. So in a way, it is an unfamiliar topic to many, and John Lennon is teaching us about it: the word will set you free, it’s like a ray of sunshine.
It appalls me that “The Word” is rarely brought up in discussion of Lennon’s impact on society. “Imagine” is a great song, and of course “All You Need is Love” touched a lot of people, but not every impactful song has to have a somber mood or ballad-type style. In “The Word,” we are not being reminded of what love is, we are being introduced to the fruits of it and how it can enrich our lives.
