Ringo Starr was the final piece of the puzzle that turned The Beatles from a highly promising Merseybeat band into the Fab Four.
As their drummer, Starr was understated in everything he did, which was pivotal to their sound and unlocked the best out of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
They all had their individual strengths, which covered each other’s weaknesses, and made them a formidable force that the musical world will never see the likes of again.
While Starr had few faults as a drummer, he’s not in the same mould as a Don Henley or Neil Peart, who also contributed greatly to their respective bands’ songwriting process from the drum kit. Although right from the start, The Beatles always made sure that Starr sang lead vocals on a song per album, he was typically relying on throwaways donated by bandmates or covers.
During their tenure, Starr wrote only two original compositions for the band. The first, ‘Don’t Pass Me By’, came in 1968, which was a perfectly adequate creation, but realistically, it’s not anyone’s favourite song from the White Album.
However, he stepped up his game with his next contribution, ‘Octopus’s Garden’, which Starr penned while on marijuana during an Italian retreat and felt like he had arrived in heaven.
Explaining the song’s strange genesis, he once shared, “I wrote ‘Octopus’s Garden’ in Sardinia. Peter Sellers had lent us his yacht and we went out for the day… I stayed out on deck with [the captain] and we talked about octopuses. He told me that they hang out in their caves and they go around the seabed finding shiny stones and tin cans, and bottles to put in front of their cave like a garden. I thought this was fabulous because at the time, I just wanted to be under the sea, too. A couple of tokes later with the guitar – and we had ‘Octopus’s Garden’!”
It was a song that came to him naturally, almost from thin air, and showed that his contributions to their album could be meaningful, rather than an act of charity from his bandmates.
Harrison was particularly impressed with ‘Octopus’s Garden’, which showed him that Starr was a genuine songwriter. Upon its release, the guitarist said, “‘Octopus’s Garden‘ is Ringo’s song. It’s only the second song Ringo wrote, and it’s lovely.”
He then went on to list Starr’s limitations on other instruments, stating he “only knows about three chords” on the piano and the guitar, before returning to compliment his bandmate, adding, “I think it’s a really great song, because on the surface, it’s just like a daft kids’ song, but the lyrics are great.”
Harrison said he found a “very deep meaning in the lyrics”, although he caveated this by claiming Ringo is likely unaware of its beauty, stating, “If you get sort of deep in your consciousness, it’s very peaceful. So Ringo’s writing his cosmic songs without noticing.”
Admittedly, Starr was somewhat writing in a literal sense after a thought-provoking conversation about the sea creature; he would have also been aware of the metaphoric meaning of ‘Octopus’s Garden’ that Harrison found so alluring.
Ultimately, ‘Octopus’s Garden’ can be whatever it is that your version of utopia looks like, and the song is designed in such a way that it allows the listener’s imagination to run wild.
Although he co-wrote hit tracks like ‘Photograph’ during his post-Beatles career, coincidentally with Harrison, ‘Octopus’s Garden’ remains his crowning moment as a songwriter. It made everybody, including his bandmates, recognise Starr in a whole new light, and put respect on his name.
