Beatles Notes

I Am the Walrus ¹
(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 5, 6, 27 Sep 67
Released: 24 Nov 67 (UK), 27 Nov 67 (US); on "Magical Mystery Tour" 27 Nov 67 (US), 8 Dec 67 (UK EP)
Notes: First line written after an acid trip, second line after one the next weekend. Then filled in after meeting Yoko. The "elementary penguin" was about Ginsberg chanting. Inspired by Dylan, based on Alice. John claims Lear piece was random. John later claimed the Walrus was a capitalist. The "King Lear" broadcast was during the final mixing of 29 Sept where they mixed in the switching of channels. Eric Burden claims he is the eggman because John was in an orgy where Eric broke eggs over nude girls. Cadence is from a police siren. Childhood ditty: "Yellow matter custard, green slop pie, All mixed together with a dead dog's eye, Slap it on a butty, ten foot thick, Then wash it down with a cup of cold sick." Six boys sing "Oompah, Oompah, stick it up your jumper;" six girls sing "Everybody's got one."

I Call Your Name

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 1 Mar 64
Released: on "The Beatles Second Album": 10 Apr 64 (UK)
Notes: Written in John's bedroom on Menlove Ave. about 1960, before the Beatles. One of his very first songs. Jamaican middle eight added later,

I Don't Want to See You Again

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author:
Recorded:
Released:
Notes:

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party ²

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 29 Sep 64
Released: 15 Feb 65 (US), on "Beatles for Sale": 4 Dec 64 (UK), on "Beatles VI": 14 Jun 65 (US)
Notes: Written for Ringo, inspired by Jimmey Rogers.

I Feel Fine ³

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 18 Oct 64
Released: 23 Nov 64 (US), 27 Nov 64 (UK), on "Beatles 65": 15 Dec 64 (US)
Notes: Opens with feedback.

I Get You

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: 50/50
Recorded:
Released:
Notes:

I Lost My Little Girl

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author:
Recorded:
Released:
Notes:

I Me Mine ⁴

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 3 Jan 70
Released: on "Let it Be": 8 May 70 (UK), 18 May 70 (US)
Notes: Inspired by a waltz playing Austrian marching band on TV. About the superiority of meditation over LSD.

I Need You ⁵

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 15, 16 Feb 65
Released: on "Help!": 6 Aug 65 (UK)
Notes: For his wife, Patti. First to use a wah-wah pedal.

I Saw Her Standing There ⁶

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly Paul
Recorded: 11 Feb 63
Released: 26 Dec 63 (US); on "Please Please Me": 22 Mar 63 (UK), on "Introducing the Beatles": 22 Jul 63 (US), on "Meet the Beatles": 20 Jan 64 (US)
Notes: Written in the Paul's livingroom, Sep. 1962. Bass line is from Chuck Berry's 1961 "I'm Talking About You."

I Should Have Known Better ⁷

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 25, 26 Feb 64
Released: 13 Jul 64 (US); on "A Hard Day's Night": 26 Jun 64 (US), 10 Jul 64 (UK)
Notes:

I Wanna Be Your Man ⁸

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly Paul
Recorded: 11, 12 Sep 63
Released: on "With the Beatles": 22 Nov 63 (UK), on "Meet the Beatles": 20 Jan 64 (US)
Notes: Recorded by Ringo and the Stones. Written very quickly, in a few minutes. Inspired by "Fortune Teller," from Benny Spellman.

I Want Hold Your Hand ⁹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: 50/50
Recorded: 17 Oct 63
Released: 28 Nov 63 (UK), 29 Nov 63 (US), 26 Dec 63 (US); on "Meet the Beatles": 20 Jan 64 (US)
Notes: Written at the Asher house. Repeated "I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide" inspired by an experimental French composer introduced to John by Robert Freeman, neighbor and photographer of the "With the Beatles" cover.

I Want to Tell You ¹⁰

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 2, 3 Jun 66
Released: on "Revolver": 5 Aug 66 (UK), 8 Aug 66 (US)
Notes: Working title: originally "Granny Smith 2" (See "Love You To"), then "Laxton's Superb" (an apple variety).

I Want You (She's So Heavy) ¹¹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 22 Feb, 18, 20 Apr, 8, 11 Aug 69
Released: on "Abbey Road": 26 Sept 69 (UK), 1 Oct 69 (US)
Notes: About Yoko.

I Will ¹²

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Paul
Recorded: 16, 17 Sep 68
Released: on "The Beatles": 22 Nov 68 (UK), 25 Nov 68 (US)
Notes: About Linda (first song), and her arriving the next week for good. Did 67 takes. Tune jammed out in India with Donovan.

If I Fell ¹³

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 27 Feb 64
Released: 20 Jul 64 (US), on "A Hard Day's Night": 26 Jun 64 (US), 10 Jul 64 (UK), on "Something New": 20 Jul 64 (US)
Notes: Precurser to "In My Life." First attempt at a ballad. About an affair and thinking about leaving Cynthia.

If I Needed Someone ¹⁴

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 16, 18 Sep 65
Released: on "Rubber Soul": 3 Dec 65 (UK)
Notes: For Patti. Inspired by the Byrds' "The Bells of Rhymney" and "She Don't Care About Time."

I'll Be Back ¹⁵

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 1 Jun 64
Released: on "A Hard Day's Night":10 Jul 64 (UK), on "Beatles 65": 15 Dec 64 (US)
Notes: Inspired by a Del Shannon song, "Runaway."

I'll Be On My Way

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly Paul
Recorded:
Released:
Notes: Old song, given to Billy Jo Kramer and the Dakotas.

I'll Cry Instead ¹⁶

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 1 Jun 64
Released: 20 Jul 64 (US); on "A Hard Day's Night": 26 Jun 64 (US), 10 Jul 64 (UK), on "Something New": 20 Jul 64 (US)
Notes: Rejected from film of "Hard Day's Night," in favor of "Can't Buy Me Love."

I'll Follow the Sun ¹⁷

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly Paul
Recorded: 18 Oct 64
Released: on "Beatles for Sale": 4 Dec 64 (UK), on "Beatles 65": 15 Dec 64 (US)
Notes: Kicking around in Paul's head since a teenager. Influenced by Buddy Holly, whose catalog Paul bought in the '70s.

I'll Get You ¹⁸

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: 50/50
Recorded: 1 Jul 63
Released: 23 Aug 63 (UK), 16 Sep 63 (US); on "The Beatles Second Album": 10 Apr 64 (UK)
Notes: Written at Menlove Ave, one of Paul's favorites, Imagery drawn from Alice.

I'll Keep You Satisfied

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Paul
Recorded:
Released:
Notes:

I'm a Loser ¹⁹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 14 Aug 64
Released: on "Beatles for Sale": 4 Dec 64 (UK), on "Beatles 65": 15 Dec 64 (US)
Notes: Inspired by Dylan's "Freewheelin'." Also Kenneth Allsop (writer of "Hard Travelin'") encouraged more personal lyrics after reading "In His Own Write."

I'm Down ²⁰

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly Paul
Recorded: 14 Jun 65
Released: 19 Jul 65 (US), 23 Jul 65 (UK)
Notes: Inspired by Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally."

I'm Happy Just to Dance with You ²¹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 1 Mar 64
Released: 20 Jul 64 (US); on "A Hard Day's Night": 26 Jun 64 (US), 10 Jul 64 (UK), on "Something New": 20 Jul 64 (US)
Notes: Written for George as a throwaway.

I'm in Love

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John?
Recorded:
Released:
Notes:

I'm Looking Through You ²²

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Paul
Recorded: 10, 11 Nov 65
Released: on "Rubber Soul": 3 Dec 65 (UK), 6 Dec 65 (US)
Notes: About argument with Jane and her moving to Bristol, away from Paul.

I'm Only Sleeping ²³

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 27, 29 Apr, 5 May (backward guitar), 6 May 66
Released: on "Revolver": 5 Aug 66 (UK)
Notes: Paul would show up at noon and John would be asleep. This was the beginning of a very lazy, drugged period for him.

I'm So Tired ²⁴

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 8 Oct 68
Released: on "The Beatles": 22 Nov 68 (UK), 25 Nov 68 (US)
Notes: Written in India, like most of White Album.

In My Life ²⁵

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Mostly John
Recorded: 18, 22 Oct 65
Released: on "Rubber Soul": 3 Dec 65 (UK), 6 Dec 65 (US)
Notes: First song John wrote about his life. Before then, the words were "almost irrelevant." Started out as a bus ride from Menlove Ave. to the docks, mentioning every place he could remember, but changed the lyrics. Inspired by Bob Dylan and English journalist, Kenneth Alsoph. John and Paul retrospectively argued about authorship, Paul claiming he wrote the melody inspired by the Miracles. Line about friends was about Stu.

The Inner Light ²⁶

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 12 Jan, 8 Feb 68
Released: 15 Mar 68 (US), 18 Mar 68 (UK)
Notes: Words from the "Tao Te Ching (XLVIII)" number 48, page 66. On 29 Sep 67 at a George appearance in The Frost Report, Juan Mascaró (who was in the audience) later suggested using I Ching and sent a copy of "Lamps of Fire," which contains poem, "The Inner Light." Became the first of George's songs to appear on a single. Music recorded in Bobmbay at the tail end of the "Wonderwall" sessions.

It Won't Be Long ²⁷

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 30 Jul 63
Released: on "With the Beatles": 22 Nov 63 (UK), on "Meet the Beatles": 20 Jan 64 (US)
Notes: John really hated it. Written at Weybridge. Prompted review about "aeolian cadences of the chords."

It's All Too Much ²⁸

(Harrison)
Real Author: George
Recorded: 25, 26 May, 2 Jun 67
Released: on "Yellow Submarine": 13 Jan 69 (US), 17 Jan 69 (UK)
Notes: About LSD, which George celebrated for another three months until meeting the Maharishi.

It's For You

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Paul
Recorded:
Released:
Notes: Written for Cilla Black

It's Only Love ²⁹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: John
Recorded: 15 Jun 65
Released: on "Help!": 6 Aug 65 (UK), on "Rubber Soul": 6 Dec 65 (US)
Notes: He hated it. Working title was "That's a Nice Hat."

I've Got a Feeling ³⁰

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: 50/50
Recorded: 30 Jan 69
Released: on "Let it Be": 8 May 70 (UK), 18 May 70 (US)
Notes: Paul's part was "I've got a feeling," John's was "Everybody had a hard year."

I've Just Seen a Face ³¹

(Lennon and McCartney)
Real Author: Paul
Recorded: 14 Jun 65
Released: on "Help!": 6 Aug 65 (UK), on "Rubber Soul": 6 Dec 65 (US)
Notes: Written at Wimpole Street (Ashers). Nicknamed "Auntie Jin's Theme," because she liked it so much.

1 "I Am The Walrus"

[I Am the Walrus : Magical Mystery Tour]

2 "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"

[I Don't Want to Spoil the Party : Beatles for Sale]

3 "I Feel Fine"

[I Feel Fine : Singles]

4 "I Me Mine"

[I Me Mine : Let It Be]

5 "I Need You"

[I Need You : Help!]

6 "I Saw Her Standing There"

[I Saw Her Standing There : Please Please Me]

7 "I Should Have Known Better"

[I Should Have Known Better : A Hard Day's Night]

8 "I Wanna Be Your Man"

[I Wanna Be Your Man : With the Beatles]

9 "I Want To Hold Your Hand"

[I Want to Hold Your Hand : Singles]

10 "I Want To Tell You"

[I Want to Tell You : Revolver]

11 "I Want You"

[I Want You : Abbey Road]

12 "I Will"

[I Will : The Beatles]