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9.17pm
31 December 2016
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Why do all the lyrics websites, and every tribute band, get the lyrics wrong on this song? Verse three’s actual lyrics are:
You know it’s up to you
I think it’s only fair
IT MIGHTN’T HURT YOU TO
Apologize to her
I’ve seen endless stupid misreadings of the third line on YouTube videos, Walt Disney World’s tribute band, and others. WATCH THE BEATLES’ LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEOS. When you know the correct lyric, it’s obvious. Why does virtually everybody get it wrong?!?!?
3.16am
8 April 2016
Offline The reason could be that the lyrics everyone uses came with the Red Album :
4.58am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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Most use “Pride can hurt you too” because that is the lyric as officially copyrighted by John and Paul, @ericpaulstein. Those are the words according to John and Paul.
I have to admit I’ve never considered the lyric might be wrong before. I’ve sat down and checked multiple versions to see how I think your suggestion stands up, and I just don’t see it. Sorry, but I hear “Pride can…” every time – studio, BBC, live.
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5.13am
22 September 2014
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In the sixties, I never knew what they were saying. When I would sing along, it usually came out something like “tied her up beaucoup.” (?).
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6.57am
2 January 2017
Offline Yes, I’m with Ron on this: the publishers have always had the lyric as “Pride can hurt you too” and while I’ve always thought this feels awkward and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, having listened carefully to the studio recording I see no reason to doubt this is what they’re actually singing.
http://pop-sheet-music.com/Fil…..fe699e.pdf
A couple of reasons why “it mightn’t hurt you to” doesn’t work: firstly there are too many syllables. Listen to the recording and there are five syllables in this phrase: pride(1) can(2) hurt (3) you(4) too(5). For “it mightn’t hurt you to” to work you’d have to add an extra syllable at the beginning (for the word “it”) and on the recording there’s no vocal where this extra syllable should be.
Secondly, it’s highly unlikely that The Beatles would have used the word “mightn’t” – it’s just not part of everyday Northern English vocabulary and sounds very unnatural. They may have sang “might not” or “may not” but would never say “mightn’t”.
8.21am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline It’s highly apparent to me that on the BBC recordings (I haven’t listened to any live in concert performances) that they sing “Pride can hurt you too”.
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11.16am
27 March 2015
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Until I looked it up, I always heard ‘right the hurt you do’ which would be grammatically incorrect, but the Beatles didn’t seem too bothered with that anyway.
I mean, if Paul can make an entire song about ‘her’ and then, in just one line, suddenly address ‘you’ even though it should be ‘her’ (And I Love Her ), then what’s a little nonsense in the grand scheme of things?
Anyway, ‘pride can hurt you too’ seems, even though that’s what they’re singing, not the most logical choice of words, either. We’ll just file it away under ‘poetic license’. 
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11.53am
14 June 2016
Offline @georgiewood said
In the sixties, I never knew what they were saying. When I would sing along, it usually came out something like “tied her up beaucoup.” (?).
I always heard “brighten her too soon” as a kid before I ever looked up the lyrics.
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4.19pm
Moderators
27 November 2016
Offline I’ve always heard it as “Pride can…”, but the next line I’ve always misheard as ‘Apollo just you heard’!
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8.29am
31 December 2016
Offline KevBoyd said
Yes, I’m with Ron on this: the publishers have always had the lyric as “Pride can hurt you too” and while I’ve always thought this feels awkward and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, having listened carefully to the studio recording I see no reason to doubt this is what they’re actually singing.http://pop-sheet-music.com/Fil…..fe699e.pdf
A couple of reasons why “it mightn’t hurt you to” doesn’t work: firstly there are too many syllables. Listen to the recording and there are five syllables in this phrase: pride(1) can(2) hurt (3) you(4) too(5). For “it mightn’t hurt you to” to work you’d have to add an extra syllable at the beginning (for the word “it”) and on the recording there’s no vocal where this extra syllable should be.
Secondly, it’s highly unlikely that The Beatles would have used the word “mightn’t” – it’s just not part of everyday Northern English vocabulary and sounds very unnatural. They may have sang “might not” or “may not” but would never say “mightn’t”.
Keyboyd, I’ve come around to the “pride” version based on all of the comments, although not because of the lyrics as published with the Red Album . I’ve seen many albums that included lyrics that were clearly wrong — day drafts that were later changed in the session, etc. However I must say that your five syllable argument doesn’t wash. The opening line of that verse, as well as the other verses, has six syllables. “You know it’s up to you…” the third line–which is the one in question–naturally parallels the construction of the first line. In music parlance, the opening word of these lines is what’s called a pickup, that is, a word that leads into the downbeat of the next measure. They used that pattern throughout the song.
Nevertheless, I am compelled by the weight of the expert evidence to concede that I may be wrong on this one. Thanks for your thoughts.
