[Grammar] from/of

[Will17]

Hi,

I sometimes get confused with of and from.

Can we say: This is a song of the Beatles. (Do we need "s'"-Beatles'- here?) /This a song from the Beatles.

Thank you
W

 

[Nightmare85]

**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.**

The Beatles is correct because it's their name.

This song is of The Beatles.
= It's their song; they produced it.

This song is from The Beatles.
= You got that song from them (they gave it to you).
= Doesn't necessarily mean it's their song.

Look:
I have a song of The Beatles, and I give it to you.
Then you have to say:
This song is from Nightmare.
You cannot say, "This song is of Nightmare", because it's not my song but The Beatles' song.

I hope I didn't write nonsense...
Confirmation would be nice :up:

Cheers!

 

[Heterological]

Actually, the correct preposition to indicate authorship is "by." This song is by the Beatles = The Beatles wrote this song. This book is by Maurice Sendak = Maurice Sendak wrote this book. This painting is by Picasso = Picasso created this painting.

 

[billmcd]

Hi,

I sometimes get confused with of and from.

Can we say: This is a song of the Beatles. (Do we need "s'"-Beatles'- here?) /This a song from the Beatles.

Thank you
W

In AmE, probably hear "song by the Beatles", "a Beatles' song" or "a song from a Beatles' album".