The first song Billie Eilish learnt to play: “My love for music is 95% because of The Beatles”
We all have that one band who comes along in our formative years and opens a door to a new reality from which we will never return. Ozzy Osbourne once said: “When I heard the Beatles. I knew what I wanted to do”. Kurt Cobain similarly proclaimed: “At a really early age, I wanted to be a rock ‘n’ roll star. Ever since I got my first Beatles record,“ and Billy Eilish was no different.
The Fab Four elicit the transcendent potential of music—they’re accessible to children, but even then, you know there is something more going on behind it, a depth and invention. In recent years, Eilish has also been achieving this, enamouring fans across a range of ages with her progressive blend. She was inspired to stroll along this secretly avant-garde avenue by the Liverpudlian band themselves, stating: “My love for music is 95% because of The Beatles.”
In a video clip, the pop star says that love remains. When asked who her favourite artist is, Eilish explains: “I mean, The Beatles if I had to choose. Throughout my life, I think no matter who my favourite artists are now, or next year, or last year, whatever, The Beatles will always remain the favourite underneath.”
The Liverpudlian band also formed her musical journey in a very literal sense. “The first song I learned was a song called ‘I Will’ by The Beatles,” Eilish told James Corden. “And I learnt that when I was probably six.” Its beautiful simplicity and serenity soon inspired her to write her own music, a knack the Fab Four are, frankly, unrivalled at.
So, within a year, Eilish penned ‘What a Wonderful World’ with her friend. The song is about the beauty of existence, mostly celebrating the joys of comfy beds and the greenness of grass. She sings: “We lay all day in our comfy bed what a wonderful life” and “We play outside in the green grass what a wonderful life.” Which, let’s face it, is positively Ringo-esque.
This influence hasn’t been lost on the remaining members of The Beatles either. Stella McCartney even acknowledged the similarities, telling iD: “I know that Billie is a huge, huge Beatles fan,” Stella shared. “The second time I met her she spoke of that real admiration for their songwriting, and I sense that when I listen to her work, and her brother’s writing. They have similar starting points [when it comes to] telling a story through the melody of music. There’s obviously a modernity to Billie’s work,” she continued.
Adding: “But I think that there’s a lot of beauty in the arrangements of her music, the harmonizing and the structure, that’s heavily influenced by The Beatles’ writing and work. [She has] a strong message of identity and staying true to yourself, never compromising. That’s something The Beatles did too.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.