Day Tripper

Richard Furnstein: George Martin: "You boys write a new hit song yet?" John Lennon: "We wrote this riff that's really killer and it goes on forever." George Martin: "Well, let's wrap that up and get it on a single, it's been like three months since your last hit." Paul McCartney: "Cool. We'll make it about drugs or whatever but not really about drugs because we don't want it to get banned like my future solo hit 'Hi Hi HI.'" George Martin: "You guys sure like drugs!" George Harrison: "Oh hey, are you guys talking about drugs? They're great!"

They were looking down their nose at all the 9-to-5-ers shuffling through their daily routines, who didn't have fur coats and stylish Moroccan carpeting and Aston-Martins and grand pianos.

Robert Bunter: That's only a slight exaggeration of the "Day Tripper" demo tracking sessions! The boys were feeling arrogant and smug as they surveyed the square, conformist world around them through dilated pupils and the windows of their mansions and limos. Paul later explained that the lyric was actually a put-down of "weekend hippies." It must have made them feel even more smug to realize that nobody who heard this thing would know that's what they were singing about. Most people just assumed they were painting another unflattering picture of a woman, like the ones in "Girl" and "You Won't See Me" and "Drive My Car" and "I'm Looking Through You" and "Norwegian Wood." People didn't even know they were saying "prick teaser." How are they supposed to get their heads around a weird made-up insult like "Day Tripper"? They were looking down their nose at all the 9-to-5-ers shuffling through their daily routines, who didn't have fur coats and stylish Moroccan carpeting and Aston-Martins and grand pianos. But do you know what? It was those "Day Trippers" clocking in at the office day after day who paid for all those carpets. Think about that, Beatles, before you decide to write another goddamn insulting single like "Day Tripper." We can't all sit around on cushions and blow our minds all day. Somebody's got to mind the store.

Richard Furnstein: And mind the store they did, to the tune of number one singles for this and its infinitely superior flip ("We Can Work It Out"). "Day Tripper" is all cool detachment and casual wordplay, but "Work It Out" has greater aspirations towards explaining the human condition behind stoned and square minds. It is nice that "Day Tripper" has that RIFF, so that normal halfbrains can dig on it and think this song is about a trip to the beach or Six Flags or something. "Pack a sandwich, honey." "Oh, did you remember those Coke cans so that we can get half priced admission?" "Of course I did."

Robert Bunter: On purely music grounds, this is pretty innovative. Yeah, it's a repetitive riff, but just when you think you're hearing another 12 blues, the chorus comes in and takes us to a whole new place. Then you've got that great buildup on the bridge and those classic Beatle "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" backups. Paul's doing some nice things on the bass (especially those throbbing notes on the fadeout), and did I mention Ringo's insistent tom-toms and funky tambo? I've got to say: this is a killer single from start to finish. Lots to love here.

Richard Furnstein: Plus, it's like "who is singing lead?" And then you realize that it doesn't matter because they are both singing lead and they are the best singers and this may be a lesser single/melody/cultural concept from the (in transition) supermen, but you drink it all down and can't believe that this isn't ambrosia sex milk stuff. Seven stars out of five.