Love songs such as “I Will,” “For You Blue,” “Something,” “Honey Pie” and “Step Inside Love” bask in the warm fuzzies of committed relationships. “All Things Must Pass” recognizes the temporal nature of life. The truth of 2 Corinthians 9:6 is expressed in romantic terms on “The End” (“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”). A Bible aids in the revival of vengeful “Rocky Raccoon.” “Goodnight” is a tender lullaby written by John Lennon for his young son.
Veiled drug references include “I need a fix,” “I roll a stoney,” “he shoots Coca Cola,” and “JoJo left his home . . . for some California grass.” “Polythene Pam” and “Get Back” allude to sexually ambiguous individuals. A family conducts a midnight seance on “Cry Baby Cry.” Several cuts recommend alcohol, and a mass-murderer is treated comically on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road” is a sexual proposition, and “I’ve Got a Feeling” states, “everybody had a wet dream.”
True to the standard set by Anthologies 1 and 2, this final chapter in the Beatles trilogy also debuted at number 1. This double-disc collection of previously unreleased masters is a muffled blend of innocence and depravity.
