“In My Life”
Song by The Beatles
Album	Rubber Soul
Released	3 December 1965
Recorded	Abbey Road Studios 18 October 1965
Genre	Rock
Length	2:28
Label	EMI, Parlophone, Capitol
Writer	Lennon/McCartney
Producer	George Martin
Music sample
" In My Life" Problems? See media help.
Rubber Soul track listing
Side one "Drive My Car" "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" "You Won't See Me" "Nowhere Man" "Think for Yourself" "The Word" "Michelle" Side two "What Goes On" "Girl" "I'm Looking Through You" "In My Life" "Wait" "If I Needed Someone" "Run for Your Life"

"In My Life" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song originated with Lennon, and while McCartney contributed to the final version, the extent of his contribution is in dispute. Released on the 1965 album Rubber Soul, it is ranked 23rd on the Rolling Stone article "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and placed second on CBC's 50 Tracks. Mojo magazine named it the best song of all time in 2000. The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article is about the musical composition. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... The Beatles U.S. chronology Alternate cover Cover of the original 1965 U.S. LP, with a different colour saturation (see below) Back cover Back cover of the original 1965 UK LP Rubber Soul is the sixth album by The Beatles, first released in December 1965. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, usually referred to as Lennon/McCartney (sometimes McCartney/Lennon), is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations of all time. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... For other uses, see George Martin (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Beatles_in_my_life. ... The Beatles U.S. chronology Alternate cover Cover of the original 1965 U.S. LP, with a different colour saturation (see below) Back cover Back cover of the original 1965 UK LP Rubber Soul is the sixth album by The Beatles, first released in December 1965. ... Drive My Car is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and first released performed by The Beatles on the UK version of the 1965 album Rubber Soul; it also appeared in the US on the Yesterday . ... Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1965 album Rubber Soul. ... You Wont See Me is a song by the British 60s rock group The Beatles, on the album Rubber Soul. ... Nowhere Man is a song by British 1960s rock group The Beatles, on their hit album Rubber Soul (in the U.S. on the Yesterday . ... Think for Yourself is a song by the 1960s pop group The Beatles which first appeared on the 1965 album Rubber Soul. ... The Word is a song by The Beatles first released on their 1965 album Rubber Soul. ... Michelle is the title of a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, which is featured on their Rubber Soul album. ... What Goes On is a song by the legendary 60s rock group the Beatles, included on their album Rubber Soul. ... Girl is a song by the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon but credited to Lennon-McCartney, off of the album Rubber Soul. ... Im Looking Through You is a Lennon-McCartney song, written mainly by Paul McCartney, that first appeared on The Beatles 1965 album and the tenth song of Rubber Soul. ... Wait is a song by the legendary 60s rock and roll groups The Beatles, off their album Rubber Soul. ... If I Needed Someone is a song by The Beatles which first appeared in the UK on the 1965 album Rubber Soul (see 1965 in music) and was later included in the 1966 U.S. release Yesterday. ... Run for Your Life is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1965 album Rubber Soul. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, entrepreneur, painter, record producer, film producer, and animal-rights activist. ... See also: // January 4 - Fender Guitars is sold to CBS for $13 million. ... The Beatles U.S. chronology Alternate cover Cover of the original 1965 U.S. LP, with a different colour saturation (see below) Back cover Back cover of the original 1965 UK LP Rubber Soul is the sixth album by The Beatles, first released in December 1965. ... This article is about the magazine. ... In 2004, Rolling Stone listed the 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time as polled by musicians, critics, and industry figures. ... 50 Tracks was a Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio One in 2004. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Composition

John Lennon wrote the song in the form of a long poem reminiscing on his childhood/teenage years. The original version of the lyrics was based on a bus route he used to take in Liverpool, naming various sites seen along the way, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Field.^[1] John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... Music sample Strawberry Fields Forever Problems? See media help. ...

However, Lennon found it to be more "ridiculous" and called it "the most boring sort of 'What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip' song"^[2] and reworked the words with Paul McCartney, replacing the specific memories with a generalized meditation on his past. "Very few lines" of the original version remain in the finished song.^[1] Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, entrepreneur, painter, record producer, film producer, and animal-rights activist. ...

Lennon's friend and biographer Peter Shotton related in his book (titled John Lennon "In My Life") that Lennon told him the lines "Some [friends] are dead and some are living/In my life I've loved them all" referred to Stuart Sutcliffe (who died in 1962) and to Shotton.^[3] Peter Shotton (born 4 August 1941, in Liverpool) is a British businessman best known for his long friendship with John Lennon of The Beatles. ... Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a British musician and artist who, until his early death, worked in a style related to Abstract Expressionism. ...

As for the music though, Lennon claimed in 1980 that McCartney's contribution was supplying the harmony and the "middle eight" or bridge section of the song (there is no middle eight in this song, though there is a bridge section).^[4] Describing "If I Fell", which he had written, Lennon said it was more a precursor to "In My Life" and used the same chord sequences.^[5](Although, McCartney also claims to have co-written 'If I Fell' with Lennon.)^{[citation needed]} In popular music, especially occidental, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section. ... If I Fell is a song by the Beatles which first appeared on the 1964 album A Hard Days Night. ...

McCartney claimed he set Lennon's lyrics to music from beginning to end, claiming that he wrote the whole melody, but taking inspiration from songs by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.^[6] Of the disagreement, McCartney said, "I find it very gratifying that out of everything we wrote, we only appear to disagree over two songs."^[6] (The other song in question is "Eleanor Rigby".)^[7] For the novel by Douglas Coupland, see Eleanor Rigby (novel). ...

Recording

The song was recorded on 18 October 1965 and was complete except for a "hole" which was left for an instrumental bridge between verses.^[8] At that time, Lennon had not decided what instrument to use, but he subsequently asked George Martin to play a piano solo, and "play it like Bach".^{[citation needed]} Martin wrote a Baroque-styled piece that he could not play at the song's tempo. On 22 October, the solo was recorded at half-tempo (one octave lower) and all the tape speed was doubled for the final recording, which solved the performance challenge and gave the piano solo a unique, harpsichord-like timbre.^[9][10] is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... In popular music, especially occidental, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section. ... For other uses, see George Martin (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... “Bach” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Baroque (disambiguation). ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Harpsichord in the Flemish style A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. ... In music, timbre, or sometimes timber, (from Fr. ...

Musical analysis

Key: A major

Time: 4/4

Verse:

I V vi V2-of-IV IV iv I

Bridge:

vi IV IV-of-IV I

vi V7-of-V IV iv I

The most notable feature of this song, harmonically, is the use of the subdominant minor chord, which is borrowed from the parallel minor key, in this case, A minor. This chord is used here in a manner quite consistent and prevalent compared to other pop songs of the era: it sets up a three-note chromatic descending line between the 6th scale degree and the 5th, thus resolving to I. It is a chromatically altered plagal cadence.^{[citation needed]} In music, the parallel minor of a particular major key (or the parallel major of a minor key) is the key which has the same tonic and a different key signature, as opposed to relative minor (or major, respectively). ... In music, chromatic indicates the inclusion of notes not in the prevailing scale and is also used for those notes themselves (Shir-Cliff et al 1965, p. ... In Western musical theory a cadence (Latin cadentia, a falling) is a particular series of intervals (a caesura) or chords that ends a phrase, section, or piece of music. ...

The bridge briefly flirts with the relative minor, F# minor before returning us to A major. The bVII chord (noted here as its function of IV-of-IV) is a bluesy chord quite common in The Beatles' canon, as is the deceptive V7-of-V resolving to IV, a progression that occurs in the tag of "Yesterday".^{[citation needed]} In music, the relative minor of a particular major key (or the relative major of a minor key) is the key which has the same key signature but a different tonic, as opposed to parallel minor or major, respectively. ... Music sample Yesterday Problems? See media help. ...

Cover versions and cultural references

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Mary Hopkin, Judy Collins,Dave Matthews Band Crosby, Stills & Nash, Selah, Jose Feliciano, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne (Under Cover), Marie Osmond, Keith Moon (Two Sides of the Moon), Kippington Lodge, Astrud Gilberto, Allison Crowe and Johnny Cash (American IV: The Man Comes Around). // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (born May 3, 1950) is a Welsh folk singer. ... Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939 in Seattle, Washington) is an American folk and standards singer and songwriter, known for the stunning purity of her soprano; for her eclectic tastes in the material she records (which has included folk, showtunes, pop, and rock and roll); and for her social... Crosby, Stills & Nash, also Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when including occasional fourth member Neil Young, are a folk rock/rock supergroup. ... For other uses, see Selah (disambiguation). ... José Montserrate Feliciano (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican singer. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... Under Cover is an album of song covers by Heavy Metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. ... Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959 in Ogden, Utah) is an American actress, singer, and a member of the show business family, The Osmonds. ... Keith Moon at his Pictures of Lily-drumkit Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... Two Sides Of the Moon is the only solo album from the original drummer from The Who- Keith Moon. ... Brinsley Schwarz is a 1970s English pub rock band named for guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. ... Astrud Gilberto (born March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian singer best known for her samba and bossa nova music, most famously as the vocalist on the Grammy Award winning song The Girl from Ipanema. // Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Weinert, the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father... Allison Louise Crowe (born November 16, 1981) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and pianist from Nanaimo, British Columbia who now lives in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ...

Twiggy covered the song on The Muppet Show (Season 1 Episode 21). This article is about the English supermodel. ... The Muppet Show was a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand-operated puppets, typically with oversized eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ...

A cover by Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk was used as the theme for the NBC show Providence. Bette Midler also recorded this song for the 1991 film soundtrack For the Boys. Dave Matthews played the song during a tribute show honoring John Lennon. Chantal Kreviazuk (born May 18, 1973) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of rock and pop music. ... This article is about the television network. ... Providence was an NBC television series starring Melina Kanakaredes. ... Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress and comedienne, also known to her fans as The Divine Miss M. She is named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one. ... For the Boys is a 1991 movie which tells the story of an 1940s actress/singer who teams with another entertainer to entertain American troops through 50 years. ... For other persons named David Matthews, see David Matthews (disambiguation). ...

During George Harrison's 1974 US tour, the band played a version of the song that was drastically slower than the Rubber Soul version there. For other persons named George Harrison, see George Harrison (disambiguation). ...

George Martin borrowed the song title for an album of various artists covering Beatle songs. In the tribute song, Sean Connery narrates the lyrics with minimal support from Martin's piano. Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25, 1930) is a Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award-winning Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films. ...

Kevin Kern borrowed the song title for his album that covered many artists' songs in piano, including "In My Life". In this version, the baroque piano solo that was written by George Martin had been deleted. Kevin Kern Kevin Kern (December 22, 1958-) is a pianist, composer and recording artist of New Age music. ...

The Ten Tenors performed the song during their 2006 "Here's To The Heroes" tour, an arrangement a little slower than the original, with more emphasis harmonies, showcased in an A Cappella section in the middle of the song. album cover of their latest CD Heres To The Heroes The Ten Tenors (also known as TTT) are an Australian musical ensemble, with a strong live touring profile in Europe, Canada and the United States and a burgeoning recording career. ...

It was the name of a Broadway musical.^{[citation needed]} For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ...

Singer Marques Houston covered the song in an episode on Sister, Sister Marques Barrett Houston (born on August 4, 1981 in Los Angeles, California, is an R&B singer and actor. ... Sister, Sister is the name of several works. ...

American Idol Season 7 contestant Ramiele Malubay performed the song during the top 12 week for The Beatles tribute week. For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ...

The song was played at Kurt Cobain's memorial.^[11] Cobain was an avid Beatles fan. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ...

Radio disc jockey Don Geronimo used this as his farewell song on April 11, 2008. Don Geronimo Michael Sorce (born September 18, 1958), better known as Don Geronimo, is a radio personality featured on the nationally syndicated Don and Mike Show , based at WJFK-FM (106. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

The song was used in the farewell to long-serving Canberra newsreader of WIN television Peter Leonard. For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Peter Leonard is an Australian journalist and former news presenter. ...

Australian singer/songwriter Ben Lee covered the song for the album This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute Beatles' Rubber Soul Benjamin Michael Lee (born September 11, 1978 in Sydney, Australia) is a ARIA Award winning Jewish Australian musician and actor. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Bob Spitz (2005). The Beatles: The Biography. Boston: Little, Brown, 587. ISBN 0-316-80352-9. 
2. ^ David Sheff (2000). All We Are Saying. New York: St. Martin's Press, 152. ISBN 0-312-25464-4. 
3. ^ Pete Shotton and Nicholas Schaffner (1983). John Lennon: In My Life. New York: Stein and Day. ISBN 0-8128-6185-X. 
4. ^ David Sheff (2000). All We Are Saying. New York: St. Martin's Press, 153, 178. 
5. ^ A Hard Day's Night - If I Fell. The Beatles Interview Database. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
6. ^ ^{a b} Barry Miles (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 277-278. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6. 
7. ^ Barry Miles (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, 283. 
8. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 64. ISBN 0-517-57066-1. 
9. ^ Bob Spitz (2005). The Beatles, 591. 
10. ^ Mark Lewisohn. The Beatles Recording Sessions, 65. 
11. ^ True, Everett (2006). Nirvana: The Biography. Da Capo Press, 568. ISBN ISBN-13 978-0-306-81554-6. 

Boyhood friend of John Lennon of the Beatles, who also attended Dovedale Primary and Quarry Bank schools. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Barry Miles (commonly known as, and called, simply Miles) is an author who has written biographies of Paul McCartney, William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg as well as books about John Lennon, the Beatles and Frank Zappa. ... Barry Miles (commonly known as, and called, simply Miles) is an author who has written biographies of Paul McCartney, William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg as well as books about John Lennon, the Beatles and Frank Zappa. ... Mark Lewisohn (born 1958) is one of the worlds foremost experts on The Beatles. ... Mark Lewisohn (born 1958) is one of the worlds foremost experts on The Beatles. ...

References

• Lewisohn, Mark (1990). The Beatles: Recording Sessions . Three Rivers Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 978-0517581827. 
• Miles, Barry (1998). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4. 
• Spitz, Bob (2005). The Beatles: The Biography. Little, Brown and Company (New York). ISBN 1-84513-160-6. 

Barry Miles (commonly known as, and called, simply Miles) is an author who has written biographies of Paul McCartney, William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg as well as books about John Lennon, the Beatles and Frank Zappa. ... Many Years From Now, is the official biography of Sir Paul McCartney, by Barry Miles. ... Vintage Books was founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf as a trade paperback home for its authors. ... // Random House is a publishing house based in New York City. ... Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. ... This article is about the state. ...

External links

• Songmeanings.net Lyrics and explanations
• In My Life Songfacts Entry