Song: “You Like Me Too Much”

In the Stones/Beatles debate, if you even say the word “Stones,” you go down so many notches in my book. So many notches. It’s similar to the Violent Femmes/They Might Be Giants debate, but I let the TMBG fans have a little more credit, because I have way too many geek friends to say I cannot understand the appeal. But the Beatles? How can you even compare?

I know part of it is that I grew up listening to them, and therefore they are tied up forever in important moments in my life. I get that. My parents were Beatles fans, therefore I’m a Beatles fan. But it’s more than that. The lyrics, the sound, the way a single emotion can take up an entire song and fill it with all the words you’d never know how to say, but are the words you wanted to say… even if those words are “plasticine porters with looking-glass ties”… I don’t know how you’d compare. If you’ve ever read the full script for Pulp Fiction, you know that Mia Wallace asked Vincent Vega on their first meeting, through her camcorder, if he was a Stones or Beatles fan. Wait. I’m wrong. She said it was Elvis or Beatles, which isn’t a fair comparison, which is probably why he didn’t answer the question. But the answer is still The Beatles.

I’ve often said I can’t name five Stones songs. And that’s true. I can do about four. And I love “Sympathy for the Devil,” but I love it more when it’s being covered by Jane’s Addiction or Guns n’ Roses. I like Stones covers more than the Stones themselves. It’s not just a cute boy band thing. There is just no comparison.

And I like to use this section to tell you about what these songs remind me of, but in this case, there’s nothing specific. It’s just that The Beatles can do no wrong. Other than “Octopus’ Garden.” (Dan would love me to point out how horrible “Don’t Pass Me By” is, but I love that song, too. I really do.)

Sometimes I’m just talking about the song that was just playing on my iPod. And this one was. So there.