

There is no arguing that this is an honest-to-gosh Beatles song. Compare it to the stripped-down version John does by himself on Lennon Anthology, and (nice as John's version is) it instantly illustrates the difference between a Beatles cover version and a Beatles song. George's stinging slide guitar and the gorgeous harmonies add an undeniable punch to the song and a tear to the eye. The Beatles' video for this song is even more poignant, with Beatles paraphenalia (Sgt. Pepper uniforms, etc.) ascending to heaven as The Beatles perform the song in the studio, ending with all four Fabs (via old concert footage) taking a final bow. Perfect!
The negative and mostly unwarranted criticism this song received upon initial release is enough to show why The Beatles never performed together again in any format. If they offer their very best and the critics say, "That really stinks. By the way, when are you guys going to get together again?", what do you expect?
(C) 2008, It's All Too Much.