Ranking The Beatles: Penny Lane vs. Strawberry Fields Forever
One of the greatest singles ever released was The Beatles’ double-A-sided Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. I’ve often wondered which song I like better — Penny Lane or Strawberry Fields. So, let’s take a deeper dive.
The Music
Strawberry Fields Forever is, without a doubt, one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded. It has such a unique sound, almost symphonic rather than pop. I can’t think of another song that sounds anything like it. Well, nothing that doesn’t sound like a parody. So it’s a no-brainer for me to give Strawberry Fields 5 out of 5 for its music.
Penny Lane, in contrast, is undoubtedly a catchy tune, but is it great? It’s certainly well-crafted, even to the point of being too good, too perfect. Sometimes, perfection can lead to a familiarity that can feel dull and uninteresting. My head says 5 because Penny Lane is such a significant song in the story of The Beatles. But my gut tells me 4 because it’s too safe and a little uninteresting. So it’s 4 out of 5 from me.
The Lyrics
Strawberry Fields Forever has such unusual lyrics. They have a real dream-like quality. Half-remembered images of childhood mashed together into a surrealist narrative. Nothing is real. They are some of John Lennon’s best lyrics — 5 out of 5.
Paul McCartney’s lyrics on Penny Lane also incorporate vivid imagery and engaging wordplay, exploring a mix of childhood innocence and drug-induced hallucinations but using a more traditional storytelling form. They’re an entertaining mash-up of memories and imagination, but do they speak to me? Not as much as John’s lyrics on Strawberry Fields. So I can only give Penny Lane 4 out of 5 — entertaining lyrics, but nothing special.
Performances
The Beatles’ vocal performances were always excellent on nearly all their songs, but their backing tracks could sometimes be lazy and loose. But they delivered some of the most disciplined musical performances of their career on Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever. And George Martin’s clever and entertaining orchestrations are also outstanding. The piccolo trumpet solo on Penny Lane is a highlight, as are the cellos in the second half of Strawberry Fields Forever. But nothing stands out as being exceptional. So, I’m giving both tracks 4 out of 5 for performance.
Production
The Beatles were, of course, pioneers of great music production. Like most songs from the Sgt Peppers sessions, the production on Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields is top-notch. And the musical arrangements on Penny Lane, both from George Martin and The Beatles, are excellent.
The production of Strawberry Fields is, of course, more complicated. It’s a mash-up of two separate takes with different keys and tempos. When John Lennon asked George Martin to combine them, his only solution was to speed up the take used for the song’s first half and slow down the take used for the second half. But this awkward solution only adds to the otherworldliness of the track.
Both tracks are great examples of outstanding production. Penny Lane for its perfection, Strawberry Fields for its happy accidents and clever solutions. I’m giving both tracks 5 out of 5.
Emotional Engagement
If The Beatles had one weakness, it’s that they didn’t record many songs that could induce a strong emotional reaction from the listener. Entertaining? Yes. But emotional? Only sometimes.
So, while I love both songs, I can’t honestly say they create a powerful emotional reaction when I listen to them. Penny Lane gives me a pleasant, happy feeling. And Strawberry Fields evokes a more melancholy mood. But I can only give these songs 4 out of 5 for emotional engagement.
The Overall Rankings
By averaging the scores, Penny Lane gets a score of 4.2 out of 5, and Strawberry Fields Forever receives a score of 4.6, which is a fair assessment of both songs. They are both great songs, and I love them both, but I like Strawberry Fields just a little bit more than Penny Lane.
