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The Beatles — We Can Work It Out
Album: Past Masters
Avg rating:
8.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 948









Released: 1970
Length: 2:11
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?
While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone

We can work it out
We can work it out

Think of what you're saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's all right
Think of what I'm saying
We can work it out and get it straight or say goodnight

We can work it out
We can work it out

Life is very short and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again

Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long

We can work it out
We can work it out

Life is very short and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again

Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long

We can work it out
We can work it out
Comments (90)add comment
One of Macca's best (with John contributing the middle 8). Godlike indeed. And all in 2'15".
If this is remastered, I prefer the original, to be honest.


First issued as a double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965.  Unbelievable!

 westslope wrote:

Is that an accordion I hear?



Nope, it is a Harmonium.  
The funny thing is, Bill's algorithm has either Pink Floyd or the Beatles follow Radiohead more often than not.  Been listening for 18 years. 
 westslope wrote:

Is that an accordion I hear?



It's a harmonium, I think.
The released mix is far better. That's why they put it on the original LP.
wow

they sure nail those harmonies 
clearly God is missing from this equation  Scientist79 wrote:
From a single cell to humans.....from humans to the beatles


 

S-I-G-H
Is that an accordion I hear?
What a mean, and awkwardly written, tune.

Still, a good 7. 
My favorite folk band, ilyAIMY, from Baltimore, does a neat cover of this.

https://ilyaimy.com
This was also on the Yesterday and Today LP.
In my teen years you were either a Stones fan or a Beatles fan. I was a Stones fan, but this was the Beatles song that turned me into loving them also.
{#Bananapiano} ......... is G O D L I K E
 Scientist79 wrote:

From a single cell to humans.....from humans to the beatles



 
unfortunately for us only four (if you count ringo) of us (humans) evolved into beatles.  

i only regret that they could not heed their own advice
Beatles = Godlike

From a single cell to humans.....from humans to the beatles


Consummate composers, lyricists, and performers.  Their music will last as long as Brahms and Mozart.
Everyone in you-know-who's church loves this one :)

Everybody in my church is dancing...  love this song...
 

as marvelous as ever to this day...  incredible song forever...
 
 GuiltyFeat wrote:
"Life is very short..."

Greatest middle eight in pop history? I challenge you to find a better one.
 
In all of my best songs, the crux of the matter should wait for the middle eight. 
 TJS wrote:
I'm really not a Beatles fan, but this is one of the handful of their songs that I truly love.  10.
 
My personal favorite. {#Biggrin}
I'm really not a Beatles fan, but this is one of the handful of their songs that I truly love.  10.
 GuiltyFeat wrote:
"Life is very short..."

Greatest middle eight in pop history? I challenge you to find a better one.
 
Not being a musician (but an intensely curious person of eclectic tastes), the above led me off into internet realms to delve into "the middle eight". The current theme is the structure of things.  (I guess it's finally time to read The End of Bigness)  This fit right in. Thanks!
I'll keep a look-see for good middle eights. 
 GuiltyFeat wrote:
"Life is very short..."

Greatest middle eight in pop history? I challenge you to find a better one.
 
Is it really a middle eight? Surely it's just a verse?
you don't hear harmony like that anymore-classic
True Beatles harmony at its best!
 GuiltyFeat wrote:
"Life is very short..."

Greatest middle eight in pop history? I challenge you to find a better one.
 
Hmmm, I hadn't really thought about that before.  There are some great middle eights (though this particular example is really more of a "bridge") throughout popular music history; they don't seem to be as prevalent anymore.
People and Governments of the World !!!  Were you listening? We can work it out!

"Life is very short..."

Greatest middle eight in pop history? I challenge you to find a better one.
 midreaming wrote:
   ..more than the same 5 words I've ever you seen written by you. You must have been furious to carry on like that (lol) . I appreciate the effort too. But to clarify, my spelling and meaning stands. It was a metaphor, Mr. Literacy. And a pretty good one I think.

 Beatles music is the overly processed easily digestible food that makes you purr like a slobbering diaper wrapped toddler. Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are.  As for the capitalization point, I'm not so enamored with corporate anything that I feel it deserves grammatical respect. You can put your nose up corporate America's butt for all I care, and give it a great big smoooch. That's just not my style... 


 

Wow, did someone pyss in your Cheerios for one whole year straight?  And do me a big favor — don't sit next to me at dinner either, because I might be inclined to make you wear your macaroni and cheese.{#Whistle}

 midreaming wrote:
   You're using 2nd year historiography guides to make points in a discussion of cultural taste ?  I'm gonna guess - you're either in college, you wish you were in college or those years were just the best you've ever had and you can't let go.. straw man's a little off the map here but whatever.

 Here's a refresher on literacy and reasoning my little academe - cognitive skills developed through ritual of book reading and improvement of reading skills:
- Grammar, syntax, spelling and vocabulary.
- Ability to delay impulse toward immediate gratification
- Critical thinking
..agreed then -reasoning and literacy are different; but you obfuscate the point. They have a positive correlation. As one goes, so goes the other.

Now, to anyone who doesn't already know: Ann Coulter has been described as a right wing corporate lacky,  but you should decide for yourself. An example of A.C's intellectual acumen? -  Coulter: "I do think anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence"    there's a lot that could be said after that but I won't


  
STFU!! 

 apd wrote:
On a more important point: what's the "Past Master" album? Wasn't this on one of the "regular" albums?
 
I don't have my references here at work, but in England it was issued as a single b/w "Day Tripper" at the end of 1965. I'm pretty sure it showed up later on one of Capitol's unfortunate hashes, Yesterday and Today. So, it was really a single that was later on one of the American pseudo-albums.

 romeotuma wrote:
literate people generally love the Beatles...
 
Call me semi-literate then, innit?  {#Whistle}
 midreaming wrote:
   ..more than the same 5 words I've ever you seen written by you. You must have been furious to carry on like that (lol) . I appreciate the effort too. But to clarify, my spelling and meaning stands. It was a metaphor, Mr. Literacy. And a pretty good one I think.

 Beatles music is the overly processed easily digestible food that makes you purr like a slobbering diaper wrapped toddler. Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are.  As for the capitalization point, I'm not so enamored with corporate anything that I feel it deserves grammatical respect. You can put your nose up corporate America's butt for all I care, and give it a great big smoooch. That's just not my style... 


 
Bet you're a hoot at dinner parties. {#Whistle}

On a more important point: what's the "Past Master" album? Wasn't this on one of the "regular" albums?
 midreaming wrote:
   ..more than the same 5 words I've ever you seen written by you. You must have been furious to carry on like that (lol) . I appreciate the effort too. But to clarify, my spelling and meaning stands. It was a metaphor, Mr. Literacy. And a pretty good one I think.

 Beatles music is the overly processed easily digestible food that makes you purr like a slobbering diaper wrapped toddler. Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are.  As for the capitalization point, I'm not so enamored with corporate anything that I feel it deserves grammatical respect. You can put your nose up corporate America's butt for all I care, and give it a great big smoooch. That's just not my style... 


 
Ahem: "diaper wrapped" should be hypenated, Mr. Literacy.
This is one of the earlier Beatles songs that, to me, shows a sort of promise but does not fully realize the potential of its idea and execution. Which is to say, the melody is really catchy and strong and the lyrics are well crafted, but the combination is used up too early. As with Yesterday, I think in their later years they would have expanded more. Possibly this song is better for not being treated that way, but it has a sort of ephemeral quality for me.
Man, I'm a little emotional tonight...this song evokes beauty and pain.

 Cynaera wrote:
Fire bad.  Tree pretty.  I love the Beatles.
 
Thanks, I needed that!...hahahaha
Fire bad.  Tree pretty.  I love the Beatles.
 midreaming wrote:
   You're using 2nd year historiography guides to make points in a discussion of cultural taste ?  I'm gonna guess - you're either in college, you wish you were in college or those years were just the best you've ever had and you can't let go.. straw man's a little off the map here but whatever.

 Here's a refresher on literacy and reasoning my little academe - cognitive skills developed through ritual of book reading and improvement of reading skills:
- Grammar, syntax, spelling and vocabulary.
- Ability to delay impulse toward immediate gratification
- Critical thinking
..agreed then -reasoning and literacy are different; but you obfuscate the point. They have a positive correlation. As one goes, so goes the other.

Now, to anyone who doesn't already know: Ann Coulter has been described as a right wing corporate lacky,  but you should decide for yourself. An example of A.C's intellectual acumen? -  Coulter: "I do think anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence"    there's a lot that could be said after that but I won't


 

"In a discussion of cultural taste", or really any discussion, it isn't appropriate to use a straw man like "literate people".  It implies an intellectual high ground, which besides being bad form, begs the question: you're literate because of the way you write, not because you say you are.

On the subject at hand, the song has an 8.8 rating, which in your universe would imply that the illiterates have ruled the day.

These ratings have nothing to do with literacy, and everything to do with what people like.

And at an 8.8 rating, people appear to like it.
  
Bottom line: to say "Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are" is just bullshit.


 keller1 wrote:

More bullshit.

Check out "The Straw Man" here:

https://skepticreport.com/sr/?p=152

Then, if you're interested, check out the opening sentence of Godless by Ann Coulter.

Literacy and reasoning skills are two different things.

    You're using 2nd year historiography guides to make points in a discussion of cultural taste ?  I'm gonna guess - you're either in college, you wish you were in college or those years were just the best you've ever had and you can't let go.. straw man's a little off the map here but whatever.

 Here's a refresher on literacy and reasoning my little academe - cognitive skills developed through ritual of book reading and improvement of reading skills:
- Grammar, syntax, spelling and vocabulary.
- Ability to delay impulse toward immediate gratification
- Critical thinking
..agreed then -reasoning and literacy are different; but you obfuscate the point. They have a positive correlation. As one goes, so goes the other.

Now, to anyone who doesn't already know: Ann Coulter has been described as a right wing corporate lacky,  but you should decide for yourself. An example of A.C's intellectual acumen? -  Coulter: "I do think anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence"    there's a lot that could be said after that but I won't




 midreaming wrote:
   ..more than the same 5 words I've ever you seen written by you. You must have been furious to carry on like that (lol) . I appreciate the effort too. But to clarify, my spelling and meaning stands. It was a metaphor, Mr. Literacy. And a pretty good one I think.

 Beatles music is the overly processed easily digestible food that makes you purr like a slobbering diaper wrapped toddler. Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are.  As for the capitalization point, I'm not so enamored with corporate anything that I feel it deserves grammatical respect. You can put your nose up corporate America's butt for all I care, and give it a great big smoooch. That's just not my style... 


 
More bullshit.

Check out "The Straw Man" here:

https://skepticreport.com/sr/?p=152

Then, if you're interested, check out the opening sentence of Godless by Ann Coulter.

Literacy and reasoning skills are two different things.

 romeotuma wrote:

Uh, Pablum is a processed cereal for infants originally marketed by the Mead Johnson Company in 1931...  so if that is what you mean, then it should be capitalized... but I think what you are trying to say in a very illiterate way is "pabulum"...  with your illiteracy you demonstrate what a cretinous critic you are...

literate people generally love the Beatles...


    ..more than the same 5 words I've ever you seen written by you. You must have been furious to carry on like that (lol) . I appreciate the effort too. But to clarify, my spelling and meaning stands. It was a metaphor, Mr. Literacy. And a pretty good one I think.

 Beatles music is the overly processed easily digestible food that makes you purr like a slobbering diaper wrapped toddler. Literate people can see the Beatles for the commercial hype that they were and are.  As for the capitalization point, I'm not so enamored with corporate anything that I feel it deserves grammatical respect. You can put your nose up corporate America's butt for all I care, and give it a great big smoooch. That's just not my style... 




 midreaming wrote:

  This confirms everything I believe about the Beatles and their fans.   one word...  pablum


 

How?

One word .... bullshit.

  This confirms everything I believe about the Beatles and their fans.   one word...  pablum

romeotuma wrote:
This is a great song...  love the way it goes into the minor key in the middle eight, when Lennon sings the chorus part...  the Beatles were the Shakespeare of rock-n-roll...

 keller1 wrote:

Especially the "life is very short" line.  Wow ...
  


Reminds me of a schoolboy joke:

Q: How do mathematicians deal with constipation?
A: They work it out with a pencil.

I'll get me coat...
 romeotuma wrote:


love it love it love it love it...
 
Must ask, are you rating everything 10? 
classic
{#Yes}{#Hearteyes} Mugro wrote:
It's really incredible how fresh this song sounds after almost 50 years.
 


It's really incredible how fresh this song sounds after almost 50 years.
 supremo wrote:

You mean that Lennon/McCartney crap...

 

No, that Radiohead crap.
 romeotuma wrote:


This is a great song...  love the way it goes into the minor key in the middle eight, when Lennon sings the chorus part...  the Beatles were the Shakespeare of rock-n-roll...
 

Especially the "life is very short" line.  Wow ...
 jagdriver wrote:

You mean that David Byrne/Talking Heads crap...

 
Keep the Porcupine Tree and play more Beatles, too..  No reason to limit a brave and brilliant man's output, namely Steven Wilson.


 supremo wrote:

You mean that Lennon/McCartney crap...

 

Ummmmmmmmmmm...........NO{#No}
 jagdriver wrote:

yes, those Peedles cudent do anyting write

 
LOL{#Clap}
Rubber Soul — the glorious era.
 ICHawk wrote:
2:30 of perfectly crafted pop song.
 
In STEREO too!

2:30 of perfectly crafted pop song.
 romeotuma wrote:


This is a great song...  love the way it goes into the minor key in the middle eight, when Lennon sings the chorus part...  the Beatles were the Shakespeare of rock-n-roll...
 
Right on! I saw Paul do this song at Coachella in April. I wish I could have seen The Beatles, but they quit touring before I was old enough for stuff like that.{#Cry}

All you haters? Kiss my {#Ass}.

Both cheeks, and in the middle! {#Wave}
It just gets better with age.
 jagdriver wrote:

You mean that David Byrne/Talking Heads crap...

 
You mean that Lennon/McCartney crap...

 dmdurney wrote:

its pathedic.  a 1st grade music class could compose better music than the beetles. its too bad they wasted so much pencil 

 
yes, those Peedles cudent do anyting write

 Mugro wrote:

{#Yes}

Bill should move over a little of that Porcupine Tree shit and put more Beatles in!

 
You mean that David Byrne/Talking Heads crap...

 El_Penguino wrote:
For me longevity of the art is the true measure of a band.
 

Alot of truth to that statement. But include artists, poets, writers, and all of the creative arts.
 erichb wrote:
Shocking that this is the 1st time this has been spun on RP
 
There's a version of this song off of 'One' that was played before this version.

I'll always love it...
 erichb wrote:
Shocking that this is the 1st time this has been spun on RP
 
{#Yes}

Bill should move over a little of that Porcupine Tree shit and put more Beatles in!

 VicEdee wrote:
not even a favorite Beatle's song,
but - it's amazing how it STANDS OUT from the other music played.............
 

its pathedic.  a 1st grade music class could compose better music than the beetles. its too bad they wasted so much pencil 

As much as I like this song, it is one that seems to have run its course in my brain. There are Beatles songs that are more like sketches for songs that could have been more fully realized. This is one of them. One can see the potential for what was to come.
me first comment. to bad I have nothing interesting to say.
{#Cheers}
For me longevity of the art is the true measure of a band.
Shocking that this is the 1st time this has been spun on RP
not even a favorite Beatle's song,
but - it's amazing how it STANDS OUT from the other music played.............