TheBeatlesOnline

In My Life

John Lennon: Vocals, electric guitar
Paul McCartney: Bass guitar, electric piano, vocals
George Harrison: Electric guitar, vocals
Ringo Starr: Drums, bells

George Martin: Piano

Recorded October 18 and 22 1965.

Available on:
Rubber Soul
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Red Album)

Lennon called In My Life his "first real major piece of work."

It was, like Help!, a deeply personal song. This is Lennon reflecting on life, love, loss and death.

John first got the idea to the song after journalist Kenneth Allsop asked him why his books revealed more about himself than his songs did.

Lennon first started to write a poem about an imaginary bus trip from his home in Liverpool to the center of the city, and listed his favorite stops on the way, including Penny Lane.

But he soon gave up trying to compose a melody to the poem.

"…it wasn't working at all," he later explained. "Then I lay back and these lyrics started coming to me about the places I remember."

Lennon later told his childhood friend Pete Shotton that the line; "Some are dead and some are living, In my life I've loved them all" is about both Shotton and former Beatles member Stuart Sutcliffe.

Sutcliffe, who played bass in the Beatles, died of a brain tumor in 1962 - before the Beatles shot to fame.

Then there's the line "But of all these friends and lovers, there is no one compares with you." This could be a reference to John's mother Julia, who had died when John was just 17 (she was killed after being hit by a car).

In My Life is by and large Lennon's work, although McCartney is likely to have contributed with some melodic input. The section where Lennon sings "I know I often stop and think about them," sounds particularly McCartney-ish.

McCartney has in fact claimed in later interviews that he wrote the whole melody to the song, and that it was inspired by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. It is however unlikely that this is correct.

Producer George Martin came up with the idea to add the baroque style piano solo on the song. He first played the solo at half speed and then played back the tape at double speed to create this effect.

Johnny Cash recorded a wonderful version of In My Life in 2002, which is available on the album American IV: The Man Comes Around.

In My Life

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are livig,
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compared with you
And these mem’ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

In my life I love you more