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Background on the song: Paul McCartney wrote this in 1968 while in India with the rest of the Beatles. He had originally intended for it to appear on The White Album, but for some reason he pulled the song. Then it was to appear on Abbey Road, and again it was withheld. Ultimately, it appeared on McCartney's first solo album in two versions: one with lyrics and one as an instrumental known as "Sing-along Junk." The only Beatles album it ever appeared on is the Beatles Anthology 3.

I always wondered if McCartney's use of the "junk" images in the song is a metaphor for something else, in the way that he used "Blackbird." But you never know with McCartney. He might simply have written about the things he saw around his Liverpool neighborhood, as he did in "Penny Lane."

Why I chose this song: I always found Paul's guitar-playing on this song beautiful, haunting, and spare. 40 years ago when I first heard it I said to myself, "Some day..."

The challenges: Oddly, the biggest challenge was centered around the tablature. I downloaded three of them, and they were all completely different, using different tunings. I ultimately settled on the one on which someone had written "This is the easiest one to play." After tuning my guitar to D-G-C-G-B-E, I discovered that the tab was so flawed that everything after the first chord was unusable. But using that one chord I was able to build out the rest of the song from memory. After that challenge, the actual playing of the song, I discovered to my great surprise, is incredibly easy, and I would rate this song only slightly more difficult than one of Neil's campfire songs.



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Excellent! Excellent Dennis! Never heard that song before but you really brought it to life. Great interpretation. Superb job and so well sung. Take a bow Dennis:

Dennis that was freaking awesome!!! LOVED it. Great song. Know it well but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to give it a go. Looking at your video gives me hope. Man that was good!!! Great job on the siging. I was going through an excersize on that today and couldn't get my voice to project. I see that you have a mike. Sounded perfect. Oh and that Maple was ringing sweet from the guitar. Fantastic job.



MarkM

"freaking awesome!!!" That was the phrase that was eluding me!

I really like your version of this song! It's certainly not a tune I've heard covered often. I think you did a good job figuring out the tab/music for yourself. You did it justice for sure.

Thanks for sharing it with us. Will you be sharing your version of the tab as well? (hint hint :laugh: )

Megan

Dennis,

I am not familiar with that tune, but I agree there is something captivating about it.

I don't know how well Paul McCartney did it, but I think DennisG did a superb job on it. Very cleanly executed, and very well produced, I might add. Your tech looks and sounds very much in order.

Now, about your singing. I think your voice has qualities that enhance the captivating tone of the song. I think your voice is great.

Working out the tab is quite noteworthy. I think the familiarity with the song that exercise affords you shows through in your performance.

Thanks for posting. I very much look forward to your next release.

wrench

I'm sure Paul himself would think your effort "absolutely smashing" Dennis. I simply loved it, one of the best videos I've seen here. It may be relatively simple (so you say) but you did such a professional job of it, I am blown away. Bravo.

(Oh...I'm digging you getting your guns out with the Bruce Springsteen tribute muscle shirt as well....)

Exxxxxcellent!!!

Dennis,

That was incredible. I don't remember the last time I might have heard that so I can't compare against Paul's version, but why would I? I thought it was fantastic. And your singing, Man that was top notch.
Thanks for posting it.

Bob

AWESOME Dennis. You absolutely nailed it! Great video, you should be very proud. Thank you for posting your video.




Bill