I Should Have Known Better
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- For the Jim Diamond song, see I Should Have Known Better (Jim Diamond song)
| "I Should Have Known Better" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by The Beatles | ||
| from the album A Hard Day's Night | ||
| A-side(s) | "Yesterday" | |
| Released | 8 March 1976 | |
| Format | vinyl record (7", 12") | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 02:44 | |
| Label | Capitol Records (US) Parlophone/EMI (UK) |
|
| Writer(s) | Paul McCartney/John Lennon | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Beatles singles chronology | ||
| "Let it Be" (1970) ------ "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964) |
"Yesterday" (UK-1975) --- "A Hard Day's Night" (US-1964) |
"Back in the USSR" (1976) ------ "I'll Cry Instead" (1964) |
| A Hard Day's Night track listing | ||
|
||
"I Should Have Known Better" is a song composed by John Lennon[1][2] (credited to Lennon/McCartney), and originally released by by the Beatles on the United Kingdom-version of A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name.
"I Should Have Known Better" is basically an early imitation of American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan.[3] In January 1964, during a three-week engagement at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, the Beatles acquired his albums Bob Dylan and Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and began playing them continuously. American journalist Al Aronowitz introduced them to Dylan when the Beatles visited New York in February 1964, and Dylan subsequently became a big influence on the group, especially Lennon, who even started wearing a copycat Huckleberry Finn cap.[4] Paul McCartney said Dylan's songs were "great lyrically,"[5] and Lennon credited Dylan with inspiring him to write more meaningful lyrics.[6]
Lennon's harmonica playing opens the track, the last occasion the Beatles were to feature the instrument on an intro ("I´m a Loser", recorded 14 August 1964, has a harmonica solo) and thus drawing a line under a significant era of their music. The song's middle sixteen section features George Harrison's brand new Rickenbacker 12 string guitar.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Recording
The first recording session for the song was on 25 February 1964 at Abbey Road Studios when three takes were attempted, but only one was complete. Take 2 was aborted when Lennon broke into hysterics over his harmonica playing. The song was re-recorded the next day after making some changes to the arrangement.[7]
The mono and stereo versions have slightly different harmonica introductions. In the stereo version, the harmonica drops out briefly.[8]
[edit] Release
[edit] United Kingdom
In the UK, "I Should Have Known Better" was on A Hard Day's Night and released on 10 July 1964. It was not released as a single at that time. In 1976, it was released as a B-side to "Yesterday".[9][10]
[edit] United States
In the U.S., "I Should Have Known Better" was released on 13 July 1964 as the B-side to "A Hard Day's Night."[11][12] As part of the movie contract, United Artists acquired album rights for the American market.[13] They released a soundtrack album on 26 June 1964 with 8 Beatle songs and 4 instrumentals. "I Should Have Known Better" was performed in the film, and it appears on the soundtrack. Capitol Records released Something New a month later with songs from the UK-version of A Hard Day's Night that were not used in the film and other material. "I Should Have Known Better" did not appear on a Capitol album until five years later on the Hey Jude compilation album.[12]
[edit] West Germany
"I Should Have Known Better" was released as a single in West Germany where it reached number 6.[citation needed]
[edit] Credits
- John Lennon — vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar, harmonica
- Paul McCartney — bass guitar
- George Harrison — lead guitar
- Ringo Starr — drums
- Credits per Ian MacDonald[3]
[edit] Cover versions
Green Day later reworked the song as "Hold On" on their album Warning:. It was also played live on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1996 when Starr was a guest on the show. The song was also covered by The Beach Boys in 1965.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press, 194. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- ^ Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 164. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ a b c MacDonald, Ian (1994). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 85. ISBN 0-8050-2780-7.
- ^ Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated. London: Virgin Publishing, 357-359. ISBN 0-7535-0481-2.
- ^ Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, 195.
- ^ Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying, 179.
- ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 39-40. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- ^ Cross, Craig (2005). The Beatles: Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc., 384. ISBN 0-595-34663-4.
- ^ Cross, Craig (2005). The Beatles: Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record, 592.
- ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 200.
- ^ Cross, Craig (2005). The Beatles: Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record, 530-531.
- ^ a b Lewisohn, Mark (1988 pages=201). The Beatles Recording Sessions.
- ^ Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia, 483-484.
