What's the deal with "Unsatisfied"?

[anarkissed]

He seems to have a really prickly relationship with this song...Check out that "AOL chat" where, when asked if he'll ever play that song again live, he just says a definitive "no"...And wasn't there some recent "reunion" show where someone hollered out for that, and he said something like: "Not in your lifetime"...Although, obviously, he's broken it out on occasion recently...Does it represent something personally painful that he just doesn't want to relive? Is he just tired of doing it? Does he think it wasn't ever really a very good song? Is he just being an ass? I'd expect more people expect him to play "Bastards of Young", and I've never heard him complain about that one...

[FreeRider]

I thought he said in some interview that he was far removed from those feelings and sentiments in that song. So it felt like a song out of place with where he was presently. I take it that it's no longer meaningful to him and probably hates the song.

From interview with Russell Hall, 1996, Performing Songwriter:

"Unsatisfied" and "Answering Machine"--was there any acting going on in those songs?

On "Unsatisified," there was. I hate to break anyone's heart, but yeah, there was acting there. Probably the real acting came from the fact that the drugs were wearing off, while I was singing the vocal. I think it was something as base, and as common, as that. I don't hold "Unsatisfied" in as high regard as a lot of people do. "Answering Machine," on the other hand, I do. I think "Answering Machine" is one of my best songs. "Unsatisfied" . . . I don't know. It was like an open wound, something almost akin to Yoko.

[Jer]

He said something once in an interview that it was the type of song he could write in his sleep with no effort, kind of a throw-away, and that he didn't really like it. I don't remember exactly what he said or where it was said, but I think it might have been one of the Willpower zines.

I kind of agree with him - I don't think it's a great song. But I do think it's one of his best vocals ever, and the performance/mood of the song with that vocal really make it special. I can't imagine Let it Be without it.

[TomT]

I agree with you Jer. The lyrics aren't much but it's the vocal take on the record that's special. He always comes up short IMO when playing it live.

Why he didn't include Answering Machine on these last tours I just don't get. I would have loved to hear him and Dave do a version like on Let It Be. It's 2 guitars on the record but they never did it like that live back in the day. It was always Paul starting solo then the whole band kicking in.

[Cold Fingaz]

Jul 7, 2015 22:18:58 GMT -5 FreeRider said:

From interview with Russell Hall, 1996, Performing Songwriter:

"Unsatisfied" and "Answering Machine"--was there any acting going on in those songs?

On "Unsatisified," there was. I hate to break anyone's heart, but yeah, there was acting there. Probably the real acting came from the fact that the drugs were wearing off, while I was singing the vocal. I think it was something as base, and as common, as that. I don't hold "Unsatisfied" in as high regard as a lot of people do. "Answering Machine," on the other hand, I do. I think "Answering Machine" is one of my best songs. "Unsatisfied" . . . I don't know. It was like an open wound, something almost akin to Yoko.

This cracks me up. On this last tour people were yelling for Answering Machine during at least 3 shows I attended & Paul was aggressively dismissive, acting like the song sucked & even saying something like "not in your lifetime" once. I would've loved to have heard that again.

[evin]

my understanding is the song was written about cocaine. overuse and not getting anything meaningful from it anymore.