You Don’t Make Sense

That came to mind this week when I saw a column in Far Out Magazine by Jack Whatley. That column, 8 Beatles B-Sides that Were Better Than The A-Sides, made for interesting reading. Whatley is a regular columnist for the magazine and he likes to make lists such as this. He is entitled to his opinion — I certainly give my opinion here at Mupourri. The idea behind such a column is to get people to think and generate discussion.

One of the songs on the list, though, was one I could never understand. Whatley feels that the B-Side, You Can’t Do That, is better than the A-Side, Can’t Buy Me Love. Really?

Maybe she can’t do that, but you can’t be serious.

I first heard You Can’t Do That when I was eight years old. Even then I thought it did not make any sense. “You threaten to break up with her if she doesn’t stop running around with other guys? Man, she doesn’t care!”

Even one of the lines in the songs, “Everybody’s green ’cause I’m the one who won your love.” Yeah, that was her whole idea. She wanted to make the guy she really likes jealous. She is Karen, and the protagonist of the song is her Allan. Meanwhile, she wants her Everett across the table to be jealous — jealous enough to make a move.

The Beatles, or should I say John Lennon, revisited the theme the following year with Run For Your Life. While I find that song to be despicable, at least it makes dramatic sense. But You Can’t Do That? — not at all.

1 thought on “You Don’t Make Sense”

  1. Memories are fun— In 1969 I was 26, had a wife, two kids, and a house in the ‘burbs. And I was doing just fine in radio in San Francisco. But I know the feeling you had hearing those songs. I have my own 7th grade memories. Nice post.

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