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"I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, written by
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and credited to
Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney is the songwriting partnership between the English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is widely considered one of the greatest, best known and most successful musical collabo ...
. It was released on a non-album single as the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
to "
Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...
" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
, whose song " Long Tall Sally" the band regularly covered. Inspired by 1950s R&B and
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
numbers, the song's lyrics sing of an unrequited love, but rather than a lament are instead performed in a hysterical, "celebratory frenzy" of self assuredness. Some commentators interpret the song's tone as partially parodic. Melodically uncomplicated, the composition uses only three basic chords. The Beatles recorded "I'm Down" during sessions for their album ''
Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...
'' in June 1965. The first song by the band to incorporate a Vox Continental electric organ,
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
plays the instrument in the style of
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
, doing
glissando In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a wikt:glide, glide from one pitch (music), pitch to another (). It is an Italianized Musical terminology, musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In ...
s with his elbow. In the decade following its release, the song became a comparative rarity among the band's recordings. It has subsequently appeared on compilation albums such as '' Rock 'n' Roll Music''; the UK edition of '' Rarities''; '' Past Masters, Volume One'' and '' Mono Masters''. "I'm Down" has received praise from several music critics and musicologists, with several mentioning McCartney's strong vocal and the band's raucous performance. The Beatles regularly performed the song during their 1965 and 1966 tours as the closing number, including an especially chaotic performance in August 1965 depicted in the documentary '' The Beatles at Shea Stadium''.
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
and
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
are among the artists that have covered the song.


Background and composition

In November 1963,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
moved into the family home of his girlfriend,
Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)''The International Who's Who of Women'', 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, 2002, p. 29 is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress and through her associatio ...
, located at 57 Wimpole Street in
central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
. He later recalled writing "I'm Down" in the family music room in the basement of the house. Written in the style of
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
, the song began as an attempt to replace " Twist and Shout" and " Long Tall Sally" as the closing number of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' concert tour set list. In an October 1964 interview, McCartney explained that he and
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
had been trying for years to write a song like "Long Tall Sally", and that the closest they had come was with their song " I Saw Her Standing There". Comparing the writing process of Little Richard-like songs to
abstract painting Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a Composition (visual arts), composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. ''Abstract art'', ''non-figurative art'', ''non- ...
, he further explained: " ople think of 'Long Tall Sally' and say it sounds so easy to write. But it's the most difficult thing we've attempted. Writing a three-chord song that's clever is not easy". In his authorised biography, ''
Many Years From Now Many (/ˈmɛni/) may refer to: * grammatically plural in number *an English quantifier used with count nouns indicating a large but indefinite number of; at any rate, more than a few ;Place names * Many, Moselle, a commune of the Moselle depart ...
'', McCartney remembers "I'm Down" as entirely his composition, but raises the possibility that Lennon added a few lyrics or made minor suggestions in the writing process. In a 1972 interview, Lennon credits the song to only McCartney, but in his 1980 ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' interview he instead suggests he provided "a little help".
Musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...
Walter Everett argues that McCartney often forgetting the song's lyrics in concerts suggests he wrote the song quickly and with little practice. "I'm Down" is in the key of
G major G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...
and is in 4/4 ( common time). A simple
twelve-bar blues The twelve-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly ba ...
number extended into fourteen-bars, the song uses only the chords I, IV and V. One of the few Beatles songs to feature a simple verse form, musicologist Alan W. Pollack suggests that, in the context of the Beatles' 1965 compositions, its simple format is stylistically regressive. The song opens with a solo vocal from McCartney, which music critic Tim Riley sees as the part of the song bearing the most resemblance to "Long Tall Sally", with "one mad voice screaming at the top of its lungs". With neither bass nor drums to clarify the key or
downbeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...
, Pollack writes that "no matter how many times you've heard the song", McCartney's opening vocal is "an effect which retains the power to startle". The repeating refrains incorporate improvisational scat singing and, according to Pollack, get "successively wilder and less structured" with each repeating. Everett writes the concluding coda serves the purpose of " aisingthe rock-and-roll spirit to a higher level of excitement than does the song proper". The song's lyrics tell the story from the perspective of a pained lover who is frustrated due to an unrequited love. Rather than a lament, the music functions as a "celebratory frenzy" of self assuredness. Pollack writes the song's style originates in a 1950s R&B cliché, being "a semi-improvisatory rave-up" where the lyrics are unimportant compared to the tone in which they are sung. Riley describes the song as an instance of "dancing on your problems", as heard in rock and roll
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
like " That's All Right" and "
Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard (music), standard written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues ...
". Author Ian MacDonald suggests that, besides being a blues send-up, the lyrics are "a tongue-in-cheek response to Lennon's anguished self-exposure in '
Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...
, opining that the song's "pseudo-hysterics" began as a joke. Riley similarly describes the song as partially parodic, singling out the backing vocals' response of "I'm down".


Recording

The Beatles recorded "I'm Down" on 14 June 1965 during a session for their fifth album, ''
Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...
'', in which they also recorded McCartney's songs " I've Just Seen a Face" and " Yesterday". Recording in EMI's Studio Two, George Martin produced the session, assisted by balance engineer Norman Smith. The song's basic track features McCartney singing and playing bass,
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
on electric guitar and
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
on drums. On the band's first take, the song did not yet have a definitive ending, McCartney telling Harrison and Starr after the last chorus to "keep it going". The final attempt – take seven – was marked "best". The band overdubbed several parts onto take seven. Lennon and Harrison provided backing vocals, with Lennon singing in a low register, dropping to G during the choruses. Starr added further percussion with
bongos Bongos (Spanish language, Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cubans, Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' ...
while Harrison added a new guitar solo. Lennon added an organ solo with a Vox Continental
electric organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since develop ...
– the first Beatles recording to feature the instrument – playing glissandos with his elbow in the style of American musician
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
.; . On 18 June, Martin and Scott returned to Studio Two to remix the track, along with the rest of the ''Help!'' album, for mono and
stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...
. The mixes are slightly different, with the stereo fading out two seconds earlier than the mono. On the stereo version, another overdubbed guitar solo is slightly audible, likely due to audio leakage from other microphones.


Release and reception

Capitol issued "I'm Down" in the US as the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of "
Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...
" on 19 July 1965, with EMI's
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...
label releasing the same single in the UK four days later. While "Help!" reached number one in both countries, "I'm Down" did not chart, but did appear at number 101 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. "I'm Down" remained relatively elusive among Beatles songs after its initial release, with critics and fans criticising
Apple Records Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists inclu ...
manager Allen Klein for omitting it from the 1973
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
''
1962–1966 ''1962–1966'', also known as the Red Album, is a compilation album of songs by the English rock band the Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. Released with its counterpart ''1967–1970'' (the "Blue Album") in 1973, the double ...
''. Capitol first included the song on an LP in June 1976, appearing on the double album compilation '' Rock 'n' Roll Music''. While authors
Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients includ ...
and Robert Rodriguez are each generally critical of the compilation, they count the inclusion of "I'm Down" as one of the album's redeeming features. Rather than using the 18 June 1965 stereo mix, Martin remixed the song for the release from the original four-track tapes. The song has since appeared on the 1978 British compilation album '' Rarities'', but was omitted from the 1980 US LP of the same name. Parlophone used Martin's 1976 stereo remix when they included the song on the compilation album '' Past Masters, Volume One'', released on CD in March 1988. The mono mix was subsequently included on the Beatles' '' Mono Masters'' compilation. Writing for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
calls the song "peerless" and that it demonstrated the Beatles' ability to "rock really, really hard". Ian MacDonald describes the song as an American rock-and-roll classic and a "demented raver" which illustrates the musical versatility of McCartney. Journalist Mark Hertsgaard calls the track "a wildly raucous rock 'n' roller" and "a rock 'n' roll raver, pure and simple", with McCartney's powerful vocal evoking "Long Tall Sally" while anticipating " Helter Skelter". Scholar Michael Frontani similarly compares McCartney's vocal to "Long Tall Sally", while also mentioning the "rock and roll shout" of his 1971 solo B-side " Oh Woman, Oh Why". Hertsgaard further praises the band's intense backing, singling out Lennon's organ contribution, which "all but literally atchesfire". Barry Miles calls the song an "uptempo rocker", and Pollack calls it "raucous" and "rough-shod", with one of the most primal McCartney screams heard on a Lennon–McCartney original. Everett compares the song's style to both Little Richard and American rock and roll singer Larry Williams, and adds that the same style was later captured by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival with their 1970 song " Travelin' Band". In 2011, the editors of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine ranked "I'm Down" at number 56 in their list of the "100 Greatest Beatles Songs".


Other versions


The Beatles live performances

In August 1965, the Beatles purchased a new electric organ, a Vox Continental Mk I, using it for all subsequent performances of the song. The band regularly performed "I'm Down" during their 1965 and 1966 tours, incorporating it as their closing number. McCartney later recalled that it worked particularly well at large concert venues and was "a good stage song". The band's 15 August 1965 concert at Shea Stadium in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
was filmed and became the centrepiece of the documentary film '' The Beatles at Shea Stadium'', released in the UK and US in March 1966 and January 1967, respectively. Though "I'm Down" closed the concert, the film was edited to show it as the opening number. Due to the overwhelming sound of audience screaming, technical issues with the live recording and musical mistakes on the part of the Beatles, the band re-recorded and overdubbed sections of the film's soundtrack on 5 January 1966 at CTS Studios, London. Among the fixes to "I'm Down" were overdubs of a new bass line by McCartney and a new organ part by Lennon. The song's original performance was chaotic, with Lennon and Harrison fumbling their backing vocals as they burst into laughter, McCartney spinning in excitement and Lennon playing the organ with his elbow. Lennon's rough use of the instrument resulted in it malfunctioning at their next show, played in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
two days later. In ''
The Beatles Anthology ''The Beatles Anthology'' is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and R ...
'', Starr reminisced that while watching Lennon during the song, he felt Lennon "cracked up" and "went mad; not mentally ill, but he just got crazy. He was playing the piano with his elbows and it was really strange". Riley suggests that Lennon's unhinged keyboard playing on "I'm Down" reflected the absurdity of the Beatles' live shows, and that " e band's hysteria on this song irroredtheir fans' deafening adulation".


Covers

The American
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
group
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
recorded a cover of "I'm Down" for their 1986 debut studio album, '' Licensed to Ill''. Produced by
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
, the recording samples elements of the original track while replacing the original organ solo with a guitar solo. Its inclusion on the album was blocked by the copyright owner, musician
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
, because he disapproved of several of the cover's altered lyrics, including: "I keep a loaded pistol inside my pants / Find a def girl and do the new dance." The record has since circulated as a bootleg. Music critic Rob Sheffield opines that the Beastie Boys' version "lives up to the garage-band vandalism of the original". American rock band
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
covered the song for their 1987 album '' Permanent Vacation''. Dave Reynolds' review of the album in '' Metal Forces'' magazine calls the cover "superb", and John Franck of AllMusic describes it as "well executed". Though music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
is generally negative in his review of the album, he refers to their version of "I'm Down" as an "ace Beatle cover". Sheffield disparages the attempt, writing Aerosmith " ivesit a professional polish that makes it meaningless".


Personnel

According to Ian MacDonald, except where noted: *
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
vocal, bass guitar *
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
backing vocal, rhythm guitar, Vox Continental
electric organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since develop ...
*
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
backing vocal, lead guitar *
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
drums,
bongos Bongos (Spanish language, Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cubans, Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' ...


Notes


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Full lyrics for the song at the Beatles' official website
* * {{authority control 1965 singles 1965 songs The Beatles songs Aerosmith songs Beastie Boys songs British rock-and-roll songs Capitol Records singles Parlophone singles Songs published by Northern Songs Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs written by Lennon–McCartney