Paul McCartney Almost Gave Up on ‘Drive My Car’ Before John Lennon Rescued It

Paul McCartney always had a knack for songwriting. Yet Paul almost gave up on “Drive My Car” until John Lennon helped rescue it. They worked out the kinks before bringing them to the rest of The Beatles, and Paul repaid the favor by helping John finish two of Rubber Soul’s best songs.

Paul McCartney almost gave up on ‘Drive My Car’ until John Lennon saved it

Writing songs never presented much of a challenge for Paul once he got used to the process. He proved his genius as a songwriter with “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” from the White Album. A friend spoke the titular phrase during a hang-out, which sparked the bouncy tune. Macca wrote several songs on the spot and needed only a few hours to finish his synth-heavy holiday “Wonderful Christmastime.”

“Drive My Car” was the opposite. Paul nearly gave up on the song because he couldn’t finesse the right lyrics. John helped him over the hump, according to Paul McCartney: A Life author Peter Ames Carlin:

“When Paul drove out to John’s house with a funky song that had lame words about a snotty girl who wouldn’t give her boyfriend a golden ring, he knew it wasn’t working; he was on the verge of abandoning it altogether. John not only encouraged him to finish the song but soon transformed the lyric into the story of a woman determined to diminish her boyfriend even though her actual success couldn’t compete with her aspirations. ‘Baby, you can drive my car,’ the chorus went. ‘And maybe I’ll love you.’”

Paul revealed the working title of “Drive My Car” was “Golden Rings,” which isn’t surprising given the original theme. We don’t know what the rough draft of the song and its lyrics sounded like, but we’re 100% sure “Drive My Car” was the better choice.

Paul helped John finish two of the best ‘Rubber Soul’ songs

Just as Paul almost abandoned the song that became “Drive My Car,” so too did John nearly ditch two of Rubber Soul’s best songs.

Paul provided the delicately sweet melodies for the verses on “In My Life” (which was rumored to be about former Beatles and Sgt. Pepper cover model Stuart Sutcliffe). The bassist also helped round out the lyrical narrative in “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” including the ending, where the main character burns down a would-be lover’s apartment, per Ames Carlin. 

As per usual for that era of The Beatles, John and Paul shared songwriting credits on all three songs. Macca came up with “Drive My Car” and John wrote “In My Life” and “Norwegian Wood,” but all three became Lennon-McCartney tunes for the Fab Four.

How ‘Drive My Car’ and ‘Rubber Soul’ performed on the charts

“Drive My Car” was never a single, so it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Nor did “In My Life” or “Norwegian Wood” since they weren’t released as singles. That means they missed the charts in England, too.

Yet even without singles, Rubber Soul proved to be a success. It reached No. 1 in England within three weeks of its release, held the top spot for eight consecutive weeks, and spent 42 weeks in the top 100. 

“Drive My Car” initially appeared in the United States on the Yesterday and Today album in mid-1966. The record lasted five weeks on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 32 weeks. Rubber Soul, minus Paul’s nearly abandoned song plus a few others, hit the U.S. in late 1965 and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for six of its 70 weeks on the chart.

Chart success doesn’t tell the whole story about “Drive My Car.” Paul McCartney almost gave up on the song until John Lennon saved it from the landfill. Macca paid back his bandmate by helping finish two other Rubber Soul songs. Their collaborative spirit helped the album achieve success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.