MU106 Great Composers

Sixties British Songwriters

"Please Please Me"

Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Publisher(s): Northern Songs, Dick James Music

Musicians: The Beatles: John Lennon (vocals and guitar), Paul McCartney (vocals and bass), George Harrison (guitar and vocals), and Ringo Starr (drums)

YouTube: The Beatles perform "Please Please Me" on the Ed Sullivan Show. (no longer available)

Date of Recording: 26 November 1962

Location of Recording: EMI Recording Studios (#2), London

Date of Release: 11 January 1963

Label and Number: Parlophone R 4983

Charts: 17 January 1963; UK #2 [NME UK #1]

Producer: George Martin

Music Director / Arranger:

Engineer(s): Norman Smith

Other Information:

McCartney (Miles 1997: 151-152): Collaboration with another writer makes it twice as easy. It takes half as long with somebody else. With John, I would think of a line, he would think of a line, I would think of a line, he would think of a line, so I wasn't having to think of all the lines. "It's getting better all the time"; he was just drawing it on, "Couldn't get much worse," and that sets the tone for the next verse. So it starts to be about painful memories or something by this "worse." the ricochet is a great thing.
The think about John is that it wasn't just a collaboration; John was very special. An I think for him, I must have been special, because he'd have got rid of me. That's the point about John. He didn't suffer fools gladly. Given half a chance he would have elbowed me! And feel right about it! But I was his main collaborator.

Lennon (Sheff 2000: 168): "Please Please Me" is my song completely. It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song, would you believe it? I wrote it in the bedroom in my house at Monlove Avenue, which was my auntie's place... I remember the day and the pink coverlet on the bed and I heard Roy Orbison doing "Only the Lonely" or something. That's where that came from. And also I was always intrigued by the words [sings] "Please, lend your little ears to my pleas" — a Bing Crosby song. I was always intrigued by the double use of the word "please." So it was a combination of Bing Crosby and Roy Orbison.

Lyrics

a.  Last night I said these words to my girl: I know you never even try girl.

b.  Come on (come on), come on (come on), come on (come on), come on (come on),
Please Please Me, woh yeh, like I please you.

c.  You don't need me to show the way love; Why do I always have to say love:

d.     I don't wanna sound complainin' but you know there's always rain in my heart (in my heart);
I do all the pleasin' with you, it's so hard to reason with you,
oh yeh, why do you make me blue.

Form

Section	Meas.	Text	Description
intro		--
verse		a
refrain		b
verse		c
refrain		b
chorus		d
verse		a
refrain		b
coda		b*