Why Lennon and McCartney lyrics changed?

I am like a chameleon, influenced by whatever is going on. If Elvis can do it, I can do it. If the Everly Brothers can do it, me and Paul can. Same with Dylan. John Lennon

I could feel myself climbing a spiral walkway as I was talking to Dylan. I felt like I was figuring it all out, the meaning of life.” Paul McCartney

In their early lyrics, Lennon and McCartney broadly stuck to the Tin Pan Alley format: essentially, "I love you/please love me too." 

There were some exceptions. Paul's When I'm Sixty Four, for example, shows the influence of music hall and takes a very unusual perspective for a teenage songwriter. 

Generally, though,  the words circled back to the trials and tribulations of romantic love: I Want to Hold Your Hand, From Me to You, etc.

Along Came Bob

Two factors disrupted this approach. One was practical - there are only so many ways to say 'I love you' and The Beatles' success demanded the rapid production of new material.

The other was their desire to keep ahead of their peers - the driving force of their creativity. By 1965, a rival was challenging for the leadership of the Cool Club: Bob Dylan. 


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