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Michelle
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
Paul McCartney:
Vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitar, bass guitar,
harmonies
John Lennon: Vocals
George Harrison: Vocals
Ringo Starr: Drums
Recorded
November 3 1965.
Available
on:
Rubber
Soul
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Red Album)
A Collection of Beatles Oldies
Michelle
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
Paul got
the idea to Michelle back in 1959, when he went with John
to a party thrown by art students. At the party there was
a student with goatee beard and a striped t-shirt, who was
playing the guitar and singing what sounded like a French
song.
Paul decided
to write his own little French-inspired ballad, which he
kept singing to friends for fun. The idea was not completed
until 1965 when John encouraged him to finish it for the
Rubber Soul album.
One problem
though was that Paul didn't speak very good French. So it
turned out helpful that the wife of his school friend Ian
Vaughan (who also introduced Paul to John for the first
time) was a French teacher. Her name is Jan, and this is
her version of the story:
"He
(Paul) asked me if I could think of a French girl's first
name, with two syllables, and then a description of the
girl that would rhyme. He played me the rhythm on his guitar
and that's when I came up with 'Michelle, ma belle', which
wasn't actually that hard to think of! I think it was some
days later that he phoned me up and asked if I could translate
the phrase 'these are words that go together well' and I
told him that it should be 'sont les mots qui vont tres
bien ensemble."
(From
Steve Turner's book A
Hard Days Write.)
Lennon
added the phrase "I love you, I love you, I love you,"
in the middle section of the song. Nina Simon's single I
Put A Spell On You apparently inspired this.
Paul plays
all the instruments on Michelle, apart from the drums, which
were played by Ringo as usual. John and George added vocals.
Within
a month after Rubber Soul was released, there were more
than 20 cover versions of Michelle available on the global
music market. It is also the most recorded Beatles song
after Yesterday.
Michelle
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
Michlle
ma belle
These are words that go together well
My Michelle
Michelle ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I love you, I love you, I love you,
That’s all I want to say
Until I find a way
I will say the only words I know that you’ll understand
Michelle ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I need to, I need to, I need to
I need to make you see
Oh what you mean to me
Until I do I’m hoping you will know what I mean
I love you
I want you, I want you, I want you
I think you know but now
I’ll get you somehow
Until I do I’m telling you so you’ll understand
Michelle ma belle
Sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Tres bien ensemble
I will say the only words I know that you’ll understand
My Michelle
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