Beatles songs, No Reply

JOHN 1972: 'I remember (Beatles music publisher) Dick James coming up to me after we did this one and saying, 'You're getting better now – that was a complete story.' Apparently, before that, he thought my songs wandered off.'

JOHN 1980: 'That's my song.
That's the one where Dick James the publisher said, 'That's the first complete song you've written that resloves itself,' you know, with a complete story.
It was sort of my version of 'Silhouettes.' (sings) 'Silhouettes, silhouettes, silhouettes…' I had that image of walking down the street and seeing her silhouetted in the window and not answering the phone, although I never called a girl on the phone in my life.
Because phones weren't part of the English child's life.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'We wrote 'No Reply' together but from a strong original idea of his.
I think he pretty much had that one, but as usual, if he didn't have a third verse and the middle-eight, then he'd play it to me pretty much formed.
Then we'd shove a bit in the middle or I'd throw in an idea.'