Best Starkey-penned Beatles song

"Octopus's Garden" is the only one of these three that doesn't plain suck. So that one it is. He had better solo songs later on though, although mostly not written by him.

"What Goes On" does NOT suck, and gets my vote besides.

Geir, you are ever the contrarian.

The Harrison/Starkey writing team was much under-appreciated. Starkey words, Harrison music, I believe. "It don't come easy" and "Photograph" for sure.

Then, Harrison wrote what was the most important thing. And, yes, "Photograph" is a great song.

Whither "Flying"?

4 way composition. The others were ringo's lyrics.

what goes on is great! had no idea he wrote that

"What Goes On" is credited to Lennon/McCartney/Starkey. It is disputable how much he contributed, although the fact that it sounds more like a country song than a typical Beatles number indicates that Ringo (who is a big country fan) contributed quite a lot.

too bad 'photograph' and 'it don't come easy' didn't come along earlier, since they're better than anything here. but I kind of don't think he wrote those either (photograph is a co-write with harrison, but sounds like a full on harrison song to me)

I am a huge Beatles fan and a huge Ringo fan and a huge Rubber Soul fan, and "What Goes On" completely sucks.

Thought "Good Night" was Ringo?

"Good Night", like "Yellow Submarine", "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "With a Little Help From My Friends", was Ringo singing without writing.

too bad 'photograph' and 'it don't come easy' didn't come along earlier, since they're better than anything here. but I kind of don't think he wrote those either (photograph is a co-write with harrison, but sounds like a full on harrison song to me)

I've read a couple of arguments arguing that Harrison gave Ringo credit on "It Don't Come Easy out of friendship; apparently a few demos exist that are basically all George.

In any case, what matters is that Harrison needed Ringo in mind to write such a perfect song. Can you imagine what a George-sung "It Don't Easy" would have sounded like? Another self-pitying dirge.

Another self-pitying dirge like "Here Comes the Sun" and "Taxman".

or self-pitying dirges like "Blue Jay Way," "Only A Northern Song," "Wah-Wah," and "Isn't It A Pity." Shall I continue?

Sure.

Blue Jay Way?! he's playing the role of a trickster god! best song ever. we need to have a thread listing various readings of beatles songs that's not 100% tedious and oops never mind

"It Don't Come Easy" became even more self-pitying in the Norwegian pressing, when a typo mean it was presented on the cover as "I Don't Come Easy".

It might have been a warning!

"Taxman" is not a dirge but may well be the most self-pitying song ever written.

xxxpost

"You were in a car crash / and you lost your hair"

Don't Pass Me By.

Living In Hope

George Harrison is for Alfred what Seth Rogan is for Morbius.

except I own Extra Texture and Thirty-Three and a Third!

Living In Hope

Hahaha, +1!

Thought "Good Night" was Ringo

According to 'Revolution in the head', 'Good Night' is a Lennon composition, though widely thought at the time to be McCartney.

lennon wrote it as a lullabye for julian. tune-wise it's one of the most lovely things lennon ever wrote, I think; not crazy about the final recorded version though. I wish anthology had the piano/ringo vocal version complete w/out orchestra.

I would definitely vote for "Living in Hope" if it counted. "Don't Pass Me By it is then.

I read a statement of McCartney saying that overhearing Lennon sing "Good Night" to Ringo was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard. I kind of wish Lennon had kept that one for himself.

i kind of can't even imagine lennon singing that song though; it's hard to place his voice in it. I know he said that he got self-conscious about it, that it was too sappy, so he decided not to sing it, and later maybe regretted that.

I don't know his more fragile "A Day in the Life" voice would fit beautifully in there.

If you imagine John Lennon sitting at his piano, singing "Good Night", it wouldn't have been out of place on the "Imagine" album actually.

THE BAND's fave song on the white album was DON'T PASS ME BY.

tru pop fax dept.

Interesting theories about what It Don't Come Easy would sound like with George on vocals. Check it out

Here's a better version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqnBhYO02Hc

I think Ringo was perfect for good night, he sounds so sonorous and detached in way. I always thought of the song being sung by the moon for some reason, i think john's take would have come off too personal/vulnerable and ruined the effect.

I always thought of the song being sung by the moon

so cute

It would have been ever better if Harry Nilsson had covered it.

All are winners and better than Harrison's!!

I always thought of the song being sung by the moon

I misread this and thought, yeah, Keith Moon would've sung this real sweetly!

I love "Don't Pass Me By"!

"don't pass me by" is the greatest song ever recorded by the Beatles.

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Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Drum roll for Starkey!

According to George Martin, Starkey cannot play one.....

Best Starkey-penned song about the Beatles: "Early 1970."

"What Goes On", but I have a soft spot for "Octopus's Garden" too.

Wasn't "Early 1970" actually written by John?

Well, someone wrote "he lives on a farm, got plenty of charm"

Everywhere has it as (Richard Starkey), and I doubt John would play whatever the opposite of Devils Advocate is to write that about Paul, especially then...

"What Goes On" was written primarily by Lennon.

The answer is "Don't Pass Me By."

i really really like 'don't pass me by'. the lyric about losing hair is pretty clumsy, but overall it is excellent. i love just about the entire white album, but it's one of the first songs i listen to when i put the white album on. i love the fiddle.

Most of his songs are really clumsy country songs sounding way too American, but the vocal harmonies and funny synth effects by the others makes "Octopus' Garden" quite nice.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

OTM.

I'd reverse those results.

Don't Pass Me By Was Robbed.

Correct winner.

You contrarian.