The Beatles Lyrics, album "A Collection of Beatles Oldies"

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The Beatles Lyrics, album "A Collection of Beatles Oldies"

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Cover of the Beatles album - "A Collection of Beatles Oldies"
She Loves You
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1963: 'We wrote that two days before we recorded it, actually.'

PAUL 1963: 'John and I wrote it together.
We were in a van up in Newcastle somewhere, and we'd just gone over to our hotel.
I originally got an idea of doing one of those answering songs, where a couple of us sing about 'she loves you' …and the other one sort of says the 'yes, yes' bit.
You know, 'yeah yeah' answering whoever is saying it.
But we decided that was a crummy idea anyway.
But we had the idea to write a song called 'She Loves You' then.
And we just sat up in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it, you know.'

JOHN 1963: ''Yeah.' That's sort of the main catch phrase from 'She Loves You.' We'd written the song, and then suddenly realized we needed more… so we added 'yeah, yeah, yeah' and it caught on.'

JOHN 1980: 'It was written together (with Paul) and I don't remember how.
I remember it was Paul's idea – instead of singing 'I love you' again, we'd have a third party.
The 'Woooo' was taken from the Isley Brothers 'Twist And Shout,' which we stuck into everything.'

PAUL 1982: 'Occasionally, we'd overrule George Martin, like on 'She Loves You,' we end on a sixth chord, a very jazzy sort of thing.
And he said, 'Oh, you can't do that! A sixth chord? It's too jazzy.'
We just said, 'No, it's a great hook, we've got to do it.''

PAUL 1988: 'We rehearsed the end bit of 'She Loves You' and took it to George.
And he just laughed and said, 'Well, you can't do the end of course… that sixth… it's too like the Andrew Sisters.' We just said, 'Alright, we'll try it without,' and we tried it and it wasn't as good.
Then he conceded, 'You're right, I guess.' But we were both very flexible.
We would listen to George's ideas too, because he was a producer and a musician, and he obviously knew what he was talking about.
There was good to-and-fro.
We loved that bit, and we rehearsed it alot.
John and I wrote that in a hotel room, on twin beds during an afternoon off – I mean, God bless their little cotton socks, those boys WORKED! Here I am talking about an afternoon off, and we're sitting there writing! We just loved it so much.
It wasn't work.'

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

You think you lost your love
Well, I saw her yesterday
It's you she's thinking of
And she told me what to say

She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad

She said you hurt her so
She almost lost her mind
But now she says she knows
You're not the hurting kind

She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad, ooh

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
And with a love like that
You know you should be glad

You know it's up to you
I think it's only fair
Pride can hurt you too
Apologize to her

Because she loves you
And you know that can't be bad
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad, ooh

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
With a love like that
You know you should be glad
With a love like that
You know you should be glad
With a love like that
You know you should be glad
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah


From Me to You
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
PAUL 1964: ''From Me To You.' It could be done as an old Ragtime tune… especially the middle-eight.
And so, we're not writing the tunes in any particular idiom.
In five years time, we may arrange the tunes differently.
(jokingly) But we'll probably write the same old rubbish!!'

JOHN 1980: 'We were writing it in a car, I think… and I think the first line was mine.
I mean, I know it was mine.
(humms melody) And then after that we just took it from there.
We were just writing the next single.
It was far bluesier than that when we wrote it.
The notes, today… you could rearrange it pretty funky.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'The thing I liked about 'From Me To You' was it had a very complete middle.
It went to a surprising place.
The opening chord of the middle section of that song heralded a new batch for me.
That was a pivotal song.
Our songwriting lifted a little with that song.
It was very much co-written.'

Da da da da da dum dum da
Da da da da da dum dum da

If there's anything that you want
If there's anything I can do
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you

I've got everything that you want
Like a heart that's oh so true
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you

I got arms that long to hold you
And keep you by my side
I got lips that long to kiss you
And keep you satisfied, oooh

If there's anything that you want
If there's anything I can do
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you

From me, to you
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you

I got arms that long to hold you
And keep you by my side
I got lips that long to kiss you
And keep you satisfied, oooh

If there's anything that you want
If there's anything I can do
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you
To you, to you, to you


We Can Work It Out
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1980: 'Paul did the first half, I did the middle-eight.
But you've got Paul writing, 'We can work it out/ We can work it out' real optimistic, you know.
And me, impatient, 'Life is very short and there's no time/ for fussing and fighting, my friend.''

PAUL circa-1994: 'I wrote it as more of an up-tempo thing, country and western.
I had the basic idea, the title, had a couple of verses… then I took it to John to finish it off and we wrote the middle together, which is nice – 'Life is very short/ And there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend.' Then it was George Harrison's idea to put the middle into waltz time, like a german waltz… The lyrics might have been personal.
It is often a good way to talk to someone or to work your thoughts out.
It saves you going to a psychiatrist, you allow yourself to say what you might not say in person.'

Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?
While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone

We can work it out
We can work it out

Think of what you're saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright
Think of what I'm saying
We can work it out and get it straight, or say goodnight

We can work it out
We can work it out

Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again

Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see your way,
There's a chance that we may fall apart before too long

We can work it out
We can work it out

Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again

Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we may fall apart before too long

We can work it out
We can work it out


Help!
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1965: 'We think it's one of the best we've written.'

JOHN 1980: 'The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension.
When 'Help' came out, I was actually crying out for help.
Most people think it's just a fast rock 'n roll song.
I didn't realize it at the time; I just wrote the song because I was commissioned to write it for the movie.
But later, I knew I really was crying out for help.
So it was my fat Elvis period.
You see the movie: He – I – is very fat, very insecure, and he's completely lost himself.
And I am singing about when I was so much younger and all the rest, looking back at how easy it was.
Now I may be very positive… yes, yes… but I also go through deep depressions where I would like to jump out the window, you know.
It becomes easier to deal with as I get older; I don't know whether you learn control or, when you grow up, you calm down a little.
Anyway, I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for help.'

PAUL 1984: 'John wrote that… well, John and I wrote it at his house in Weybridge for the film.
I think the title was out of desperation.'

Help! I need somebody
Help! Not just anybody
Help! You know I need someone
Help!

(When) When I was younger (When I was young) so much younger than today
(I never need) I never needed anybody's help in any way
(Now) But now these days are gone (These days are gone) and I'm not so self assured
(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?

(Now) And now my life has changed (My life has changed) in oh so many ways
(My independence) My independence seems to vanish in the haze
(But) But ev'ry now (Every now and then) and then I feel so insecure
(I know that I) I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?

When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
(Now) But now these days are gone (These days are gone) and I'm not so self assured
(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?

Help me, help me
Ooh


Michelle
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1972: 'Both of us.
I wrote the middle with him.'

PAUL 1977: ''Michelle' was like a joke French tune for when you go to a party or something.
That's all it was.
And then after a while you say, 'Well, that's quite a good tune.
Let's put some real words to it.''

JOHN 1980: 'He and I were staying somewhere and he walked in and hummed the first few bars, with the words, and he says, 'Where do I go from here?' I had been listening to (blues singer) Nina Simone.
I think it was 'I Put A Spell On You.' There was a line in it that went, 'I love you, I love you.' That's what made me think of the middle-eight for 'Michelle.' So, my contributions to Paul's songs was always to add a little bluesy edge to them.
Otherwise, 'Michelle' is a straight ballad, right? He provided a lightness, an optimism, while I would always go for the sadness, the discords, the bluesy notes.'

PAUL 1988: 'I'll never forget putting the bass line in 'Michelle' because it was a kind of Bizet thing.
It really turned the song around.
You could do that with bass.
It was very exciting.'

Michelle, ma belle
These are words that go together well
My Michelle

Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Très bien ensemble

I love you, I love you, I love you
That's all I want to say
Until I find a way
I will say the only words I know that
You'll understand

Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Très bien ensemble

I need to, I need to, I need to
I need to make you see
Oh, what you mean to me
Until I do I'm hoping you will
Know what I mean

I love you

I want you, I want you, I want you
I think you know by now
I'll get to you somehow
Until I do I'm telling you so
You'll understand

Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Très bien ensemble

And I will say the only words I know
That you'll understand, my Michelle


Yesterday
(Paul McCartney)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
Yesterday


I Feel Fine
(John Lennon)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1964: 'George and I play the same bit on the guitar together – that's the bit that'll set your feet a-tapping, as the reviews say.
The middle-eight is the most tuneful part, to me, because it's a typical Beatles bit.'

JOHN 1972: 'This was the first time feedback was used on a record.
It's right at the beginning.'

JOHN 1974: 'I wrote this at a recording session.
It was tied together around the guitar riff that opens it.'

JOHN 1980: 'That's me completely.
Including the guitar lick with the first feedback anywhere.
I defy anybody to find a record… unless it is some old blues record from 1922… that uses feedback that way.
So I claim it for the Beatles.
Before Hendrix, before the Who, before anybody.
The first feedback on record.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'John had a semi-acoustic Gibson guitar.
It had a pick-up on it so it could be amplified… We were just about to walk away to listen to a take when John leaned his guitar against the amp.
I can still see him doing it… and it went, 'Nnnnnnwahhhhh!' And we went, 'What's that? Voodoo!' 'No, it's feedback.' Wow, it's a great sound!' George Martin was there so we said, 'Can we have that on the record?' 'Well, I suppose we could, we could edit it on the front.' It was a found object – an accident caused by leaning the guitar against the amp.
The song itself was more John's than mine.
We sat down and co-wrote it with John's original idea.
John sang it, I'm on harmonies.'

Baby's good to me, you know
She's happy as can be, you know
She said so
I'm in love with her and I feel fine

Baby says she's mine, you know
She tells me all the time, you know
She said so
I'm in love with her and I feel fine

I'm so glad that she's my little girl
She's so glad, she's telling all the world

That her baby buys her things, you know
He buys her diamond rings, you know
She said so
She's in love with me and I feel fine, mmm

Baby says she's mine, you know
She tells me all the time, you know
She said so
I'm in love with her and I feel fine

I'm so glad that she's my little girl
She's so glad, she's telling all the world

That her baby buys her things, you know
He buys her diamond rings, you know
She said so
She's in love with me and I feel fine
She's in love with me and I feel fine, mmm, mmm


Yellow Submarine
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
PAUL 1966: 'It's a happy place, that's all.
You know, it was just… We were trying to write a children's song.
That was the basic idea.
And there's nothing more to be read into it than there is in the lyrics of any children's song.'

JOHN 1972: 'Paul wrote the catchy chorus.
I helped with the blunderbuss bit.'

JOHN 1980: ''Yellow Submarine' is Paul's baby.
Donovan helped with the lyrics.
I helped with the lyrics too.
We virtually made the track come alive in the studio, but based on Paul's inspiration.
Paul's idea.
Paul's title… written for Ringo.'

PAUL 1984: 'I wrote that in bed one night.
As a kid's story.
And then we thought it would be good for Ringo to do.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'I was laying in bed in the Asher's garret, and there's a nice twilight zone just as you're drifting into sleep and as you wake from it – I always find it quite a comfortable zone.
I remember thinking that a children's song would be quite a good idea… I was thinking of it as a song for Ringo, which it eventually turned out to be, so I wrote it as not too rangey in the vocal.
I just made up a little tune in my head, then started making a story – sort of an ancient mariner, telling the young kids where he'd lived.
It was pretty much my song as I recall… I think John helped out.
The lyrics got more and more obscure as it goes on, but the chorus, melody and verses are mine.'

GEORGE 1999: 'Paul came up with the concept of 'Yellow Submarine.' All I know is just that every time we'd all get around the piano with guitars and start listening to it and arranging it into a record, we'd all fool about.
As I said, John's doing the voice that sounds like someone talking down a tube or ship's funnel as they do in the merchant marine.
(laughs) And on the final track there's actually that very small party happening! As I seem to remember, there's a few screams and what sounds like small crowd noises in the background.'

In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines

So we sailed up to the sun
'Til we found the sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

Full speed ahead, Mr. Boatswain, full speed ahead!
Full speed it is, Sergeant!
Cut the cable, drop the cable!
Aye-aye, sir, aye-aye!
Captain, Captain!

As we live a life of ease (a life of ease)
Everyone of us (everyone of us) has all we need (has all we need)
Sky of blue (sky of blue) and sea of green (sea of green)
In our yellow (in our yellow) submarine (submarine, ah-ha)

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine


Can't Buy Me Love
(Paul McCartney)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1972: 'John and Paul, but mainly Paul.'

JOHN 1980: 'That's Paul completely.
Maybe I had something to do with the chorus, but I don't know.
I always considered it his song.'

PAUL 1984: 'We recorded it in France, as I recall.
Went over to the Odeon in Paris.
Recorded it over there.
Felt proud because Ella Fitzgerald recorded it, too, though we didn't realize what it meant that she was doing it.'

PAUL circa-1994: ''Can't Buy Me Love' is my attempt to write a bluesy mode.
The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well but they won't buy me what I really want.'

Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love

I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend
If it makes you feel alright
I'll get you anything my friend
If it makes you feel alright
'Cause I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

I'll give you all I've got to give
If you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give
But what I've got I'll give to you
I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love, no, no, no, no

Say you don't need no diamond rings
And I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of things
That money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love, no, no, no, no

Say you don't need no diamond rings
And I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of things
That money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love, oh


Bad Boy
(Larry Williams)

A bad little kid moved into my neighborhood
He won't do nothing right just sitting down and looks so good
He don't want to go to school and learn to read and write
Just sits around the house and plays the rock and roll music all night
Well, he put some tacks on teachers chair
Puts chewing gum in little girl's hair
Hey, junior, behave yourself

Buys every rock and roll book on the magazine stand
Every dime that he get is lost to the jukebox man
Well he worries his teacher till at night she's ready to poop
From rocking and a-rolling spinning in a hula hoop
Well this rock and roll has got to stop
Junior's head is hard as rock
Now, junior, behave yourself

Going tell your mama you better do what she said
Get to the barber shop and get that hair cut off your head
Threw the canary and you fed it to the neighbors cat
You gave the cocker spaniel a bath in mother's laundramat
Well, mama's head has got to stop
Junior's head is hard as rock
Now, junior, behave yourself


Day Tripper
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1972: 'Me.
But I think Paul helped with the verse.'

JOHN 1980: 'That's mine.
Including the guitar lick, the guitar break, and the whole bit.
It's just a rock 'n roll song.
Day trippers are people who go on a day trip, right? Usually on a ferry boat or somethng.
But it was kind of – you know, you're just a weekend hippie.
Get it?'

PAUL circa-1994: 'Acid was coming on the scene, and we'd often do these songs about 'the girl who thought she was it.' Mainly the impetus for that used to come from John – I think John met quite a few girls who thought they were it… But this was just a tongue-in-cheek song about someone who was a day tripper, a sunday painter, a sunday driver, somebody who was committed only in part to the idea.
Where we saw ourselves as full-time trippers, fully committed drivers, she was just a day tripper.
That was a co-written effort – we were both making it all up but I would give John the main credit.'

Got a good reason for taking the easy way out
Got a good reason for taking the easy way out now
She was a day tripper, a one way ticket yeah
It took me so long to find out, and I found out

She's a big teaser, she took me half the way there
She's a big teaser, she took me half the way there now
She was a day tripper, a one way ticket yeah
It took me so long to find out, and I found out

Tried to please her, she only played one night stands
Tried to please her, she only played one night stands now
She was a day tripper, a Sunday driver yeah
It took me so long to find out, and I found out

Day tripper
Day tripper yeah
Day tripper
Day tripper yeah
Day tripper


A Hard Day's Night
(John Lennon)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
RINGO 1964: 'We went to do a job, and we'd worked all day and we happened to work all night.
I came up still thinking it was day I suppose, and I said, 'It's been a hard day…' and I looked around and saw it was dark so I said, '…night!' So we came to 'A Hard Day's Night.''

JOHN 1980: 'I was going home in the car and Dick Lester suggested the title, 'Hard Day's Night' from something Ringo had said.
I had used it in 'In His Own Write,' but it was an off-the-cuff remark by Ringo.
You know, one of those malapropisms.
A Ringo-ism, where he said it not to be funny… just said it.
So Dick Lester said, 'We are going to use that title.' And the next morning I brought in the song… 'cuz there was a little competition between Paul and I as to who got the A-side – who got the hits.
If you notice, in the early days the majority of singles, in the movies and everything, were mine… in the early period I'm dominating the group.
The only reason he sang on 'A Hard Day's Night' was because I couldn't reach the notes.
(sings) 'When I'm home/ everything seems to be right/ when I'm home…' – which is what we'd do sometimes.
One of us couldn't reach a note but he wanted a different sound, so he'd get the other to do the harmony.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'The title was Ringo's.
We'd almost finished making the film, and this fun bit arrived that we'd not known about before, which was naming the film.
So we were sitting around at Twickenham studios having a little brain-storming session… and we said, 'Well, there was something Ringo said the other day.' Ringo would do these little malapropisms, he would say things slightly wrong, like people do, but his were always wonderful, very lyrical… they were sort of magic even though he was just getting it wrong.
And he said after a concert, 'Phew, it's been a hard day's night.''

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright

You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
So why on earth should I moan, cos when I get you alone
You know I feel OK

When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright owww

So why on earth should I moan, cos when I get you alone
You know I feel OK

When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright


Ticket to Ride
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
GEORGE 1965: 'We are always worried with each record.
With 'Ticket To Ride' we were even more worried.
There's bound to be a time when we come in at 19 (on the charts).
But this 'number one' business doesn't seem to stop – great while it lasts – but now we'll have to start all over again and people will start predicting funny things for the next one.'

JOHN 1970: 'It's a heavy record, and the drums are heavy too.
That's why I like it.'

JOHN 1980: 'That was one of the earliest heavy-metal records made.
Paul's contribution was the way Ringo played the drums.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'I think the interesting thing is the crazy ending – instead of ending like the previous verse, we changed the tempo.
We picked up one of the lines, 'My baby don't care,' but completely altered the melody.
We almost invented the idea of a new bit of a song on the fade-out with this song… It was quite radical at the time.'

I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad
Is going away

She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around

She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me

I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad
Is going away, yeah

Oh, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me

She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around

Ah, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

My baby don't care, my baby don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care (fade out)


Paperback Writer
(Paul McCartney)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
JOHN 1972: 'Paul.
I think I might have helped with some of the lyrics, Yes, I did.
But it was mainly Paul's tune.'

JOHN 1980: ''Paperback Writer' is son of 'Day Tripper' …meaning a rock 'n roll song with a guitar lick on a fuzzy loud guitar.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'I arrived at Weybridge and told John I had this idea of trying to write off to a publishers to become a paperback writer, and I said, 'I think it should be written like a letter.' I took a bit of paper out and I said it should be something like, 'Dear Sir or Madam, as the case may be…' and I proceeded to write it just like a letter in front of him, occasionally rhyming it… And then we went upstairs and put the melody to it.
John and I sat down and finished it all up, but it was tilted towards me – the original idea was mine.
I had no music, but it's just a little bluesy song, not alot of melody.
Then I had the idea to do the harmonies, and we arranged that in the studio.'

Paperback writer

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

It's the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn't understand
His son is working for the Daily Mail
It's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

Paperback writer

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few
I'll be writing more in a week or two
I can make it longer if you like the style
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnight
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

Paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer (fade out)


Eleanor Rigby
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
PAUL 1966: 'I was sitting at the piano when I thought of it.
The first few bars just came to me, and I got this name in my head… Daisy Hawkins picks up the rice in the church.
I don't know why.
I couldn't think of much more so I put it away for a day.
Then the name Father McCartney came to me, and all the lonely people.
But I thought that people would think it was supposed to be about my Dad sitting knitting his socks.
Dad's a happy lad.
So I went through the telephone book and I got the name McKenzie.
I was in Bristol when I decided Daisy Hawkins wasn't a good name.
I walked 'round looking at the shops, and I saw the name Rigby.
Then I took the song down to John's house in Weybridge.
We sat around, laughing, got stoned and finished it off.'

JOHN 1980: 'Paul's baby, and I helped with the education of the child… The violin backing was Paul's idea.
Jane Asher had turned him on to Vivaldi, and it was very good.'

PAUL 1984: 'I got the name Rigby from a shop in Bristol.
I was wandering round Bristol one day and saw a shop called Rigby.
And I think Eleanor was from Eleanor Bron, the actress we worked with in the film 'Help!' But I just liked the name.
I was looking for a name that sounded natural.
Eleanor Rigby sounded natural.'

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?


I Want to Hold Your Hand
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)
PAUL 1964: 'Let's see, we were told we had to get down to it.
So we found this house when we were walking along one day.
We knew we had to really get this song going, so we got down in the basement of this disused house and there was an old piano.
It wasn't really disused, it was rooms to let.
We found this old piano and started banging away.
There was a little old organ too.
So we were having this informal jam and we started banging away.
Suddenly a little bit came to us, the catch line.
So we started working on it from there.
We got our pens and paper out and just wrote down the lyrics.
Eventually, we had some sort of a song, so we played it for our recording manager and he seemed to like it.
We recorded it the next day.'

JOHN 1980: 'We wrote alot of stuff together, one on one, eyeball to eyeball.
Like in 'I Want To Hold Your Hand,' I remember when we got the chord that made the song.
We were in Jane Asher's house, downstairs in the cellar playing on the piano at the same time.
And we had, 'Oh you-u-u/ got that something…' And Paul hits this chord, and I turn to him and say, 'That's it!' I said, 'Do that again!' In those days, we really used to absolutely write like that – both playing into each other's noses.'

PAUL circa-1994: ''Eyeball to eyeball' is a very good description of it.
That's exactly how it was.
'I Want To Hold Your Hand' was very co-written.'

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something
I think you'll understand
Then I'll say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

Oh please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now let me hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
Then I'll say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I feel that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand