The Beatles Lyrics, album "The Early Beatles"

Cover of the Beatles album - "The Early Beatles"

Love Me Do
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

JOHN 1963: 'It came to the charts in two days.
And everybody thought it was a 'fiddle' because our manager's stores send in these… what is it… record returns.
And everybody down south thought, 'Aha! He's just fiddling the charts.' But he wasn't.'

JOHN 1972: 'Paul wrote the main structure of this when he was sixteen, or even earlier.
I think I had something to do with the middle.'

RINGO 1976: 'The first record, 'Love Me Do,' for me that was more important than anything else.
That first piece of plastic.
You can't believe how great that was.
It was so wonderful.
We were on a record!'

JOHN 1980: ''Love Me Do' is Paul's song.
He had the song around in Hamburg even, way, way before we were songwriters.'

PAUL 1982: 'In Hamburg we clicked… At the Cavern we clicked… but if you want to know when we 'knew' we'd arrived, it was getting in the charts with 'Love Me Do.' That was the one.
It gave us somewhere to go.'

PAUL 1984: ''Love Me Do' …the first song we recorded, like, for real.
First serious audition.
I was very nervous, I remember.
John was supposed to sing the lead, but they changed their minds and asked me to sing lead at the last minute, because they wanted John to play harmonica.
Until then, we hadn't rehearsed with a harmonica; George Martin started arranging it on the spot.
It was very nerve-wracking.'

PAUL 1988: ''Love Me Do' was us trying to do the blues.
It came out whiter because it always does.
We're white, and we were just young Liverpool musicians.
We didn't have the finesse to be able to actually sound black.
But 'Love Me Do' was probably the first bluesy thing we tried to do.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'George Martin said, 'Can anyone play a harmonica? It would be rather nice.
Couldn't think of some sort of bluesy thing, could you John?' John played a chromatic harmonica… I actually had one too but he'd been clever – he learned to play it.
John expected to be in jail one day and he'd be the guy who played the harmonica.
The lyric crossed over the harmonica solo, so I suddenly got thrown the big open line, 'Love me do,' where everything stopped.
Until that session John had always done it.
I didn't even know how to sing it… I can still hear the nervousness in my voice.'

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do

Someone to love
Somebody new
Someone to love
Someone like you

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do
Yeah, love me do
Whoa, oh, love me do

Twist And Shout
(Bert Russell and Phil Medley)

JOHN 1963: 'I always hate singing the song, 'Twist And Shout' when there's a colored artist on the bill with us.
It doesn't seem right, you know.
I feel sort of embarrassed… It makes me curl up.
I always feel they could do the song much better than me.'

JOHN 1971: 'The more interesting songs to me were the black ones because they were more simple.
They sort of said shake-your-arse, or your prick, which was an innovation really.
The blacks were singing directly and immediately about their pain, and also about sex, which is why I like it.'

JOHN 1976: 'The last song nearly killed me.
My voice wasn't the same for a long time after – everytime I swallowed it was like sandpaper.
I was always bitterly ashamed of it because I could sing it better than that, but now it doesn't bother me.
You can hear I'm just a frantic guy doing his best.'

PAUL 1988: 'There's a power in John's voice there that certainly hasn't been equaled since.
And I know exactly why – It's because he worked his bollocks off that day.
We left 'Twist And Shout' until the very last thing because we knew there was one take.'

RINGO 1994: 'We started (recording the album) about noon and finished it at midnight, with John being really hoarse by 'Twist And Shout.''

Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)

Well, work it on out, honey (Work it on out)
You know you look so good (Look so good)
You know you got me goin' now (Got me goin')
Just like I knew you would (Like I knew you would)

Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)

Well, you twist, you little girl (Twist, little girl)
You know you twist so fine (Twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (Twist a little closer)
And let me know that you're mine (Let me know you're mine)

Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)

Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up baby)

Anna (Go to Him)
(Arthur Alexander)

Anna
You come and ask me, girl
To set you free, girl
You say he loves you more than me
So I will set you free
Go with him (Anna)
Go with him (Anna)

Anna
Girl, before you go now
I want you to know, now
That I still love you so
But if he loves you more
Go with him

All of my life
I've been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
Oh, now, but every girl I've ever had
Breaks my heart and leave me sad
What am I, what am I supposed to do

Anna
Just one more thing, girl
You give back your ring to me, and I will set you free
Go with him

All of my life
I've been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
But let me tell you now
But every girl I've ever had
Breaks my heart and leave me sad
What am I, what am I supposed to do

Anna
Just one more thing, girl
You give back your ring to me,
And I will set you free
Go with him

(Anna) Go with him
(Anna) You can go with him, girl
(Anna) Go with him

Chains
(Gerry Goffin and Carole King)

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind that you can see
Whoa, oh, these chains of love got a hold on me, yeah

Chains, well I can't break away from these chains
Can't run around, cos I'm not free
Whoa, oh, these chains of love won't let me be, yeah

I wanna tell you, pretty baby
I think you're fine
I'd like to love you
But, darling, I'm imprisoned by these...

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind that you can see
Oh, oh, these chains of love got a hold on me

Please believe me when I tell you
Your lips are sweet
I'd like to kiss them
But I can't break away from all of these...

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind that you can see
Whoa, oh, these chains of love got a hold on me, yeah

Chains, chains of love...

Boys
(Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell)

I been told when a boy kiss a girl
Take a trip around the world
Hey, hey (Bop shuop, m'bop bop shuop)
Hey, hey (Bop shuop, m'bop bop shuop)
Hey, hey, (Bop shuop) yeah, she say ya do (Bop shuop)

My girl says when I kiss her lips
Gets a thrill through her fingertips
Hey, hey (Bop shuop, m'bop bop shuop)
Hey, hey (Bop shuop, m'bop bop shuop)
Hey, hey, (Bop shuop) yeah, she say ya do (Bop shuop)

Well, I talk about boys
Don't ya know I mean boys
Well, I talk about boys, now
Aaahhh, boys
Well, I talk about boys, now
What a bundle of joy!
(Alright, George!)

Well, I talk about boys
Don't ya know I mean boys
Well, I talk about boys, now
Aaahhh, boys
Well, I talk about boys, now
What a bundle of joy!

Oh, oh, ah yeah boys
Don't ya know I mean boys?
Ooh, boys
Ah ha
Well I talk about boys now

Ask Me Why
(John Lennon)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

I love you, 'cause you tell me things I want to know
And it's true that it really only goes to show
That I know that I, I, I, I
Should never, never, never be blue

Now you're mine, my happiness still makes me cry
And in time, you'll understand the reason why
If I cry, it's not because I'm sad
But you're the only love that I've ever had

I can't believe it's happened to me
I can't conceive of any more misery

Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you

I love you, 'cause you tell me things I want to know
And it's true that it really only goes to show
That I know that I, I, I, I
Should never, never, never be blue

Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you

I can't believe it's happened to me
I can't conceive of any more misery

Ask me why, I'll say I love you
And I'm always thinking of you
You, you

Please Please Me
(John Lennon)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

JOHN 1963: 'Our recording manager (George Martin) thought our arrangement was fussy, so we tried to make it simpler.
We were getting tired though, and just couldn't seem to get it right.
In the following weeks we went over it again and again.
We changed the tempo a little, we altered the words slightly, and we went over the idea of featuring the harmonica just as we'd done on 'Love Me Do.' By the time the session came around we were so happy with the result, we couldn't get it recorded fast enough.'

JOHN 1980: ''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 Menlove Avenue, which was my auntie's place.
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 of 'Please Lend Your 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.'

PAUL 1988: 'It's very Roy Orbison when you slow it down.
George Martin up-tempo'd it.
He thought it was too much of a dirge, and probably too like Orbison.
So he cleverly speeded us up… and we put in the little scaled riff at the beginning, which was very catchy.'

Last night I said these words to my girl
I know you never even try, girl
C'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon)
Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you

You don't need me to show the way, love
Why do I always have to say "love"
C'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon)
Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you

I don't wanna sound complaining
But you know there's always rain in my heart (In my heart)
I do all the pleasing with you, it's so hard to reason
With you, oh yeah, why do you make me blue

Last night I said these words to my girl
I know you never even try, girl
C'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon), c'mon (C'mon)
Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you
(Me) Whoa yeah, like I please you
(Me) Whoa yeah, like I please you

P.S. I Love You
(Paul McCartney)
(Officially – John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

JOHN 1980: 'That's Paul's song.
He was trying to write a 'Soldier Boy' like the Shirelles.
He wrote that in Germany, or when we were going to and from Hamburg.
I might have contributed something.
I can't remember anything in particular.
It was mainly his song.'

PAUL circa-1994: 'A theme song based on a letter… It was pretty much mine.
I don't think John had much of a hand in it.
There are certain themes that are easier than others to hang a song on, and a letter is one of them… It's not based in reality, nor did I write it to my girlfriend from Hamburg, which some people think.'

As I write this letter
Send my love to you
Remember that I'll always
Be in love with you

Treasure these few words till we're together
Keep all my love forever
P.S. I love you
You, you, you

I'll be coming home again to you, love
And till the day I do, love
P.S. I love you
You, you, you

As I write this letter
Send my love to you
Remember that I'll always
Be in love with you

Treasure these few words till we're together
Keep all my love forever
P.S. I love you
You, you, you

As I write this letter (Oh)
Send my love to you (You know I want you to)
Remember that I'll always (Yeah)
Be in love with you

I'll be coming home again to you, love
And till the day I do, love
P.S. I love you
You, you, you
You, you, you
I love you

Baby It's You
(Burt Bacharach, Luther Dixon and Mack David)

Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la

It's not the way you smile that touched my heart. (sha la la la la)
It's not the way you kiss that tears me apart.

Uh, oh, many, many, many nights go by,
I sit alone at home and I cry over you.
What can I do.
Can't help myself, 'cause baby, it's you.
Baby, it's you.

You should hear what they say about you, "cheat," "cheat."
They say, they say you never never never ever been true. (cheat cheat)

Uh oh,
It doesn't matter what they say,
I know I'm gonna love you any old way.
What can I do, and it's true.
Don't want nobody, nobody, 'cause baby, it's you. (sha la la la la la la)
Baby, it's you. (sha la la la la la la)

Uh oh,
It doesn't matter what they say,
I know I'm gonna love you any old way.
What can I do, when it's true.
Don't want nobody, nobody, 'cause baby, it's you. (sha la la la la la la)
Baby, it's you. (sha la la la la la la)
Don't leave me all alone...

A Taste of Honey
(Ric Marlow and Bobby Scott)

A taste of honey
Tasting much sweeter than wine

I dream of your first kiss
And then I feel upon my lips again

A taste of honey
Tasting much sweeter than wine

I will return, yes I will return
I'll come back for the honey and you

Yours was the kiss that awoke my heart
There lingers still, though we're far apart

That taste of honey
Tasting much sweeter than wine

Oh I will return, yes I will return
I'll come back (He'll come back)
for the honey (For the honey)
and you

Do You Want to Know a Secret?
(John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

JOHN 1980: 'Well, I can't say I wrote it 'for' George.
My mother was always… she was a good comedienne and a singer.
Not professional, but she used to get up in pubs and things like that.
She had a good voice.
She could do Kay Starr.
She used to do this little tune when I was one or two years old… she was still living with me then.
The tune was from a Disney movie: (sings) 'Do you want to know a secret? Promise not to tell? You are standing by a wishing well.' So, I had this sort of thing in my head, and I wrote it and just gave it to George to sing.
I thought it would be a good for him, because it had only three notes and he wasn't the best singer in the world.
He has improved a lot since then; but in those days, his ability was very poor.'

PAUL 1984: 'A song we really wrote for George to sing.
Before he wrote his own stuff, John and I wrote things for him and Ringo to do.'

GEORGE 1994: ''Do You Want To Know A Secret' was my song on the album.
I didn't like the vocal on it.
I didn't know how to sing.'

You'll never know how much I really love you
You'll never know how much I really care

Listen
Do you want to know a secret
Do you promise not to tell, whoa oh, oh

Closer
Let me whisper in your ear
Say the words you long to hear
I'm in love with you

Listen
Do you want to know a secret
Do you promise not to tell, whoa oh, oh

Closer
Let me whisper in your ear
Say the words you long to hear
I'm in love with you

I've known the secret for a week or two
Nobody knows, just we two

Listen
Do you want to know a secret
Do you promise not to tell, whoa oh, oh

Closer
Let me whisper in your ear
Say the words you long to hear
I'm in love with you