Rubber Soul Trivia

1. What nut is mentioned in "Drive My Car"?

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Peanut

Paul McCartney's lyrics are full of sexual innuendo about a female car owner who tells a man, "Baby, you can drive my car, yes, I'm gonna be a star, and maybe I'll love you." Paul's suggestive words also include the line, "Working for peanuts is all very fine, but I can show you a better time."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: "I'm Down"

After a take of "I'm Down," Paul said, "plastic soul, man, plastic soul." "Help!" was their next album to be released, and "Rubber Soul" came next. I have heard that Mick Jagger might have come up with it, but I don't know who said it first.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: She does not have a car

These are the lyrics in the verse, "I told that girl I could start right away And she said, "Listen babe I got somethin' to say I got no car and it's breakin' my heart But I've found a driver and that's a start" All together now, beep beep'm beep beep yeah (repeat to fade).

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: On a rug

John Lennon wrote of an old love affair with the words, "I once had a girl, or should I say she once had me". The lyrics continue, "...she told me to sit anywhere, so I looked around, and I noticed there wasn't a chair I sat on a rug biding my time, drinking her wine, we talked until two..."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Alf

Alf Bicknell was John Lennon's chauffeur in the mid-sixties. He was also in the chorus of "Yellow Submarine." P.S.: "Drive My Car" wasn't about him.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Norwegian Wood

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" was the correct full title of track two on the "Rubber Soul" album. Written by Lennon/McCartney, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" was the first Beatle song that George Harrison played the sitar on. He first became interested in the sitar during the filming of the movie "Help!". He saw and heard musicians playing the instruments when there was a scene in an Indian restaurant. He bought a cheap sitar from a shop in London called India Craft and while learning how to play it, used it spontaneously and inspirationally on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Tears

At the time he wrote "You Won't See Me", Paul McCartney was romantically involved with actress Jane Asher. The song reflects Paul's dissatisfaction with the relationship, as Jane was often too busy with her own career to give Paul the attention he desires. "Time after time, you refuse to even listen, I wouldn't mind, if I knew what I was missing. Though the days are few, they're filled with tears, and since I lost you, it feels like years".

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Paul McCartney

Paul did the background singing. George played the sitar, which Ravi Shankar was teaching him to play.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Yellow Submarine

The song "Nowhere Man" was not released as a single in the UK but was in other counties in 1966. It reached number one in both Australia and Canada and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The song appears in The Beatles animated movie "Yellow Submarine" but is not included on the album of the same name. In the movie it is sung about Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D, a fictional animated character voiced by British comedian/T. V. star/movie star Dick Emery. The character is said to have been inspired by poet J. H. Prynne and to be a parody of public intellectuals and polymaths such as actor/director/author/humorist/sculptor/T. V. presenter/doctor Sir Jonathan Miller.

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Nobody

The distinction of this song is that is was the first Beatle song not about love. It is said that John Lennon wrote it while feeling desperate and inadequate after a marathon songwriting session. "He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. Doesn't have a point of view, knows not where he's going to, isn't he a bit like you and me?"

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Mal Evans played the organ

Mal played a Hammond organ for this recording. No "Rubber Soul" song was recorded in 1966; the UK version was released in December 1965. John played the tambourine. I had always thought a woman was doing the background vocals, but that's George's voice, way up there. The first female lead vocal was on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill," although there were women in the background for "Yellow Submarine" and "Across the Universe" (World Wildlife Fund version).

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Think For Yourself

Track five on The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album "Think For Yourself" was written and sung by George Harrison. In his 1980 autobiography "I Me Mine" George Harrison claimed that he could not remember who had been the inspiration for the song but thought it might have been the government of the day. Well he did have form having a go at the UK government with "Taxman" and "Piggies", (rock on George). An unusual feature on the record is that it has two base lines, a normal one and one with Paul McCartney's' bass guitar attached to a fuzz box.

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Opaque

George Harrison's lyrics encourage people to not trust the government and to think for themselves. "Do what you want to do, and go where you're going to, think for yourself, 'cause I won't be there with you. Although your mind's opaque, try thinking more if just for your own sake."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: It was on the first single that included a song by Ringo

The "Nowhere Man" single's B-side was "What Goes On," co-written by Richard Starkey. All the Beatles were there, John wrote it the same year it was recorded, and it was on "Yesterday" and "Today", not "Revolver" in the US.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Michelle

The Overlanders had a number one hit for three weeks on the UK chart with "Michelle" in 1966. Although The Overlanders' version of "Michelle" did not chart in the US they did have a US number 75 hit with "Yesterday's Gone" in 1964. It did not chart in the UK. British duo David and Jonathan had a number 11 hit on the UK chart with "Michelle" in 1966. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. Both of these versions of "Michelle" entered the UK chart on the same day. None of the songs from The Beatles "Rubber Soul" album were released as singles by The Beatles in the UK.

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Freedom

Inspired by "Long Tall Sally", this was the first song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney that contained only one note. "Say the word and you'll be free. Say the word and be like me. Say the word I'm thinking of, have you heard the word is love? It's so fine, it's sunshine, it's the word, love."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Opaque

"Although your mind's opaque, try thinking more if just for your own sake." "Think For Yourself" was only the fourth George Harrison song released on a Beatles album.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: It was written by Lennon/McCartney/Starkey

Ringo got his first songwriting credit on a Beatles record with the unique credit of Lennon/McCartney/Starkey. John Lennon had written a version of the song way back when The Beatles were The Quarrymen. It then had been considered as a possible follow up single to "Please Please Me". I think The Beatles' career might not have worked out as it did if that had happened as I don't think it was strong enough for a single. When asked about his contribution to the song, Ringo joked that he had contributed about five words and had not done anything since. "What Goes On" was released as the B-side of "Nowhere Man" and reached number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Jesus

Paul said, shortly after the release of "Rubber Soul," "'The Word' could be a Salvation Army song. The word is 'love' but it could be 'Jesus.' It isn't, mind you, but it could be." John once said after he left the Beatles, his whole songwriting method had grown from "All You Need is Love" to "all you need is peace."

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Lips

Paul McCartney's volatile relationship with his girlfriend, Jane Asher, was the inspiration for many of his songs. He wrote the resentful "I'm Looking Through You" after their final breakup. "I'm looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know? You don't look different, but you have changed, I'm looking through you, you're not the same. Your lips are moving, I cannot hear, Your voice is soothing, but the words aren't clear. You don't sound different, I've learned the game, I'm looking through you, you're not the same."

From Quiz Anatomy of an Album: "Rubber Soul"

Answer: The Hollies

The Hollies had a number 20 hit on the UK chart with "If I Needed Someone" in 1965. It did not chart in the US. After a run of seven UK Top ten hits (including a number one hit), The Hollies had their second lowest UK chart hit of the '60s with this song. Why The Hollies, (one of the UK's top groups) should have a minor hit with a Beatles song and an unknown group, (The Overlanders) should have a UK number one hit with a song from the same album, is a mystery. The Hollies soon regretted recording "If I Needed Someone", especially after George Harrison made dismissive comments about their version which caused friction between the groups. The Hollies version was released on the same record label (Parlophone) as The Beatles and on the same day as "Rubber Soul" in the UK. It was the first song written by George Harrison to enter the UK singles chart.

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: Wall

Written by George Harrison for his girlfriend Pattie, the song used only the D chord. "Had you come some other day, then it might not have been like this, but you see now I'm too much in love. Carve your number on my wall, and maybe you will get a call from me, if I needed someone, ah, ah, ah, ah."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: George Harrison

John and Paul wrote this together, with a little help from their friend Ringo, which makes "What Goes On" the first song to credit Ringo as an author.

From Quiz Remembering the Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

Answer: wicked

This was not one of John Lennon's favorite songs, which is why it is the last one on the album. The threatening lyrics start with, "well I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man". It follows with, "Well I know that I'm a wicked guy, and I was born with a jealous mind." Poor girl.

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: 1

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is the only one that has the sitar. Other songs featuring that long, crazy instrument are "Love You To," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Across the Universe", and "The Inner Light."

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: The Wallflowers

While all four of these musicians have songs on the soundtrack, the Wallflowers performed this one. Eddie Vedder did "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," Sheryl Crow did "Mother Nature's Son," and Rufus Wainwright did "Across the Universe." It's a good CD. Pick it up some time.

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: George Martin

Sir George Martin played that piano solo. John suggested that the solo be done "like Bach," and while John was out on a tea break, Martin laid this part down at half speed and it was sped up for the final version. Malcolm "Organ" Evans played piano on a few songs throughout the Beatles' career, and the Beatles didn't team up with Billy Preston ("Let it Be") until January 1969.

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: George alone

George wrote this song alone. John and George sound great together!

From Quiz The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Album

Answer: Baby Let's Play House

John wrote the song around a line ("I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man") from "Baby Let's Play House". He later said that he wasn't too fond of "Run For Your Life", but George liked it. Thanks for playing!

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