Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney as the intended follow-up to ‘From Me To You’, ‘I’ll Get You’ was instead released as the b-side to the international smash hit single ‘She Loves You’.
That was Paul and me trying to write a song and it didn’t work out.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The song was composed at John Lennon’s aunt Mimi’s house on Menlove Avenue, Liverpool. Lennon and McCartney rarely wrote at the house because of Mimi’s disapproval of their music.
She was a good and very strong-willed woman; she definitely knew her own mind> What’s odd about that is that Mimi didn’t care so much for our music and would just as soon not have had us around, because she thought we were encouraging John to devote more time to his guitar instead of his studies. Mimi always said, ‘The guitar’s all right for a hobby, John, but you’ll never make a living at it!’The word and idea of ‘imagine’ is something John would repurpose in his own song ‘Imagine’. It’s also a bit like the opening of ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’, with its exhortation to ‘Picture yourself…’ So it’s a filmic thing, as well as a literary thing. When I say ‘literary’, I think of the imagined world of Lewis Carroll that John and I both loved so much. Carroll was a big influence on both of us; that can really be seen in John’s books In His Own Write and A Spaniard In The Works.
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present
As with ‘She Loves You’, ‘I’ll Get You’ was full of ‘yeah’s; The Beatles’ use of the word in the songs earned them the nickname The Yeah-Yeahs throughout Europe.
‘I’ll Get You’ became one of Paul McCartney’s favourite Beatles tracks. It was frequently played live by the group too – a version from the London Palladium, recorded on 13 October 1963, appears on Anthology 1.
It’s got an interesting chord in it: ‘It’s not easy to pre-tend…’ That was nicked from a song called ‘All My Trials’ which is on an album I had by Joan Baez: ‘There’s only one thing that money can’t buy.’ It’s like D, which goes to an A minor, which is unusual, you’d normally go from a D to an A major. It’s a change that had always fascinated me, so I put it in. I liked that slightly faggy way we sang. ‘Oh yeah, oh yeah,’ which was very distinctive, very Beatley.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
In the studio
The Beatles recorded ‘I’ll Get You’ on 1 July 1963, after they’d finished taping ‘She Loves You’. It originally had the working title ‘Get You In The End’.
Details no longer exist of the number of takes required to complete the song, as EMI’s documentation was somewhat haphazard at the time. However, the stumbling over the vocals in the middle eight – Lennon sings “I’m gonna make you mine”, instead of the correct “gonna change your mind” – suggest that the group dashed it off quickly.
After taping the rhythm track John Lennon overdubbed his harmonica part, and the rest of The Beatles contributed handclaps.
According to Geoff Emerick, I’ll Get You “took quite a bit of time to record, and the session ran a little overtime.”
Here, There and Everywhere (2007), p. 68
“It’s like D, which goes to an A major”
Should that be D to A minor?
It should have been – I missed out part of the quotation. Thanks for pointing it out.
Paul even these days plays this song live. It´s really beautiful, it should have been a double A side (W/She loves you)
I love this beautiful song–especially the harmony when they sing, “I’ve imagined I’m in love with you…” It sounds so innocent and makes one nostalgic for what seemed a much more innocent era.
Who doesn’t love the ” Oh yeah…. Oh yeah!” Part in this song?? Hahahaha!!!!
I sounds like a Roy Orbeson song to me.The part with the”now there’s gonna be a time…..”
I agree it sounds like a Roy Orbison song.
this is another song that is wrong in the chorus where it says “Well, there’s gonna be a time, When I’m gonna change your mind.”
I’ve just ‘rediscovered’ this excellent song; it should’ve been an A side. ‘Imagine I’m in love with you’ a great line and then ‘I’ve imagined …’ a beautiful melodic line, a classic. I suppose it’s so simple that John cuffed it off at the time. But I hope he changed his mind! Maybe subconsciously he did, with ‘Imagine’. I was playing this on the piano just a minute ago, and made a mistake ‘I’ll get you in the end’ which is supposed to be Bm. But I did a B, and it sounds nice. I’m going to sing this to a beautiful girl who said she loves me, after I’ve practiced a bit.
this song done slowly and seductively is absolutely beautiful
Just recently occurred to me, but ‘Imagine’ has some lyrics in common with ‘I’ll Get You’ and it’s fun to sing some of the lyrics from IGY to the melody of Imagine. Example, ‘Imagine I’m in love with you …. it’s easy ’cause I know …’ (and of course Imagine has ‘it’s easy if you try’)….. The second verse IGY also works with Imagine melody.
Watch out, Yoko’s about! So much for her getting a credit for Imagine, John got it from his back catalogue.
I think that the rising melody in the begining is like the middle part in Lennon´s Yes it Is. Even the two repeating notes in the beginning here are typical Lennon´s ? When McCartney discuss this song he only praises the chord behind “…to pre t e n d…”. That could have been his main contribution. If he hade done more in melody, he would have said it. After “…to pretend…” it followes “…but I get you in the end…” with the melody exact from From Me To You!
Ian MacDonald sais in his Revolution In The Head, that “…by its melodic directness…” the song was “written fifty-fifty by McCartney, who probably started it”. That is interesting. if it is not clear who composed what, you use T h e M c C a r t n e y p r e s u m t i o n, ore I n d u b i o M c C a r t n e y (because he did Yesterday)
“That was Paul and me trying to write a song and it didn’t work out.”-John Lennon. If you know more or better about who wrote what in this song feel free to share it with us. But, once again, your bias or jealousy is showing.
agreed that this could have been a double A single. Simply a beautiful song. I have always loved it. And love singing it.
The only 45rpm record I ever bought.just to get that song…love singing “well there’s gonna be a time”
I just sang it for my physics of music class to illustrate how the Beatles would throw in just a little chord twist here and there, even very early: the minor 7th on ‘pretend’.. the major 9th fillip after imagine I’m…. and the very powerful surprising E7 at the end of the middle eight (same melody over three increasing powerful chords there). It is indeed one of the greatest Beatle songs, and perhaps their single most “Beatley” one. And I love singing it to myself too!
That was Paul and me trying to write a song and it didn’t work
Most of us mere mortals would be thrilled to have created something as beautiful as this song!
Man, John was a brutal critic of his own work, wasn’t he?
That’s why in later years when John ripped his solo stuff during his longest weekend or Paul’s stuff you have to take it with a huge grain of salt
I don’t get why John brutally criticized some of his own compositions in retrospect and subject them to such unnecessary or unwarranted criticism or dismissals.
Yes he had issues originating from his childhood where his parents abandoned him and I know that it was not his fault, but I think that if he had some trusted friends whom he could talk to and confide in enough to boost his confidence (outside of showbusiness, that is), perhaps he could’ve learned not to be so critical or trash some of his Beatles songs – not every one of course – and instead, accept them as they were.
John and Paul’s earliest songwriting efforts were nothing to be ashamed of, because they were obviously still learning all the time how to improve it.
Yeah, but in general, isn’t everyone their own worst critic? If legendary authors of the past had a chance to be interviewed over and over, I bet a lot of them would be like … “oh, I could’ve probably done that chapter a lot better.”
Just a thought….
John, with his moods and acerbic wit, could be inciteful, rude, funny and or cruel. Though I love him, when he gets so negative about any Beatles song or anyone, I know it’s better to sluff it off as him being in a very down disposition. We are still speaking in admiration of the lads because they made virtually every one of their songs not only work, but shine!
First heard this song when I got a reissued copy of”She Loves You” single. Instantly loved it. I can see why this became a favorite of Paul McCartney’s. As some one else said on this site I love the nostalgic feel to this song. A nostalgic side is evident in many Beatles songs and not just McCartney’s, John Lennon’s too. “She Loves You” obviously was the right choice as A side. But I have no doubt this would have been a big hit in it’s own right at another time.It is just so catchy.
Andy Fairweather-Low has a nice version of this song . Check Youtube.
Don’t get me wrong, She Loves You is a fantastic song, but there is just something magical about this one. The lyrics are very Lewis Caroll, and set to that driving merseybeat rhythm, it grabs our attention right away. I love John’s vocals here, he sounds like he was really enjoying himself. His rhythm guitar is also fantastic as always, not to mention the harmonica. Paul does a nice “natural double tracking” of John throughout most of the song, slipping into those lovely harmonies of his at just the right time. George isn’t really doing much as far as lead goes, but he definitely contributes to the driving rhythm section. And speaking of the rhythm, Ringo keeps the beat perfectly, one would expect no less. The lads were in top form for I’ll Get You, which may not have turned out to be the hit single, but is definitely one of my personal favorites
Just one of those songs that sticks in your head like gum on your shoe. The chorus is so imaginative and is a beautiful counterpoint to the verses. And the harmonies steal the show. Oh what magic they had when they were together.
Really sounds like it’s John Lennon all throughout but we can hear when Sir Paul McCartney joins in.
Sounds to me as if Paul wrote the 2nd chorus “Well there’s going to be a time”, all the rest maybe John.
Musically there is a volcanic build during “So I’m telling you my friend” that breaks out and gushes like an orgasm at “That I’ll get you, I’ll get you in the end”and levels back down at “Yes I will, I’ll get you in the end. Then the slow build ending in orgasm starts around another time.
If I wanted to write a tune that would unconsciously touch a young sexually maturing girl’s heart, it would be ‘I’ll Get You’.
I was 8 yrs old when my older cousin played that song for us. I remember being there because of the strength of that song etching it into my mind. There is certainly something unearthly about the creation of such a sound.
Just found a copy with I’LL GET YOU o both sides, anyone seen one before.
The song is unusual as one word is repeated four times in succession:
“… I’m never, never, never, never blue”
You might think that’s laziness with lyrics but the repeated word ‘never’ gives the sentiment extra intensity. The guy is absolutely, positively not sad when he thinks about his girl.
Working title ‘Get You In The End’ – there’s just something wrong about that title…..
Ahaha, nice one;)
The song does have a double meaning. The Beatles did things like that.
I assume it’s something naughty but i can’t see the 2 meanings!?
My brother has been making that Get You In The End joke for 40 years. First time I’ve heard a version of it elsewhere!
I wonder if this song was the inspiration for “I Wanna Kiss Her”.
One of my favourite Beatles’ songs. Even if the first drum roll’s 4th sound is so of out of beat:)
IMO, this song gave Paul’s bass a really nice opportunity to stand out prominently, something that was not always the case in the early years when he was using his Höfner bass exclusively.
Frankly, it made a nice change instead of the usual guitar break.
This is the only song that issued twice, once as a B-side then as an A-side. I think it’s as good as any tune they wrote in that era.
My sister bought beatles records, but bought SLY for the B side as she didnt like SLY…she said same for her mates…they all liked the B side…so maybe it was their first double A side after all…and I recall the radio also playing it more than SLY..