In My Life: Beatles song.

In My Life: Introduction

“In My Life” is a Beatles’ song on their 1965 album, “Rubber Soul.” Many people agree that it is the best song on the album.

  • Release Date: December 3, 1965
  • Recorded: October 18 and 22, 1965
  • Studio: EMI Studios, London
  • Genre: Baroque pop, pop rock
  • Track Duration: 2:28
  • Record Label: Parlophone
  • Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney
  • Producer: George Martin
  • Engineer: Norman Smith

You can still buy this track on the following album:

Written mostly by John Lennon, the credits go to Lennon-McCartney as ever. However, Paul McCartney and John Lennon later disputed the amount of input each had contributed to the song. They also had similar disagreements about Eleanor Rigby, too.

“In My Life started out as a bus journey from my house on 250 [sic] Menlove Avenue to town, mentioning every place I could remember. And it was ridiculous. This is before even Penny Lane was written and I had Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Tram Sheds – Tram Sheds are the depot just outside of Penny Lane – and it was the most boring sort of ‘What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip’ song and it wasn’t working at all. I cannot do this! I cannot do this!

But then I laid back, and these lyrics started coming to me about the places I remember. Now Paul helped write the middle-eight melody. The whole lyrics were already written before Paul had even heard it. In In My Life, his contribution melodically was the harmony and the middle eight itself.”

John Lennon
All We Are Saying, David Sheff

“So it was John’s original inspiration; I think my melody, I think my guitar riff. I don’t want to be categorical about this, but that’s my recollection… I find it very gratifying that out of everything we wrote, we only appear to disagree over two songs.”

Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

The Beatles began recording “In My Life” on October 18, 1965, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London, during the 2.30 p.m.–5.45 p.m. session. They recorded only three takes, and it was a complete rhythm track apart from the instrumental bridge, which John Lennon couldn’t decide which instrument to use.

He asked George Martin to provide a piano piece, which he did. However, Martin wrote a Bach-influenced piano solo, which he couldn’t play at the correct tempo for the song.

On December 22, in the same studio, Martin recorded his piano solo at half speed, so when played back at normal speed, it sounded like a harpsichord.

“I did it with what I call a ‘wound up’ piano, which was at double speed—partly because you get a harpsichord sound by shortening the attack of everything, but also because I couldn’t play it at real speed anyway. So I played it on piano at exactly half-normal speed and down an octave. When you bring the tape back to normal speed again, it sounds pretty brilliant. It’s a means of tricking everybody into thinking you can do something really well.”

George Martin
Sounds Of The Sixties, BBC Radio 2

After the breakup of The Beatles in 1970, there were some pretty blunt remarks from John Lennon, while Paul McCartney mostly kept his composure. It doesn’t matter if there is some slight disagreement about who contributed most to a song, surely? Considering most Beatles’ songs have their roots in the 1960s, there’s obviously going to be a few misunderstandings.

Finally, leave us a comment or two below.

One Comment

Leave a Reply