The Beatles’ “In My Life” is undoubtedly one of the greatest tunes the band ever recorded. The song, primarily written by John Lennon, was released on The Beatles’ sixth studio album Rubber Soul (1965). Lennon called the song his ‘first real major piece of work’ and Paul McCartney and George Harrison cited the song as one of their favorites. In this article, we’ll explore the story, meaning, and legacy behind the song.
The Story Behind the Song
The story of “In My Life” started in 1964, when Lennon released the nonsense book In His Own Write. The book was received well by critics and praised for its wordplay and introspectivity. Despite the positive reviews, some critics criticized Lennon’s writing as far more personal than his music.
During the promotion of the book on BBC’s show Tonight author Kenneth Allsop confronted Lennon on the critique. “Why don’t you put some of the way you write in the book, as it were, in the songs?” He said. “Or why don’t you put something about your childhood into the songs?”
Allsop’s remarks became the catalyst behind “In My Life”. The original draft contained memories and recollections of Lennon’s childhood in Liverpool.
“In My Life’ started out as a bus journey from my house on 250 Menlove Avenue to town, mentioning every place I could remember. And it was ridiculous,” Lennon said. “It was the most boring sort of ‘What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip’ song and it wasn’t working at all.”
Only once Lennon gave up trying to write clever words for “In My Life”, the lyrics came to him. “Letting it go is the whole game”, he’d later said.
Lennon wrote the song at Kenwood, his house in Weybridge, England. By the time he showed the song to McCartney, all the lyrics of the song were rewritten into its known words. The melody was finished too, although Lennon admitted McCartney contributed to the middle eighth section of the song.
McCartney’s recollection of “In My Life”, however, is different. He believes he wrote the melody of the song. “Those were words that John wrote, and I wrote the tune to it. That was a great one,” McCartney later said.
In 2018, Harvard statistician Mark Glickman developed an algorithm to figure out whether McCartney or Lennon contributed most to individual Beatles songs between 1962-1966. He concluded “In My Life” was mainly written by John Lennon.
Read more: The 10 Best Beatles Songs of All Time
“In My Life” was recorded on 19 October 1965. The Beatles completed the song that day except for its instrumental bridge, which was later filled with a piano solo by producer George Martin.
The song was eventually released on 3 December 1965, on the Beatles’ sixth studio album Rubber Soul. “In My Life” was never released as a single, but nevertheless became one of the most well-known and most appreciated Beatles tracks.
The Meaning of the Song
“In My Life” is a song about remembering friends and lovers of the past, whilst simultaneously expressing a deeper love for someone in the present. Lennon acknowledges the love he feels for people in the past, but also admits those ‘memories lose their meaning’ when he thinks of ‘love as something new’.
The song is deeply personal to John Lennon. He remarked it was the first song he consciously wrote about his own life, and therefore, he considered it his ‘first real major piece of work’.
Most people exclusively perceive “In My Life” as a nostalgic looking-back on memories kind-of tune. In reality, the song also addresses a present love that overshadows experiences of the past.
The Song’s Legacy
“In My Life” is considered one of The Beatles’ masterpieces. Mojo magazine even named it the best song of all time, whilst Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 23 on their ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’ list. Mojo’s voting panel featured 20 songwriting legends, including Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, and Carole King.
The other Beatles members also recognized the greatness of Lennon’s composition. McCartney considered it a great tune, although he also believed he wrote the melody of the song. George Harrison also considered it one of The Beatles’ finest and even played it during his solo performances.
Nearly 6 decades later, “In My Life” has proven to be one of the most enduring songs in popular music. Maybe the song’s nostalgic lyrics play a part in its longevity, but even musically, the song is one of the finest tracks ever written.
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