With a Little Help From My Friends Lyrics



Lennon/McCartney


A little help from my friends
What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
Going to try with a little help from my friends.
What do I do when my love is away.
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No I get by with a little help from my friends,
Do you need anybody,
I need somebody to love.
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love.
Would you believe in a love at first sight,
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time.
What do you see when you turn out the light,
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Do you need anybody,
I just need somebody to love,
Could it be anybody,
I want somebody to love.
I get by with a little help from my friends,
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
With a little help from my friends.

 
Lead Singer: Ringo

Recording: 3/29/67, 3/30/67
Mixing: 3/31/67, 4/7/67
Length: 2:46
Take: 11

Anomalies

0:00-0:02
Centre, loud tweets during the word "Billy"
0:08 * NEW *
Noticeable increase in mains hum as the fader opens for Paul's bass (Right channel)
0:39/40, 0:42 * NEW *
Distant, echoey voice sound behind main vocals. May be an artifact of the drums or guitar, but has been suggested as a talkback speaker.
2:04
Right channel, crackles in bass line (bad lead/connector?)
2:29
Ringo admits that he wasn't confident about that high note at the end. Here you can hear an edit to join on a successful attempt at the last phrase, beginning with the words "Ye/es I get by with-a-little-help-from my friends with-a-little ..."
* NEW * Note that the level of the vocal comes up in the middle of this word (Yes)
2:39
Over end chord, someone says something extremely faint.
Ringo sang lead on this as "Billy Shears," a name chosen because it sounded good. The album was recorded as if Sgt. Pepper was a real band.
The original title was "Badfinger Boogie." The Beatles got some use out of the name when they signed a group to their label, Apple Records, and named them Badfinger.
The cheering at the beginning was taken from a Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The Beatles had stopped touring by the time this was recorded.
This was a #1 hit for Joe Cocker in 1968.
John Lennon claimed this was not about drugs, but many people didn't believe him.
The first line was originally "What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and throw tomatos at me?" Ringo did not want to sing it, fearing that if they ever did it live he would be pelted with tomatos.
Continued the "Concept" of the album, but until the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" at the end, the theme of the fictional band ends with this.
They finished recording this the night they shot the cover for the Sgt. Pepper album.

 
Sgt_Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Lyrics