12 of the Best Beatles Breakup Songs
The Beatles wrote many love songs, but they also wrote just as many breakup songs. Some of them are dark and gloomy, but others are comforting. They assured listeners that it was OK if a relationship didn’t work out. Maybe it was for the best.
12. ‘Misery’
“Misery” is The Beatles’ most miserable song. The speaker is severely down on themselves because they just lost their love. They never used to cry, but now they do all the time. They wish for the day their love will return to them because everyone can see how miserable they are.
11. ‘Not a Second Time’
In “Not a Second Time,” the speaker is sad about losing a relationship but has come to terms with the fact that it was doomed from the start. The speaker’s love seems fickle, and they had an on-again-off-again romance. It’s in the lyrics, “And now you’ve changed your mind/ I see no reason to change mine/ I cry/ It’s through, oh-oh/ You’re giving me the same old line/ I’m wondering why/ You hurt me then, you’re back again.”
10. ‘I’ll Cry Instead’
“I’ll Cry Instead” is certainly a breakup song, but it’s also one of The Beatles’ darkest love songs. The speaker is mad because he lost his love, like most of the speakers in the songs on this list. However, this speaker says he wants to be locked up if he can’t have his love back.
9. ‘Tell Me Why’
In “Tell Me Why,” the speaker speaks to their lost love and questions why they mistreated them. Whatever they’ve done, they’ll gladly apologize. However, their love is also guilty of lying. The speaker is even willing to beg on their knees to be taken back, which is sad. They shouldn’t need to beg when their love lies to them often.
8. ‘I’m a Loser’
“I’m a Loser” is self-deprecating, to say the least. The speaker tells someone of his lost love. They’re a loser because they couldn’t keep the relationship. The sad part of the song is when the speaker says, “What have I done to deserve such a fate?/ I realize I have left it too late/ And so it’s true pride comes before a fall/ I’m telling you so that you won’t lose all.”
7. ‘No Reply’
A breakup clearly happened before the events described in “No Reply.” However, things get dark when the speaker starts stalking their ex. They call, knock on their door, and wait to see them through their window. The creepiest and darkest part of the song comes with, “I tried to telephone/ They said you were not home/ That’s a lie/ ‘Cause I know where you’ve been/ And I saw you walk in/ Your door/ I nearly died.”
6. ‘You Like Me Too Much’
The relationship in “You Like Me Too Much” is toxic. The speaker tells their love that they’ll be back even though they keep saying they won’t. This speaker doesn’t seem to mind that a relationship is over. They don’t like the other person as much as the other person likes them. The speaker says they can do nothing to make the other stay away.
5. ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away’
Instead of being miserable about the end of a relationship, the speaker in “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” tries to hide their love for their ex. At first, the speaker doesn’t know how to go on, but then they realize there’s no use. People can see how miserable they are, and it’s embarrassing.
4. ‘The Night Before’
“The Night Before” also deals with the speaker’s love changing their minds about whether to continue with a romance. Once again, the ex lies, and the speaker is kicking themselves for trusting them. They had one night where their ex had love in their eyes, but now it’s done. They’ve gone their separate ways.
3. ‘I’m Looking Through You’
“I’m Looking Through You” also deals with the speaker telling their ex they thought they knew them. It’s a song about betrayal and thinking you know someone, but they change right before your eyes. The speaker’s love is different, so they’ll gladly look through them. They’re not there anymore.
2. ‘You Won’t See Me’
The speaker in “You Won’t See Me” is angry that their love won’t pick up the phone and won’t see them. Instead of being sad or miserable that a relationship is clearly done, the speaker is just angry and sick of wasting their time. Since they lost them, it feels like years anyway.
1. ‘For No One’
The couple in “For No One” hasn’t broken up yet, but it’s inevitable. The speaker recognizes that their love is slipping through their fingers a little more every day. It’s all in the lyrics: “And in her eyes, you see nothing/ No sign of love behind the tears/ Cried for no one/ A love that should have lasted years.”
Like their love songs, The Beatles came up with new ways of telling breakup stories in their songs. Sometimes, the speaker was better off; other times, they were miserable. Each story is different. Hopefully, one of them connected with someone who went through something similar.
