My Favorite Songs by The Beatles (Part One)

“Do You Want to Know a Secret” is a 1963 Beatles song written primarily by John Lennon, though credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, and sung by George Harrison on the group’s debut album, Please Please Me; recorded at EMI Studios in London on February 11, 1963, and produced by George Martin, it is a brief, tender early-pop love

song in which the singer promises to reveal that he is in love, with its opening idea inspired by “I’m Wishing” from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a song Lennon remembered his mother Julia singing to him as a child, while Harrison later cited the 1961 doo-wop hit “I Really Love You” by the Stereos as a musical influence.

Lennon reportedly wrote it specifically as a vehicle for Harrison before Harrison had begun writing his own Beatles songs, and Paul McCartney later described it as a song written for George to sing. The Beatles’ recording first appeared on Please Please Me in Britain on March 22, 1963, but was not issued as a UK single; in America, Vee-Jay released it as a single

backed by “Thank You Girl” on March 23, 1964, and it became Harrison’s first Beatles recording as lead vocalist to reach the U.S. Top Ten, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Louis Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!”; it also reached No. 3 on Cash Box and was certified gold. A notable contemporary version was Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas’ 1963 recording, released as their debut single with

“I’ll Be on My Way” on the B-side, which reached No. 2 on Britain’s Record Retailer chart and No. 1 on the NME chart. Other versions include recordings by the Alvin and the Chipmunks and later Beatles-related compilations and releases; the song remains notable as one of the earliest examples of Lennon and McCartney writing material for another Beatle to sing and for giving Harrison an early showcase before his own compositions appeared on Beatles records.

“Rain” is a 1966 Beatles song written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, recorded on April 14 and 16, 1966, during the Revolver sessions and released May 30, 1966, in the United States and June 10 in Britain as the B-side of “Paperback Writer.” Lennon described it as being about people constantly complaining about the weather, but the lyrics

also suggest that rain and sunshine are simply matters of perception, giving the song a more philosophical, possibly psychedelic meaning; its hazy atmosphere was reinforced by the Beatles’ experimentation with altered states of consciousness and studio technology. The backing track was recorded faster and then slowed down,

producing its unusually heavy, droning sound, while Lennon’s vocal was treated with tape-speed manipulation and the ending famously contains backwards vocals, an effect that became a landmark of the Beatles’ emerging psychedelic style. Ringo Starr’s energetic, inventive drumming is particularly celebrated, with the performance often regarded as one of his finest.

Although “Rain” was never a charting A-side in its own right, it has become one of the Beatles’ most highly regarded recordings and is frequently cited as one of their greatest B-sides; Rolling Stone ranked it No. 88 on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest Beatles songs. The song was eventually included on the 1970 U.S. compilation Hey Jude, the 1973 compilation The Beatles 1967–1970, and Past Masters, and its stereo mix was not created until 1969.

Three promotional films directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg were also made in 1966, making “Rain” an important early example of the Beatles’ pioneering use of filmed music performances.

“Yes it Is” is a 1965 Beatles song written principally by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney helping him finish it, although it was credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting team; recorded at EMI Studios on February 16, 1965, it was released April 9 in Britain and April 19 in the United States as the B-side of “Ticket to Ride.” Lennon described it as his attempt to rewrite

“This Boy” that “didn’t quite work,” while McCartney later called it “a very fine song of John’s,” and the connection is clear in its sophisticated three-part harmonies, influenced by the close vocal style of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The song is a melancholy portrait of jealousy, heartbreak and unresolved love, with the singer asking another woman not to

wear red because red reminds him of his former lover and makes him “blue”; musically, its unusual chord movement, haunting melody, and George Harrison’s early use of a volume-pedal guitar give it an especially emotional atmosphere. The Beatles recorded 14 takes of the basic track before completing the master, with Lennon, McCartney and Harrison singing the

intricate harmonies together at George Martin’s suggestion, while Ringo Starr played drums and tambourine. “Yes It Is” reached No. 46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 despite being a B-side, and later appeared in several forms, including the U.S. Beatles VI version with added echo and the “duophonic” stereo treatment, Love Songs, Past Masters, Volume One, The Beatles in Mono, and an alternate take on Anthology 2;

a genuine stereo mix did not appear until the 1980s. It has since earned considerable critical respect: Rolling Stone ranked it No. 99 on its list of the 100 greatest Beatles songs, while NME placed it No. 92, making it a particularly acclaimed example of how the Beatles could turn a B-side into a sophisticated, emotionally complex recording.

“Revolution” is a 1968 Beatles song written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, inspired by the political upheaval, antiwar protests and revolutionary movements of 1968; Lennon wanted the song to make the Beatles’ position on Vietnam and political revolution clear, while expressing support for peaceful social change but rejecting violence and destruction.

The Beatles recorded three related versions: the fast, heavily distorted hard-rock version released August 26, 1968, as the B-side of “Hey Jude”; the slower, bluesier “Revolution 1,” released on The Beatles (the “White Album”) on November 22; and the experimental eight-minute-plus “Revolution 9,” an avant-garde sound collage developed

from the discarded coda of “Revolution 1.” Lennon originally wanted the slower version as the single, but Paul McCartney and George Harrison encouraged a faster, harder arrangement; the single version is notable for its extraordinarily distorted guitar sound, created by plugging directly into the recording console and driving the signal into extreme overload,

while Nicky Hopkins contributed piano. The lyrics famously ask whether revolution will involve destruction and conclude that peaceful change can be “all right,” although Lennon later regretted the Chairman Mao reference. “Revolution” reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States but topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand, and its reputation has grown substantially over the decades, with critics now regarding it as one of the Beatles’

most important political songs and one of their greatest rock performances; it was also the first Beatles recording licensed for a television commercial, for Nike in 1987, leading to a lawsuit from Apple Corps and the surviving Beatles. A promotional film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg was filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on September 4, 1968, making “Revolution” one of the Beatles’ most historically significant and visually memorable recordings.

“Love You To” is a 1966 Beatles song written and sung by George Harrison and released on Revolver on August 5, 1966; it was Harrison’s first Beatles composition to fully embrace Indian classical music, featuring his sitar, tambura and tabla played by Anil Bhagwat, with Paul McCartney contributing backing vocals and the other

Beatles having little involvement in the basic recording. Recorded at EMI Studios on April 11 and 13, the song grew from Harrison’s deepening interest in Indian music and his study of the sitar with Ravi Shankar, and its Indian raga-based structure, drone and intricate rhythms marked a major departure from conventional Western pop. Its lyrics combine sensuality with a meditation on the brevity of life, urging the listener to seize love and pleasure while there is still time,

while also expressing Harrison’s growing distrust of materialism and the exploitation of ordinary people. The recording was initially worked on under the title “Granny Smith,” and Harrison later recalled that it was one of his first songs specifically written for sitar. Different versions include the original mono and stereo mixes, the 2022 Giles Martin/Sam Okell

remix on Revolver, and previously unreleased session material including Take 1, Take 7 and a rehearsal issued on the 2022 Revolver Special Edition; the song was also included on Yellow Submarine Songtrack in 1999. Although it was not released as a single and therefore had no individual chart ranking, “Love You To” has become one of Harrison’s most critically admired Beatles

compositions and is regarded as a landmark in the Beatles’ fusion of rock and Indian classical music, helping open Western popular music to Indian instrumentation and musical ideas.

“She Said She Said” is a 1966 Beatles song written primarily by John Lennon, with George Harrison helping Lennon transform several unfinished fragments into a complete composition, although it was officially credited to Lennon–McCartney and released on Revolver on August 5, 1966. Inspired by an unsettling 1965

LSD experience in Los Angeles involving Lennon, Harrison, Ringo Starr, members of the Byrds, and actor Peter Fonda, the song centers on Fonda repeatedly telling Lennon, “I know what it’s like to be dead,” while Lennon responds with memories of childhood and feelings of alienation; Lennon later called it an “acidy” song, although the

finished lyrics blend the drug experience with more personal reflections on mortality, confusion and emotional disconnection. Musically, it is a psychedelic-rock track distinguished by its shifting time signatures, prominent bass, swirling guitars, unusual chord changes and one of Ringo Starr’s most admired drum performances; Leonard Bernstein was particularly impressed by its rhythmic inventiveness.

Recorded on June 21–22, 1966, it was the final song recorded for Revolver, completed in the early hours of June 22 just before the Beatles left for their summer tour. Versions include the original mono and stereo album mixes, the 2022 Giles Martin/Sam Okell stereo remix, and previously unreleased material such as Lennon’s home demo and Take 15 backing-track

rehearsal issued on the Revolver Special Edition. Although never released as a single and therefore having no individual chart position, “She Said She Said” has become one of the Beatles’ most highly regarded psychedelic recordings; Time Out London ranked it No. 19 among the best Beatles songs, while the Beatles’ own MOJO “deepest cuts” fan poll placed it No. 14, confirming its status as a major Revolver highlight and one of Lennon’s most distinctive Beatles compositions.