Expert: Nick Marasciulo - 2/13/2008

Question
Hi Nick,
I've got a question related to the lyrics of the Beatles. I'd like to know if there is a book where one can check the secret symbols or hidden meanings or information about why or how the songs were written. It's for a school project. My students need to know everything about the lyrics. e.g. Is Penny Lane only a road or is there anything else .. why was it remarkable for them ?
Thank you so much in advance.
Best wishes,
Soraya

Answer
Hi Soraya,
well at a first glance in my memory I don't think such a book exists.
(but thanks so much: that's an idea for me to start such a project!)
First of consider that many rumours about hidden meanings are just rubbish... (I refer, for example, to the whole "Paul is dead" thing).

Actually there's a book by Ian McDonald (Revolution in the head, the Beatles' songs and the Sixties) which analyzes each song, but mostly from a musical point of view. Anyway it contains an essay on their social impact and context, too. In my opinion one of the "must" books about The Beatles.
Moreover keep in mind that all the lyrics' background material comes out from rivers of interviews in these last more than forty years, so it'd be quite diffucult to indicate all the sources.
The one thing I can tell you is, if it can help, to send me here at allaexperts a list of songs and I will give you some details about each one (in that case, it would be better if you indicate your e-mail address so that I could answer in a larger amount of time than the only three days allowed here at allexperts.)
Hope it helps in some way.
bye.
N.