"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by the English rock band

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

, written by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and credited to

Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is the best-known and most successful musical collaboration ever by records sold, with the ...

. It was released on the album ''

Beatles for Sale ''Beatles for Sale'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterised ...

'' in the United Kingdom in December 1964. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the '' Beatles for Sale (No. 2)'' EP. In the United States,

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

released the song as the B-side of the single "

Eight Days a Week "Eight Days a Week" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon based on McCartney's original idea. The song was released in the United Kingdom in December 1964 on the album ''Beatles for Sale ...

", and later on the ''

Beatles VI ''Beatles VI'' is the seventh Capitol Records studio album by the English rock band the Beatles in the United States and Canada (including ''The Beatles' Story''). It was the ninth album released into that market in less than one and a half ye ...

'' album, both in 1965. The song charted as a B-side, reaching number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Lyrics

The lyrics anticipate themes that were to become familiar in Lennon's songwriting – alienation and inner pain. In this song, the narrator is at a party, waiting for his girl to show up. When it becomes clear that she has stood him up, he decides to leave, rather than spoil the party for everyone else. Both the lyrics and melody share a melancholy sound and theme with songs that precede it on ''

'', such as " No Reply" and "

I'm a Loser "I'm a Loser" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, originally released on '' Beatles for Sale'' in the United Kingdom, later released on '' Beatles '65'' in the United States, both in 1964. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Le ...

". Author

Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...

views the song as a return to the subject matter introduced by Lennon on "

I'll Cry Instead "I'll Cry Instead" is a song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney), and recorded by the English rock band the Beatles for their third studio album, '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964), a part-studio and part-soundtrack album to thei ...

", from the Beatles' '' A Hard Day's Night'' album, and a "preview" of "

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written and sung by John Lennon (though credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released on the album ''Help!'' in August 1965. Composition and recording Len ...

", from ''

Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles " Help!" and " Ticket to Ride", ...

Recording

The Beatles recorded "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" on 29 September 1964 in 19 takes, the last of which was released. George Harrison's guitar solo, played on his new

Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch ...

Tennessean in the style of Carl Perkins, was enhanced by midrange resonance boost, giving it an especially bright sound. According to ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music'', the song is an early example of country rock, anticipating

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

' work in that style. MacDonald describes it as the "most overt" country track on ''Beatles for Sale'', an album that is "dominated by the idiom". Among the band's biographers, opinions differ on which Beatle sings the low harmony part during the verses, below Lennon's lead vocal. MacDonald lists Harrison as the second vocalist on the track, while John Winn credits McCartney, saying that he sounds "deceptively like a second Lennon". According to musicologist Walter Everett, the harmony part is Lennon "self-duetting".

Reception

'' Cash Box'' described it as "a funky, country-bluesish teen-angled tear-jerker."

Personnel

According to Walter Everett: except where noted *

– lead vocals (verses) and harmony vocals (chorus), acoustic rhythm guitar *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

– bass, harmony vocals (chorus) * George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocalshttps://somethingelsereviews.com/2016/02/14/the-beatles-i-dont-want-to-spoil-the-party-beatles-for-sale/ * Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine

Chart positions

Rosanne Cash version

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...

covered the song for her '' Hits 1979-1989'' compilation. Her version went to number one on '' Billboards Hot Country Songs chart in 1989. It was also Cash's last number one hit to date, and is the only Lennon-McCartney song to top the country chart.

Chart positions

Year-end charts

Notes

References

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External links

* {{authority control Songs about parties The Beatles songs Song recordings produced by George Martin Rosanne Cash songs Songs written by Lennon–McCartney Capitol Records singles 1964 songs 1965 singles 1989 singles Songs published by Northern Songs Columbia Records singles Song recordings produced by Rodney Crowell Country rock songs