A classic song from legendary rock band The Beatles was given a “magic” change by Paul McCartney, who suggested “slowing down” the tempo.
The Beatles’ bassist and songwriter would be instrumental in making the track a classic, with one simple change all that was needed for the song to break through. Fans of the song have since suggested it’s a perfect fit. McCartney was hailed by many as a genius for finding a route through the track, even though John Lennon was the main writer. George Harrison would say in an interview that he wrote a few lines for Come Together, but the song remains a predominantly Lennon-written track. McCartney would suggest changing the tempo of the track, sharing as much in an interview decades after the release of Abbey Road. Speaking to Rick Rubin about the change, McCartney confirmed it was his idea to fundamentally change the song.
An explanation for the change to the song can be found on the McCartney 3, 2, 1 documentary, which features the Wings frontman break down some of his biggest songs. One such song would be Come Together, a track that, before his intervention, sounded more like a Chuck Berry riff.
He recalled: “I said, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute, that’s a Chuck Berry song.’ The opening line is, ‘Here come old flat-top.’ I said, ‘But we gotta do something to get away from that. So I just suggested we slowed it down.”
The “swampy back and forth” brought about by the slower tempo is what made the song a hit. Fans unanimously agree that McCartney’s suggestion was the game-changer. One user took to Twitter and replied to a clip of the documentary praising the change. They wrote: “Hard to believe it’s been over 50 years and Come Together still sounds so fresh and relevant.
“The Beatles didn’t just write songs, they captured a moment in time and made it eternal. Hearing Paul talk about the process in his own words just adds another layer of magic.” Another suggested it was McCartney’s passion for his own band’s work that makes the difference.
One person wrote: “Paul is one of the biggest Beatles fans – he loves listening to the music as much as we do.” A third added: “One of the songs that makes Abbey Road their best album. They’d never done anything like it before.”
George Martin, The Beatles’ long-serving producer, would say Come Together is the best example of the group’s work together. Not only was it one of his favourite’s from the group, but drummer Ringo Starr also considers the Abbey Road opener the band’s best.
Martin said of the song: “If I had to pick one song that showed the four disparate talents of the boys and the ways they combined to make a great sound, I would choose ‘Come Together’. The original song is good, and with John’s voice, it’s better. Then Paul has this idea for this great little riff.
“And Ringo hears that and does a drum thing that fits in, and that establishes a pattern that John leapt upon and did the [‘shoot me’] part. And then there’s George’s guitar at the end. The four of them became much, much better than the individual components.”
