Song Spotlight: “She Loves You”

October 28, 2021
The four Beatles with Ed Sullivan, in a black and white photo standing in front of a curtain
    • Mood: Optimistic
    • Themes: Love, British Invasion
    • Tempo: Medium
    • Genre/Style: 1960s’ rock

On February 9th, 1964, the Beatles made their in person US debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, effectively kicking off the great cultural phenomenon known as the British Invasion. They included the tune “She Loves You” in their debut line up.

The Beatles had already created quite the commotion a few days earlier when they had arrived at New York’s Kennedy Airport. And then around 73 million viewers tuned in to watch on that night – that was 34 percent of the US population at the time!

By the time the group played again on the show a few days later, the Beatles could barely be heard over the screaming fans.

“She Loves You” was one song featured in this debut performance and on one of their early albums, Twist and Shout.

Here are some of the lyrics:

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

You think you’ve lost your love
Well, I saw her yesterday
It’s you she’s thinking of
And she told me what to say

She says she loves you
And you know that can’t be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad

With a simple chorus, this song is easy to pick up and sing along even if it is not familiar. The song’s upbeat groove can be used as a transition into reminiscence about the 60s and 70s or the British invasion, inspire movement to music, or even create an opportunity for songwriting.

Try This:

Themes – British Invasion and Love Songs – This song would fit well into a collection of other songs from the British Invasion or a collection of love songs. Other complementary 60s British Invasion songs may include “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “I’m a Believer,” and “My Generation.”

Add percussion instruments and have group members divided into three groups where one group plays the chorus, one the refrain and the third the verses.

Movement: Explore some dance moves of the 60s, such as the hitch-hike, the locomotion, or the swim. Ask your group members for suggestions using their favorite dances.

Discussion: Ask the group if any of them sported the popular hairstyles of the 60s like the moptop.

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