Is this the source of the Beatles' success?

Not really, although it's something to think about.

There were several components to the success and word choice was just one of them. What works for lyrics (add rhythmn and music) can sound horribly trite when spoken or read. "Ode to Joy" and other pieces of Beethoven's music are immortal, but there's little "I" or "you" in there. Many counterexamples can be given.

...although it WOULD be interesting to analyze top songs for the past mumble years and compare the "I/you/me" content in them (I'm going for a PhD in Anthropology, so for the next six years or so you can expect to read me mumbling about "...but you know, someone COULD investigate that just to see if there's really anything to that notion..." Occupational hazard of anthropologist-wannabe.)


5 minute mentor