The Beatles Couldn’t Write Music — They Just ‘Fooled Around With It’
The Beatles wrote their own lyrics and instrumentals, even if they couldn’t write it all down on sheet music. Here’s what Paul McCartney said about the group’s songwriting process and why it specifically excluded writing down music.
Did the Beatles write their own songs?
Even if they sometimes covered other artists, the Beatles wrote and released chart-topping originals. Most Beatles hits were created by the songwriting duo of Lennon and McCartney, with the two agreeing to credit one another.
“By the time I got to know Paul, he and John had formed a close partnership,” John Lennon’s ex-wife, Cynthia, wrote in her memoir John. “They had agreed that any songs they wrote, together or separately, would be by Lennon and McCartney. It was as though even then they had a strong sense that their success depended on the connection between them.”
As time went on, the other Beatles took on active songwriting roles. Harrison played “I Me Mine” for the band, as seen in The Beatles: Get Back — even if the remaining musicians didn’t take it seriously. Harrison’s original, “Here Comes the Sun” was eventually added to Abbey Road, as was Ringo Starr’s “Octopus’s Garden.”
The Beatles couldn’t write sheet music according to Paul McCartney
In a 1967 interview, The Beatles elaborated on their songwriting process. With Lennon attending art school and Ringo Starr reportedly dropping out of school to work odd jobs, none of the Beatles could write sheet music.
“The words are written down, but the music is never,” McCartney said (via Beatles Interviews), “because we can’t write music. We play it to each other and soon pick it up and fool around with it a bit.”
“George suggests something extra, then John adds a new idea, and so on, until we have the music the way we want it,” he continued. “Then we record. Then we forget about it and get on with the next track.”
Beatles fans caught a glimpse at the Beatles writing together during their Disney+ documentary series. There, the Fab Four rehearsed songs like “Get Back,” changing the lyrics to reflect commentary on Britain’s immigration attitude.
They added an anvil to “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” including the finalized version on Abbey Road. They intended to write all new songs for their final live performance — on the roof of the Apple Corps Headquarters in London.
Paul McCartney wrote and released solo music
McCartney was the Beatles member to announce the group’s separation with his 1970 self-interview. Since then, the musician debuted solo music, even partnering with Rihanna and Kayne West for “FourFiveSeconds.”
Some of McCartney’s most popular solo songs include “Band On the Run,” “Wonderful Christmastime,” “Live and Let Die,” and “The Kiss of Venus” with Dominic Fike. Now, music by the Beatles is available on most major streaming platforms.
