The Word: Introduction
“The Word” is a Beatles song from their 1965 “Rubber Soul” album. The songwriting credits, as usual, go to Lennon-McCartney. But, according to John Lennon, it was “mainly mine,” even though it was a joint effort.
In Detail
- Release Date: December 3, 1965 (UK), December 6, 1965 (US)
- Recorded: November 10, 1965
- Studio: EMI Studios, London
- Genre: Rock
- Track Duration: 2:41
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriters: Lennon-McCartney
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: lead and backing vocals; also the rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney: harmony vocal, bass guitar, and piano
- George Harrison: harmony vocal, also the lead guitar
- Ringo Starr: drums, maracas
- George Martin: harmonium solo
Where To Find “The Word”
You can still buy this song as it is on the following albums:
**The Love album is a mashup mix, so the song may not be the full version. See below for more details about this version.
The Word: Background
John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote “The Word” after smoking marijuana, which they had never done before while composing. Although Lennon was comfortable about this, McCartney wasn’t.
“We smoked a bit of pot, then we wrote out a multicoloured lyric sheet, the first time we’d ever done that. We normally didn’t smoke when we were working. It got in the way of songwriting because it would just cloud your mind up – ‘Oh, shit, what are we doing?’ It’s better to be straight. But we did this multicoloured thing.”
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
“The Word was written together, but it’s mainly mine. You read the words, it’s all about – gettin’ smart. It’s the marijuana period. It’s love, it’s the love-and-peace thing. The word is ‘love’, right?”
John Lennon
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Beatlemania was at its peak, but the Beatles had to adapt to the ever-changing music scene. In short, “The Word” comes from the period between the Merseybeat pop era and the psychedelic era, a sort of transitional period in the Fab Four’s history. From now on, we will see The Beatles’ music evolve in a more dramatic way. Of course, other bands were to follow their lead.
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “The Word” at the EMI Studios in Abbey Road, London, on November 10, 1965. There were just three takes in that marathon 9:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m. session in Studio 2. Overdubbing took place on take three, with George Martin playing a harmonium solo piece for the track.
In room 65 on November 11, the final mono and stereo mix was complete and available for the “Rubber Soul” album.
On The Beatles’ “Love” album from 2006, parts of the song appear in the medley, Drive My Car/The Word/What You’re Doing. However, this track is only 1 minute and 54 seconds long, so there is very little actual content from “The Word.”
Take A Listen
Let us spin the disc once again. After you hear it, let us know what you think about the song below. Give us your thoughts here or in the enormous Beatles Forum (link tabs are at the top of all articles).
