004 - Misery (featuring Sam Popkin!)

In today's episode, Jesse and Mike are joined by musician and YouTuber Sam Popkin for a fun and wide-ranging dive into “Misery,” the third track on the Beatles’ debut album Please Please Me. What starts as a look at one of the earliest Lennon–McCartney compositions quickly opens up into a lively conversation about the song’s origins, recording quirks, and where it fits in the Beatles’ rapidly unfolding story. Along the way, Sam brings a musician’s perspective to the track’s structure and performance while sharing the story of his own Beatles fandom, and the discussion takes plenty of entertaining detours into Beatles history, recording trivia, and early-60s pop influences. It’s the kind of humorous, tangent-filled deep dive you’ve come to expect from All You Need Is Pod, perfect for longtime Beatles obsessives and curious fans alike!