The Influence Of The Beatles VI And Rubber Soul

The Beatles’ songwriting became more introspective and their music more sophisticated between Beatles VI and Rubber Soul. Influence from other artists in the music industry, the exhausting pressures of global fame, and the Beatles’ introduction to drugs influenced a change in their music during the “middle period” of the careers.

While Beatles VI and Rubber Soul are vastly different from one another, both albums were released in 1965 and are considered a part of the Beatles’ “middle period.” During this period, the Beatles music began to shift from the sound of their earlier albums. Meeting artists like Bob Dylan was highly influential to the Beatles, and their music reflected this influence as they began recording more folk-inspired music

82). While the Beatles continued innovating rock music in the mid-sixties, other groups like the Rolling Stones, the Temptations and the Supremes gave some Beatles some competition on the music charts. The Byrds joined the Beatles in innovating the genre of folk rock, while the Beach Boys rivaled the Beatles in the studio with several creative hits (Everett and Riley, 2019, pg. 100). While the Beatles did not offer a lot of social commentary in the mid-sixties, events like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement were greatly shaping society and affecting music. While these specific issues were not explicitly talked about in Beatles’ songs during this era, the Beatles did push social boundaries, albeit more

Like many Beatles songs, “Drive My Car” still has themes of romance, and there is definitely a sexual connotation to the song, but the female perspective was completely different and very progressive from the Beatles’ earlier songs. Another song that highlights the Beatles’ evolving songwriting is “Nowhere Man.” This song was primarily written by John Lennon and is very introspective. According to Decker, [“Nowhere Man” breaks the unstated rules for pop content. Love, cars, parental constraints] (pg. 80). This song doesn’t touch on any of the things discussed in early Beatles or other rock n’ roll songs. Rather, it is about a man who feels lost and confused, perhaps reflecting how John Lennon was feeling when he wrote this song (“He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. Doesn't have a point of view, knows not where he's going, Isn't he a bit like you and me?”). The line “Isn’t he a bit like you and me” is a very introspective line, making it feel as if Lennon is comparing himself and maybe even the listener to the “Nowhere Man.” Other songs on Rubber Soul like “Think for Yourself” and “Girl” drastically differ from the Beatles’ songs on Beatles VI, offering completely new perspectives, especially towards