No, not Yellow Submarine

January 29, 2008 12:28 PM

So, we've just found out the kid we're cooking is a girl. Now, I'm tasked with the job I've had for the last 16 years: I have to come up with a signature song for the child.

Here's the thing: My wife and I informally assigned each child a song from one of the Beatles. We started with the first one, my eldest son ("Beautiful Boy", Lennon), moved on to my youngest son ("I Will", McCartney), and ended up with my daughter's contribution ("Here Comes The Son", Harrison).

The problem I'm seeing right away is that, for consistency, I have to find something that Ringo Starr wrote that's appropriate for a little girl, and speaks to us in that perfect, sweet, little way that's going to match the baby.

Yea, yea, I know, "Hey, Ringo wrote a song!" He does seem to have a decently sized library of work out there, though, so I imagine something would work, right? I'm just not familiar with any of them.

Can someone make an educated suggestion on a few tracks?

(and, before anyone says it, I will not be looking for songs from Pete Best in a few years)

posted by thanotopsis to media & arts (28 comments total)

Major Freudian slip there with "Here Comes the Sun"? :)
posted by Melismata at 12:33 PM on January 29, 2008

Hah, I laughed, but for the record, you suck, Mel. :P
posted by thanotopsis at 12:34 PM on January 29, 2008

I know McCartney wrote it, but Dear Prudence still sticks with your Beatles theme and it is the perfect song for a new baby girl.
posted by amro at 12:34 PM on January 29, 2008

Octopus's Garden?
posted by zamboni at 12:36 PM on January 29, 2008

Octopus's garden is my favorite of Ringo's Beatles songs. It's credited to Lennon/McCartney but With a Little Help from my Friends always comes to mind when I think of Ringo.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 12:38 PM on January 29, 2008

"Don't Pass Me By" seems appropriate for the youngest of four, and is sung by Ringo
posted by poppo at 12:39 PM on January 29, 2008

I Really Love Her?
posted by jbickers at 12:44 PM on January 29, 2008

All songs composed by Ringo Starr. Three pages' worth, but about half of those are "interview tracks" and not actual songs. I know you want to go with Ringo ... but unless you're a big fan of "Flying," you're going to be severely limited.

("Don't Come Easy?" Goodness. Hope not.)
posted by grabbingsand at 12:46 PM on January 29, 2008

"English Garden/I Really Love Her" off of 2003's "Ringorama."
posted by rhizome at 12:54 PM on January 29, 2008

Ringo wasn't a prolific songwriter, which limits you. But ones he's sung lead on?

How about "Only You"? That's a good one, and he did a decent cover. "Photograph" is an awesome song, but perhaps not quite appropriate (same with "You're Sixteen"). "With a Little Help from My Friends" (as mentioned above) is probably the most obvious, though.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 1:02 PM on January 29, 2008

FYI, Ringo wrote only two Beatles songs: Don't Pass Me By and Octopus's Garden. (He didn't write With a Little Help from my Friends, etc.)

Don't Pass Me By just isn't a very good song, whereas Octopus's Garden is a great kids' song. So I'd go with Octopus's Garden.
posted by Jaltcoh at 1:17 PM on January 29, 2008

FYI, Ringo wrote only two Beatles songs

Yea, but we've always just waved blithely as those little facts pass us by. If Ringo's was the voice in the song, then it'll still count, for us.
posted by thanotopsis at 1:18 PM on January 29, 2008

Don't Pass Me By just isn't a very good song

Sez you
posted by poppo at 1:21 PM on January 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

That is, as far as Ringo songs go, it's as good as it's gonna get
posted by poppo at 1:21 PM on January 29, 2008

I vote Octopus. That songs always makes me smile.
posted by 100watts at 1:23 PM on January 29, 2008

Yea, but we've always just waved blithely as those little facts pass us by.

OK, well your question asked for a song written by Ringo... In that case, how about Good Night? It's a childlike lullaby.
posted by Jaltcoh at 1:30 PM on January 29, 2008

You know that Ringo's got a new album out, right?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:47 PM on January 29, 2008

Youtube Ringo search gives this. Obviously he didn't write it, and he's not known for singing it -but it's a great song for a kid.
posted by b33j at 1:57 PM on January 29, 2008

Good Night would be my choice.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:02 PM on January 29, 2008

i think octopus's garden is perfect for a child. i always picture kermit singing it with his nephew robin.
posted by kidsleepy at 2:08 PM on January 29, 2008

OK...stretch but....

Three times. A Lady! (punctuation and capital A intentional)
posted by ian1977 at 2:18 PM on January 29, 2008

Good Night would be my choice as well, with a bonus that he's the only Beatle to actually appear on the song (the background track is a Martin orchestration). The Anthology 3 version of this song has a pretty interesting spoken introduction, too.
posted by anastasiav at 2:50 PM on January 29, 2008

I think this is all the Beatles songs with Ringo as lead singer:

Boys
I Wanna Be Your Man
Honey Don't
Act Naturally
What Goes On
Yellow Submarine
With a Little Help from My Friends
Don't Pass Me By
Good Night
Octopus's Garden

I'd vote for Octopus's Garden, m'self.
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 3:34 PM on January 29, 2008

Gonna vote for A Little Help From My Friends, which seems appropriate for a fourth child to me.
posted by nax at 5:00 PM on January 29, 2008

Although they do have eight arms now, among them, so Octopus' Garden works too. Glad to have been of help!
posted by nax at 5:00 PM on January 29, 2008

Gonna vote for A Little Help From My Friends

Question whether you really want your kid's song to be about getting high.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:19 PM on January 29, 2008

Another vote for Good Night from the White Album. The lyrics are perfect for a child.
posted by gfrobe at 3:31 AM on January 30, 2008

My 3 son's favorite Beatles songs are "When I'm 64", "Happy Birthday" and "All Together Now". People that know them can match the song with the kid.

When my daughter was born last December, "Here Comes the Sun" was playing on the radio in the operating room. I'll always associate than song with her.

Also during the delivery, the surgeon's cell phone rang. His ringtone was the first few bars of Beethoven's Bagatelle in A minor. We named her Elise.
posted by hilby at 8:03 AM on January 30, 2008 [1 favorite]