During the week of September 6, 1966, The Supremes held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘You Can’t Hurry Love,’ covered on the blog a full 17 years ago. At #2 was Donovan’s ‘Sunshine Superman,’ which appeared just last year.
At #3 that week was The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine,’ the lone single released by the band from that year’s Revolver. Normally, The Beatles would release a non-album song as a promotional single accompanying a new release, but in 1966 they were burned out enough to just go with an album track.
‘Yellow Submarine’ was paired with ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ but the better song was regulated to the B-side because Capitol Records was wary of ‘Rigby‘s religious content. The band was still facing backlash in America over John Lennon’s “we’re bigger than Jesus” comment.
It was probably a bad call, because ‘Yellow Submarine’ was the first official Beatles single in three years to not reach #1. It peaked at #2.
Old songs. Great memories.
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In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines
[Verse 2]
So we sailed on to the sun
Till we found the sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine
[Chorus]
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
[Verse 3]
And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play
[Chorus]
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
[Bridge]
Full speed ahead, Mister Boatswain, full speed ahead
Full speed ahead it is, Sergeant
Cut the cable! Drop the cable!
Aye-aye, sir, aye-aye
Captain! Captain!
[Verse 4]
As we live a life of ease
Every one of us (Every one of us) has all we need (Has all we need)
Sky of blue (Sky of blue) and sea of green (Sea of green)
In our yellow (In our yellow) submarine (Submarine, ha-ha!)
[Chorus]
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
Meet Me In Montauk 