Dave Grohl Praised All The Beatles While Calling a John Lennon Song His Favorite Fab Four Tune

Dave Grohl is just like many post-1960s musicians — The Beatles greatly influenced him. The early songs Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote together helped change the direction of pop music forever. Grohl said his favorite Beatles song was the Lennon tune “Hey Bulldog,” but he praised all the band members for their contributions.

Dave Grohl said ‘Hey Bulldog’ was his favorite Beatles song and praised the entire band’s contributions

There’s no shortage of songs to choose a favorite Fab Four tune. The band covered miles of ground during their relatively short career. They produced saccharine pop tunes, R&B numbers, folk-tinged tunes, experimental rock, and more. 

Foo Fighters frontman Grohl bypassed the usual biggies — “A Day in the Life,” “Come Together,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Hey Jude” — when choosing his favorite Beatles song. The former Nirvana drummer picked the tossed-off John song “Hey Bulldog” because of the contributions from each band member (via NME): 

“To me, it’s a quintessential Beatles rocker. Paul’s rolling bass line. The trademark Ringo drum fills. George’s gritty distorted guitar. And that sound that only the back of John Lennon’s throat could produce. I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for The Beatles, I would not be a musician.”

dave grohl

The Yellow Submarine tune came to life when McCartney prodded Lennon to bring ideas to the recording studio. John had the rough “Hey Bulldog” lyrics written down, so you could say the song was his. Paul admitted it was a Lennon song he helped finish (via Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now) , but as Grohl pointed out, all of The Beatles’ made the song what it was. 

Paul’s bass line (Grohl once said it sounded like it came from outer space) mirrored John’s jumping piano riff that opened the song. Ringo Starr deviated from his straightforward backbeat with several tom-heavy fills. George Harrison’s dirty guitar sound lent some bite to “Hey Bulldog,” and Lennon’s throaty, raspy singing completed the effect. It’s a Beatles deep cut song that his daughter loves, too.

“Hey Bulldog” might have been one of the final moments of full Fab Four unity. The band recorded and mixed it during one day-long session in February 1968 before their retreat to Rishikesh, India. They returned a changed band with each member seeking more independence. When they began working on the White Album in May 1968, they did so more individually. 

Grohl cited “Hey Bulldog” as his favorite Beatles song, but he has mentioned several other memorable Fab Four pieces in his rankings.

Grohl has spoken highly of several Fab Four tunes

Like many of his Beatles songs, Lennon downgraded its importance. He once said it sounded good but meant nothing. Grohl had high praise for “Hey Bulldog,” but he cited several other Beatles songs as being in the battle for his favorite.

He and his childhood sweetheart bonded over a shared love for “Eight Days a Week.” He picked “In My Life” to honor his Nirvana bandmate, Kurt Cobain. When Grohl chose his favorite Beatles song by Harrison, he (understandably) went straight for the Abbey Road hit “Something.”

The Foo Fighters founder won a Grammy with Paul McCartney

McCartney never shied away from working with other musicians when he fully went solo when Wings folded. Two of his most successful solo songs were collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Paul later worked with Rihanna and Kanye West on the top-5 hit “FourFiveSeconds.”

Paul and the surviving Nirvana members teamed up to record the hard-hitting rocker “Cut Me Some Slack” (watch and listen to it on YouTube). McCartney, Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear won the Grammy for best rock performance in 2013. Macca said a unique gift from Johnny Depp inspired him to make “Cut Me Some Slack.” 

Grohl and his daughter might be some of the only people for whom “Hey Bulldog” is their favorite Beatles song. Yet it’s clear the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters founder has a deep love for the tune that showcased one of the final moments of Fab Four unity.

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