"The Word"

"The Word"
The Beatles
Featured on Rubber Soul
Capitol
Released 3 December 1965
Rock & roll
Vinyl
B+

And you thought John didn't get publicly blasphemous until "We're more popular than Jesus."  The words of "The Word" are a sly sermon disguised as a love song, except that the "word is love."  (Anticipating "All You Need Is Love" of course.)  With its references to "the good and the bad books," "the light," and so on, John is "spreading the word," and it is a more universal love than just holding hands.  Plus the song really rocks and if I were a Baby Boomer I would've still been playing it two or three years later, swinging my long hair and love beads.