Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 18, 22 October 1965
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 3 December 1965 (UK), 6 December 1965 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass
George Harrison: harmony vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: piano, tambourine
Available on:
Rubber Soul
One of the highlights of the Rubber Soul album, In My Life was written mostly by John Lennon, and started out as a nostalgic set of memories of Liverpool.
There was a period when I thought I didn't write melodies, that Paul wrote those and I just wrote straight, shouting rock 'n' roll. But of course, when I think of some of my own songs - In My Life, or some of the early stuff, This Boy - I was writing melody with the best of them.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Lennon regarded In My Life particularly highly, citing it - along with Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am The Walrus and Help! - as among his best.
It was, I think, my first real major piece of work. Up till then it had all been sort of glib and throw-away. And that was the first time I consciously put my literary part of myself into the lyric.
He first had the idea for the song in 1964, when journalist Kenneth Allsop asked Lennon why his songs were less revealing and challenging than his books. Musing on this, Lennon decided to take a nostalgic look at specific places and memories from his Liverpool past.
I think In My Life was the first song that I wrote that was really, consciously about my life, and it was sparked by a remark a journalist and writer in England made after In His Own Write came out. I think In My Life was after In His Own Write... But he said to me, 'Why don't you put some of the way you write in the book, as it were, in the songs? Or why don't you put something about your childhood into the songs?' Which came out later as Penny Lane from Paul - although it was actually me who lived in Penny Lane - and Strawberry Fields.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
In the same interview, Lennon described how the song's early draft was significantly different from the final version.
In My Life started out as a bus journey from my house on 250 [sic] Menlove Avenue to town, mentioning every place I could remember. And it was ridiculous. This is before even Penny Lane was written and I had Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Tram Sheds - Tram Sheds are the depot just outside of Penny Lane - and it was the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song and it wasn't working at all. I cannot do this! I cannot do this!
But then I laid back and these lyrics started coming to me about the places I remember. Now Paul helped write the middle-eight melody. The whole lyrics were already written before Paul had even heard it. In In My Life, his contribution melodically was the harmony and the middle eight itself.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The original draft mentioned a list of Liverpool landmarks, including Penny Lane, the Abbey pub in Childwall, the Old Dutch café, and the Dockers' Umbrella - the colloquial name for the Liverpool Overhead Railway, now demolished.
Penny Lane is one I'm missing
Up Church Road to the clock tower
In the circle of the abbey
I have seen some happy hoursPast the tram sheds with no trams
On the 5 bus into town
Past the Dutch and St Columbus
To the Dockers Umbrella that they pulled down
The song was composed at Kenwood, Lennon's house in Weybridge, England.
I used to write upstairs where I had about ten Brunell tape recorders all linked up, I still have them. I'd mastered them over the period of a year or two - I could never make a rock 'n' roll record but I could make some far out stuff on it. I wrote it upstairs, that was one where I wrote the lyrics first and then sang it. That was usually the case with things like In My Life and [Across The] Universe and some of the ones that stand out a bit...
I think on Norwegian Wood and In My Life Paul helped with the middle eight, to give credit where it's due.
Rolling Stone, 1970
Related articles:
- Struggling Penny Lane businesses ask for help
- Recording: In My Life, Nowhere Man
- Got To Get You Into My Life
- Not A Second Time
- Misery
I thought Lennon had made the melody. Maybe Paul is lying, though now I realize that it sounds more like Paul's style.
Brilliant piece of work
"The middle eight was left without a solo, as the group was undecided as to how it should sound. This dilemma was solved on 22 October by George Martin."
There is obviously some confusion to what John referred to when talking about the "middle eight" for this song; or indeed middle eights in general.
'In My Life', in strict musical terms, really has no middle eight, and the section over which George Martin wrote and played a piano solo is really just the main verse of the song; or the first half of the verse, depending on how you view the sections to which Paul certainly contributed the music: "All these places have their moments..."/"Though I know I'll never lose affection..."
I've heard some refer to Paul's sections* as extended choruses.
I'll go for that.
The solo is perhaps the BRIDGE?
Or perhaps George Martin just gave us all a BREAK?
* [The ones John admitted Paul provided. Paul claims to have written the entire tune(melody), but that's the only real dispute between them when it comes to this song.]
Fair comment - I've changed it to 'instrumental break'. Thanks for your thoughts Albert.
Who wrote the music?: Why does Paul say "As I recall ..." and "I don't want t be categorical about it"? Either he remembers or he doesn't right?
The opening of the melody sounds like the solo to Hard Day's NIght. The rest of the phrase sounds like I'll be Back, a bit. The release bit has chords like the verse to Every Little Thing; in fact the opening melody sounds a bit like Every Little Thing too. These are all Lennon songs.
But the melody is neat like McCartney's, so maybe it was Paul "writing John".
'Every Little Thing' is a song written mainly by Paul. John only took half-credit for it in his interview with Hit Parader in 1972. In the Playboy interview in 1980, he basically attributed it directly to Paul.
Paul claims to have been in on the writing of 'I'll Be Back' as well, but 'A Hard Day's Night' is pretty much 100% John.
John admitted Paul was in on the writing of 'In My Life'.
Paul claims to have written the entire tune -- again, meaning melody.
The truth probably lies somewhere in-between.
what a great song
Basic track:
1) Ringo's drums, Pauls's bass, Georges' lead and Lennon's soft Casino guitars plus tambourine (by Martin?)
Overdubs:
2) John's lead vocal and Paul's harmony
3) Lennon's double-tracked vocal with backing by Paul and George
4) Martin's "wind-up" piano
Thanks. I've attributed the tambourine to George M, though if anyone has a definite answer I'd appreciate the info.
The stereo version, where the basic backing can be isolated in the left speaker, shows how masterfully understated The Beatles' performance was. It really is a perfect arrangement.
'In my life'... What is there really to add? It's a photograph of 'all' our lives courtesy of John. Thank You 'Beatles' for the memories! Richard 2009'.
The issue regarding who wrote the music (melody) brings up a concept that doesn't seem to ever have been addressed:
are there any songs where the music was mainly written by a Beatle who didn't write the lyrics? (for example a song where Paul wrote the lyrics and John wrote the music). Seems as if the main lyricist wrote all the music. Anybody who could shed some light on this matter?
John was humble when he said he was just shouting rock & roll. John is actually the greatest composer of love songs all time. Who could beat songs like In My Life, Julia, Oh My Love, Jealous Guy and Woman. And he wrote great anthems like Imagine and Give Peace A Chance.
Don't forget Grow Old With Me and Love.
Does it REALLY matter who wrote what, who added what line, word, syllable, letter, sound, who laughed, breathed, blinked or clapped? It's a Beatles song and it's great!
Note to my fellow Scott...yeah, I agree. Also, I think it made Paul and John look like spoiled children when they bickered over who wrote what.
My guess is that Paul probably did write most of the tune to this truly excellent song as he has stated in his recollection in the book "Many Years From Now". In recalling it he remarks " I don't want to be categorical about this..." probably because to state unequivicably that he wrote the tune would, in effect, be calling John a liar - something he was averse to doing.
John for his part wrote the lyrics, probably had some smaller contribution to the music. It's truly a Lennon/McCartney song!
I've noticed that this song is slightly sharp when trying to play along on my guitar.
In My Life is an important song in the turning point of the Beatle's music.
So it is important to establish the authorship of the melody.
To me, the rule of thumb in Beatles songs is whoever sings the song is also the song writer. Since Lennon was the one who sang it, there is little doubt that the song was largely written by Lennon.
If Paul McCartney wrote the tune to it, then why didn't he stake his claim to it first.
Why believe in Paul's recollection and not Lennon? Just because Paul is known for his romantic and love ballads....
Lennon said that he wrote the lyrics and sang it first. This means he had also wrote the melody to it.
As musician, do you think it is possible for Lennon to write a song with just its lyrics without any accompanying melody---I find it hard to believe that Lennon just wrote lyrics and leave it at that.
Hey you are talking about the maestro of music.....
Why is it so hard to believe in Lennon?
Is it just because Paul said when you analyses In My Life, you can find alot of 'him' in it....
To me In My Life is the product of Lennon's genius, who to me is always the more superior song writer.
"... the rule of thumb in Beatles songs is whoever sings the song is also the song writer."
In the majority of cases, true, but not always. Notice, for instance that John would have sung lead on Love Me Do except for George Martin’s suggestion that John play harmonica.
"Lennon said that he wrote the lyrics and sang it first. This means he had also wrote the melody to it."
That does not necessarily follow. For all we know, Paul might have hummed the tune to John just as he had hummed the tune of Yesterday to anybody who'd listen long before he wrote the lyrics.
"As [a] musician, do you think it is possible for Lennon to write a song with just its lyrics without any accompanying melody..."
Yes, easily. He wrote other verses without setting them to music.
"... I find it hard to believe that Lennon just wrote lyrics and leave it at that."
Nonetheless, songwriters do sometimes write lyrics first, melody second, then melody first and lyrics second, or simultaneously. Sometimes songwriters will even write a verse, set it to music, then write additional verses to fit; in effect, writing lyrics first and third and melody second.
"Why is it so hard to believe in Lennon?"
Perhaps because sometimes his iconoclastic and revisionist pronouncements can be completely self-contradictory.
Few claim that Paul wrote all the melody, and many claim that the song is John’s with significant melodic input from Paul. John admits that Paul helped; Paul considers the melody mainly his.
My take, which accepts that both John and Paul are for the most part recalling things honestly, is that John had the basics of the tune, where it naturally rose and fell to the words and chords, which Paul then made more melodic with the addition also of new melody and chord changes; and, therefore, because the finished tune was mainly his redaction, he remembers it as his work.
John Lennon often wrote lyrics first then set them to music. I think it might even have been his usual way of working in the mid 1960s. It often led to interesting meters in his songs - for example Good Morning Good Morning, which was certainly a set of lyrics written before the music.
It's a Lennon song. John had the ability to write love songs most of the time he just didn't. On the Imagine album Jealous Guy is a perfect example. How do you Sleep is the flipside of Lennon. Both are pure genious. George has stated that Paul had a habbit of writing fruity songs, like When I'm Sixty Four, and Maxwell's Silver hammer, which all the Beatles hated, except Paul of course. John was the superior song writer. When I think of Wings, it's easy to see why.
It was stated that the last few moments of the final Beatles concert in Candlestick Park, Lennon played the opening lick to this song. I would love to hear a bootleg of that!
Me too. Unfortunately the tape of the Candlestick Park concert (Brian Epstein asked Tony Barrow to record it) cuts out during Long Tall Sally, the final song, so unless an audience member happened to be recording it, we'll never hear it!
The Beatles' final concert is easily available on file sharing networks, and is well worth a listen. There's some info on the concert here.
Dear Deadman,
Thanks for the interesting input.
I am a big fan of the Beatles but I have not read as much as you have on the genesis of their songs.
I read the Hunter Davies biography many many many years ago.
But the book was good on their early days and not so much as a source on the origins of their compositions.
I read parts of the interview John gave to Playboy before he was assasinated.
That was helpful.
The controversy over 'In My Life' brings up a seldom discuss issue which Barry has earlier brought up.
Barry says: 'The issue regarding who wrote the music (melody) brings up a concept that doesn't seem to ever have been addressed:
are there any songs where the music was mainly written by a Beatle who didn't write the lyrics? (for example a song where Paul wrote the lyrics and John wrote the music). Seems as if the main lyricist wrote all the music. Anybody who could shed some light on this matter?'.
I don't think in the case of Lennon/McCartney compositions, there are regular cases where Lennon wrote the lyrics and Paul just the music.
Not like say in the case of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
As you said: John could have written the lyrics first and set the basic tune, while Paul fine tuned the melody and add chords to it.
This seems to be the more likely scenario.
But it is different from the one that Paul wanted us to believe--which is that John wrote the lyrics and he the music.
Did John ever revise his statements on his role in writing In My Life?
To me, because he had a big role in writing the song, that is why he could remember it as the song signifying the turn of his musical career.
According to John:
'There was a period when I thought I didn't write melodies, that Paul wrote those and I just wrote straight, shouting rock 'n' roll. But of course, when I think of some of my own songs - In My Life, or some of the early stuff, This Boy - I was writing melody with the best of them.
John continues:
'It was, I think, my first real major piece of work. Up till then it had all been sort of glib and throw-away. And that was the first time I consciously put my literary part of myself into the lyric'.
These word are enough to convince me that John has a major part in writing In My Life (word and basic melody) --though he receive help from Paul, who as you said fine tuned the song by making it more melodic.
I tend to believe that Paul did write the tune for this song. First, John's own recollection doesn't make much sense. He says Paul wrote the "middle-eight," but there isn't any separate middle eight melody - it's the same basic melody throughout. So if Paul wrote the melody of the bridge, that means he wrote the entire melody of the song.
Second, musicologist Ian MacDonald analyzed the song & concluded that the melody follows the typical McCartney style rather than the Lennon style.
Finally, when Paul thinks it's "off the record," he's much more insistent that this was his melody, & even seems hurt that John took the credit. In The Beatles bio, Paul said John "also forgot completely that I wrote the tune for 'In My Life'. That was my tune. But perhaps he just made a mistake on that. Forgot."
Overall, the evidence seems to support that Paul wrote the melody to John's lyrics.
"recollection doesn't make much sense. He says Paul wrote the "middle-eight," but there isn't any separate middle eight melody - it's the same basic melody throughout. So if Paul wrote the melody of the bridge, that means he wrote the entire melody of the song."
I'm guessing the middle-eight or chorus part Lennon is referring to is likely the, " I know I'll never lose affection for people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them, in my life i loved you more" the "I know I'll often stop and think about them" sounds like something Paul might write, and very Motown as Paul himself stated.
Two guitars and bells? Are you sure? I think is just one guitar played by George and no bells at all. And the tambourine is most likely played by John, not Martin.
There are two guitars in there, but I've removed the mention of bells - I think it's a ride cymbal during the 'all these places have their moments' section, alongside the tambourine.
I tend to believe John's story more than Paul's. I mean, he's not lying but the mind plays tricks on you after time. Haven't you ever remembered something a certain way and then after re-watching it (or whatever) it's completely different? I'm sure Paul fine tuned it because the two of them would bounce ideas off one another. Paul also gets frustrated( rightfully so) when his former writing partner gets most of the credit for everything as well as near sainthood. The whole point of this is just saying that this is John's song. As much as I Saw Her Standing There is Paul's (in which John contributed the line "you know what i mean" among others I'm sure of).
Paul first claimed to have written the music to In My Life in a 1975 interview. John was still very much alive and Paul cited it as an example of a co-written song of theirs. Paul has consistently said he wrote the melody and opening riff and I, for one, believe him.
I think the mystery of the songwriting credits as well as the mystery of who played what is part of what's interesting about the Beatles' legacy.
Part of what made the Beatles great was their versatility, and I think their willingness to collaborate and experiment was a part of this.
In most other groups each member's role was fairly well-defined (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Anyway, I'm not into this whole Team John versus Team Paul thing: I'm Team Beatles. Both John and Paul were humans, albeit very talented ones, who faced the same challenges many of us face in our friendships and working partnerships.
This is John's song with a little fine tuning by Paul in the middle eight (Which is "but of all these friends and lovers, there is no one who compares with you" verse. I believe Paul worked hard on this one by himself and because of that began to feel the entire tune was his. This is funny because in the Paul vs. John thing, Paul seems to want to take credit for everything and John usually puts himself down or call his own work garbage.
"In my life"
Lyrics: John
Music: John & Paul
Arrangment: John & Paul, with Martin
"Eleanor Rigby"
Lyrics: Paul, with John
Music: Paul
Arrangment: Martin, with Paul