Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 24, 25, 31 January 1969
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Glyn Johns
Released: 8 May 1970 (UK), 18 May 1970 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, whistling
John Lennon: vocals, acoustic guitar, whistling
George Harrison: lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
Available on:
Let It Be
Anthology 3
Let It Be... Naked
The opening song on The Beatles' final album, Two Of Us was written by Paul McCartney about his fondness for getting deliberately lost in the country with his future wife Linda.
Lennon and McCartney shared the same microphone to sing the song, as captured in the Let It Be film. Indeed, the middle sections contain likely references to their relationship, with both acutely aware that their time as members of The Beatles was drawing to a close.
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
Two Of Us is also thought to contain a reference to The Beatles' business troubles with Apple, in the line "You and me chasing paper, getting nowhere". The song displays the relief felt by McCartney at being able to leave these troubles behind and enjoy uncomplicated moments with Linda.
As a kid I loved getting lost. I would say to my father - let's get lost. But you could never seem to be able to get really lost. All signs would eventually lead back to New York or wherever we were staying! Then, when I moved to England to be with Paul, we would put Martha in the back of the car and drive out of London. As soon as we were on the open road I'd say, 'Let's get lost' and we'd keep driving without looking at any signs. Hence the line in the song, 'Two of us going nowhere'.Paul wrote Two Of Us on one of those days out. It's about us. We just pulled off in a wood somewhere and parked the car. I went off walking while Paul sat in the car and started writing. He also mentions the postcards because we used to send a lot of postcards to each other.
A Hard Day's Write, Steve Turner
McCartney offered the song to Mortimer, a New York trio, to be issued by Apple as their début single in June 1969. However, it remained unreleased and Mortimer never became Apple recording artists.
In the studio
The Beatles recorded Two Of Us over three sessions. The first of these took place on 24 January 1969, under the working title On Our Way Home.
The group recorded several takes of the song, although these were unnumbered and somewhat ad-hoc. In between takes they also busked through versions of Teddy Boy and Maggie Mae.
According to Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, one of the day's takes was later selected for inclusion on the aborted Get Back LP, along with a snippet of speech in which McCartney said, "And so we leave the little town of London, England."
The recording was the subject of a famous exchange between George Harrison and Paul McCartney, captured by cameras during the Let It Be filming:
Paul: It's complicated now. We can get it simpler, and then complicate it where it needs complications.
George: It's not complicated.
Paul: This one is like, shall we play guitars through Hey Jude... well, I don't think we should.
George: OK, well I don't mind. I'll play, you know, whatever you want me to play, or I wont play at all if you don't want to me to play. Whatever it is that will please you, I'll do it.
They returned to the song the next day, but it wasn't until 31 January that The Beatles taped the version which ended up on Let It Be. It was remixed by Phil Spector for Let It Be on 25 March.
John Lennon's introduction ("I Dig A Pygmy by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids. Phase one, in which Doris gets her oats") - spoken during the 21 January session at Apple Studios - was added later, from a tape of studio chatter assembled on 27 March.
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- Every Night
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- George and Pattie Harrison holiday in Sardinia
It sounds like John says 'I ain't dig a pygmie' I know it doesn't make sense but I hear another sound between 'I' and 'dig'. But John always did play with words.
i had heard the word "I" being dragged out and down in pitch, like "I-ya dig a pygmy" as if he was sort of an announcer at a three ring circus talking in a stylized way.
wonder what paul or ringo would say?
Beautiful, beautiful song! Forever fresh, youthful, charming and full of light...
...for the Beatles music is timeless and ageless...
Which version of the song was on Let It Be... Naked?
Did George play the bass part through the guitar?
Apparently so, yes, on a Fender Telecaster.
Is it a Tele?? it does look like a Telecaster but it also looks and most of all sounds like a Fender VI Bass which was very popular at the time and had that very peculiar sound.
I've always been dubious about the "bass" part on this song. First, the claim that it's not a bass but an electric guitar: maybe...but it sounds an awful lot like higher-register bass playing to me. And second: Specifically, it sounds an awful lot like *Paul*'s higher-register bass playing. It definitely doesn't sound like a part George would write - and it most certainly doesn't sound like a part George would improvise.
Anyway: what's the source for the claim that that's George, on an electric guitar?
If you watch the Let It Be film, you clearly see George playing the part on his Telecaster.
Here's the clip of them playing Two Of Us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Y3PlmwnRM
Here's another clip, faster and looser, of "Two of Us": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBJ1JPTjmO4&NR=1
All is well that ends well. George's lead in this song, I think, is one of his best as a Beatle. And getting the bass sound from his guitar shows once again how good (and important) he was at getting the right sound--for himself and the group.
All is well that ends well. One of George's best and most creative leads as a Beatle in my opinion. The bass-like sound complements very nicely (and does not step on) the nice acoustic playing of Paul and John. It is another example of one of George's great contributions to the Beatles: knowing the right sound for a song.
It's not Paul and John whistling, it's just John, while Paul says: "We're going home... we better be leaving... goodbye."
And YES, IT IS George playing the bassline on electric guitar.
If you watch the Let It Be movie you will see quite plainly that, as said above, John alone does the whistling and George is playing a bass line on a regular Fender Telecaster guitar - not a bass guitar.
It's the same guitar George plays throughout the movie.
Interesting to think that, if they had recorded this on any other album than LIB, McCartney most likely would have sung both parts himself. Thank God, because his and John's voices together on this is magical.
I'm not so sure that Paul would have double tracked his voice, unless he were to change the name to One of Me.
If he had saved the song for "McCartney" he most likely would have sang both parts.