Girl (Beatles song)

1965 song by the Beatles

"Girl"

Picture sleeve for the 1966 Italian single release

Song by the Beatles
from the album  Rubber Soul
Released| 3 December 1965
Recorded| 11 November 1965
Studio| EMI, London
Genre| Folk rock,[1] pop[2]
Length| 2:32
Label| Parlophone
Songwriter(s)| Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)| George Martin
Audio sample

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"Girl" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was written by John Lennon[3][4] and credited to Lennon–McCartney. "Girl" was the last complete song recorded for that album.[5][6] "Girl" is considered to be one of the most melancholic and complex of the Beatles' earlier love songs.[7]

## Composition

[edit]

> “Girl” is real. There is no such thing as the girl, she was a dream, but the words are all right. It wasn't just a song, and it was about that girl – that turned out to be Yoko, in the end – the one that a lot of us were looking for.[8][9]

– John Lennon

The song's instrumentation has specific similarities to Greek music, as with "And I Love Her" and "Michelle".[7] As for the inspiration of the song's lyrics, Lennon stated that the "girl" was an archetype he had been searching for and would finally find in Yoko Ono.[10] In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine in 1980, Lennon said of his song "Woman": "Reminds me of a Beatles track, but I wasn't trying to make it sound like that. I did it as I did 'Girl' many years ago. So this is the grown-up version of 'Girl'."[11]

McCartney claimed that he contributed the lines "Was she told when she was young that pain would lead to pleasure" and "That a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure."[4] However, in a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon explained that he wrote these lines as a comment on Christianity, which he was "opposed to at the time". Lennon said: "I was just talking about Christianity, in that – a thing like you have to be tortured to attain heaven ... – be tortured and then it'll be alright, which seems to be a bit true but not in their concept of it. But I didn't believe in that, that you have to be tortured to attain anything, it just so happens that you were".[12]

## Recording

[edit]

Author Ian MacDonald describes "Girl" as "Lennon's answer to McCartney's 'Michelle': another Euro-song, replacing his partner's suave mock-French with a decadent German two-step crossed with Mikis Theodorakis's music for Zorba the Greek".[6] Performed by Lennon and George Harrison, the acoustic guitars on the track were played with capos, lending an extra brightness to their sound. Musicologist Walter Everett comments that one of Harrison's guitar parts has the capo positioned so high up the neck and is played by him in a manner that creates a "nasal, sitar-like 'bouzouki' sound".[13]

Lennon's lead vocals were initially overdubbed and featured a characteristic unheard before on a Beatles song. In McCartney's description: "My main memory is that John wanted to hear the breathing, wanted it to be very intimate, so George Martin put a special compressor on the voice, then John dubbed it. … I remember John saying to the engineer (Norman Smith) when we did 'Girl,' that when he draws his breath in, he wants to hear it." Following the Beatles' request, the engineer added more treble to the vocal, which, in Everett's description, matches the sound and timbre of the brushed cymbal played by Ringo Starr.[14] In the song's middle eight sections, McCartney and Harrison sing the word "tit" repeatedly as vocal harmony. McCartney stated that this part of the vocal arrangement was influenced by the Beach Boys particularly the song You're So Good to Me. He recalled: "The Beach Boys had a song [You're So Good to Me] out where they'd done 'la la la' and we loved the innocence of that and wanted to copy it, but not use the same phrase."[15]

## Cancelled 1977 single release

[edit]

In early 1966, "Girl" was issued as the B-side of "Michelle" in several European countries, reaching number one in Finland.[16] It was also released as the A-side of a single in Italy, backed by "Nowhere Man", which reached number seven on the nation's Musica e Dischi singles chart.[17]

In November 1977, Capitol Records scheduled the United States release of "Girl" backed with "You're Going to Lose That Girl" as a single (Capitol 4506) to accompany the release of Love Songs, a Beatles' compilation album that contains both of these songs. However, the single was cancelled before it was issued. Promotional copies, which featured "Girl" on both sides—one in stereo, the other mono, along with a picture sleeve, were issued. (All copies of this promotional single were pressed on black vinyl.)

## Personnel

[edit]

According to Ian MacDonald, except as noted:[6]

* John Lennon – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
* Paul McCartney – backing vocals, bass guitar
* George Harrison – backing vocals, lead acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar[13]
* Ringo Starr – drums

## Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "Girl"  Chart (1966–67)  | Peak
position

|

Argentina (CAPIF)[18] | 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19] | 1
Italy (Musica e dischi)[20] | 11
Peru (La Prensa)[21] | 2
Spain (AFYVE)[22] | 5

## Cover versions

[edit]

* The English freakbeat rock band St. Louis Union's version of "Girl" reached No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1966.
* Dalida recorded an italian version under the title "Amo", published in the album Dalida in 1966.
* Jazz Guitarist Charlie Byrd interpreted "Girl" in his 1966 album Byrdland.
* Tiny Tim sang "Girl" with Brave Combo as the title track of his final recording, the 1996 album Girl.[23]
* Jim Sturgess sang "Girl" in the 2007 film musical Across the Universe.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 53\. ISBN 978-0-74320-169-8.
2. ^ Decker 2009, p. 85.
3. ^ Sheff 2000, p. 197.
4. ^ a b Miles 1997, pp. 275–76.
5. ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 68.
6. ^ a b c MacDonald 2005, p. 181.
7. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. ""Girl" – The Beatles". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
8. ^ Ryan, Kevin (2006). Recording The Beatles. Houston, Texas: Curvebending Publishing. p. 404\. ISBN 978-0-9785200-0-7.
9. ^ "Girl". The Beatles Bible. 15 March 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
10. ^ "62 - 'Girl'". Rolling Stone. 100 Greatest Beatles Songs. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
11. ^ Cott 1980.
12. ^ "God". The Beatles Bible. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
13. ^ a b Everett 2001, p. 333.
14. ^ Everett 2001, pp. 333–34.
15. ^ Kruth 2015, p. 192.
16. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
17. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "Girl" in "Titolo" and "Beatles" in "Artista", search "cerca".
18. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard Magazine. 9 July 1966.
19. ^ "The Beatles – Girl". Ultratop.be.
20. ^ "Top Annuale Singoli 1966". Hit Parade Italia.
21. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 30 July 1966.
22. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 27 August 1966.
23. ^ Tiny Tim With Brave Combo - Girl, retrieved 30 December 2022

## References

[edit]

* Cott, Jonathan (5 December 1980). "Rolling Stone Interview with John Lennon". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
* Decker, James M. (2009). "'Try thinking more': Rubber Soul and the Beatles' transformation of pop". In Womack, Kenneth (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 75–89\. ISBN 978-0-521-68976-2.
* Hertsgaard, Mark (1995). A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of The Beatles. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-31377-2.
* Kruth, John (2015). This Bird Has Flown: The Enduring Beauty of Rubber Soul Fifty Years On. Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1617135736.
* Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
* MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
* Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
* Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
* Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
* Everett, Walter (2001). The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514105-9.

## External links

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Rubber Soul.

* Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Girl"
* The Beatles Bible: Girl
* The Beatles - Girl on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Rubber Soul

Songs|

| Side one|

* "Drive My Car"
* "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
* "You Won't See Me"
* "Nowhere Man"
* "Think for Yourself"
* "The Word"
* "Michelle"

|

Side two|

* "What Goes On"
* "Girl"
* "I'm Looking Through You"
* "In My Life"
* "Wait"
* "If I Needed Someone"
* "Run for Your Life"

Non-album single|

* "We Can Work It Out"
* "Day Tripper"

Outtake|

* "12-Bar Original"

Related articles|

* The Beatles albums discography
* The Beatles' 1965 UK tour
* Yesterday and Today
* Nowhere Man (EP)
* This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul

* The Beatles albums:
* Please Please Me
* With the Beatles
* A Hard Day's Night
* Beatles for Sale
* Help!
* Rubber Soul
* Revolver
* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
* Magical Mystery Tour
* The Beatles
* Yellow Submarine
* Abbey Road
* Let It Be

* v
* t
* e

The Beatles singles

UK and US|

| 1963|

* "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why"
* "From Me to You" / "Thank You Girl"
* "She Loves You" / "I'll Get You"

|

1964|

* "Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That"
* "I Feel Fine" / "She's a Woman"

1965|

* "Ticket to Ride" / "Yes It Is"
* "Help!" / "I'm Down"
* "We Can Work It Out" / "Day Tripper"

1966|

* "Paperback Writer" / "Rain"
* "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby"

1967|

* "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane"
* "All You Need Is Love" / "Baby, You're a Rich Man"
* "Hello, Goodbye" / "I Am the Walrus"

1968|

* "Lady Madonna" / "The Inner Light"
* "Hey Jude" / "Revolution"

1969|

* "Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down"
* "The Ballad of John and Yoko" / "Old Brown Shoe"
* "Something" / "Come Together"

1970|

* "Let It Be" / "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"

1978|

* "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends" / "A Day in the Life"

1982|

* "The Beatles' Movie Medley" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"

1995|

* "Baby It's You"
* "Free as a Bird" / "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)"

1996|

* "Real Love" / "Baby's in Black"

2023|

* "Now and Then" / "Love Me Do"

UK only|

| 1962|

* "My Bonnie" / "The Saints"
* "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You"

|

1963|

* "I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "This Boy"

1964|

* "Ain't She Sweet" / "If You Love Me, Baby"
* "A Hard Day's Night" / "Things We Said Today"

1976|

* "Yesterday" / "I Should Have Known Better"
* "Back in the U.S.S.R." / "Twist and Shout"

US only|

| 1963|

* "I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "I Saw Her Standing There"

|

1964|

* "Please Please Me" / "From Me to You"
* "My Bonnie" / "The Saints"
* "Twist and Shout" / "There's a Place"
* "Do You Want to Know a Secret" / "Thank You Girl"
* "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You"
* "Sie liebt dich" / "I'll Get You"
* "I'll Cry Instead" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
* "And I Love Her" / "If I Fell"
* "Ain't She Sweet" / "Nobody's Child"
* "A Hard Day's Night" / "I Should Have Known Better"
* "Matchbox" / "Slow Down"

1965|

* "Eight Days a Week" / "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
* "Yesterday" / "Act Naturally"

1966|

* "Nowhere Man" / "What Goes On"

1970|

* "The Long and Winding Road" / "For You Blue"

1976|

* "Got to Get You into My Life" / "Helter Skelter"
* "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" / "Julia"

Other
countries|

| 1963|

* "All My Loving" / "This Boy" (Canada)

|

1964|

* "Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich" (Germany, Australia)
* "Roll Over Beethoven" / "Devil in Her Heart" (Philippines)

1965|

* "Rock and Roll Music" / "I'm a Loser" (Europe, Australia)

1966|

* "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" / "Nowhere Man" (Australia)
* "Michelle" / "Girl" (Europe)

1968|

* "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" / "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Europe, Japan, Australia)
* "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" / "I Will" (Philippines)
* "Back in the U.S.S.R." / "Don't Pass Me By" (Sweden)

1969|

* "You're Going to Lose That Girl" / "Tell Me What You See" (Japan)

1970|

* "Oh! Darling" / "Here Comes the Sun" (Japan)

1972|

* "All Together Now" / "Hey Bulldog" (Europe)

1978|

* "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends" / "Within You Without You" (Germany)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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