TheBeatlesOnline

Paperback Writer

Paul McCartney: Vocals, bass guitar
John Lennon: Electric guitar, vocals
George Harrison: Electric guitars, vocals
Ringo Starr: Drums, tambourine

Recorded April 13, 14 1966.

Available on:
Past Masters Volume Two
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Red Album)
The Beatles 1
A Collection of Beatles Oldies
Hey Jude

Papeback Writer was an unusual song in many ways, both musically, lyrically and in terms of production. It was in fact a piece of musical recording history in the UK, due to the prominent bass sound.

British record buyers and industry professionals had become aware of the fact that records made in the US sounded much better than those recorded in the UK. John Lennon allegidely demanded to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Picket record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records.

It is true that the bass on Beatles records pre-1966 had been very low. However, this changed for good with the Paperback Writer-single.

"'Paperback Writer' was the first time the bass sound had been heard in all its excitement," said Beatles' engineer Geoff Emerick in Mark Lewisohn's book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.

"For a start, Paul played a different bass, a Rickenbacker. Then we boosted it further by using a loudspeaker as a microphone. We positioned it directly in front of the bass speaker and the moving diaphragm of the second speaker made the electric current."

Emerick knew that the high bass content was likely to make the stylus jump, but the backroom boys at the Abbey Road Studios invented an ATOC machine - Automatic Transient Overload Control - to cut the master lacqer, which got rid of that problem.

The result was a Beatles single with exeptionally loud bass sound, boosting the overall experience for the listener.

Paperback Writer marked a new era lyrically too. This was the first Beatles single (but not the first Beatles song) that had nothing to do with girls and love. It was apprently one of Paul's aunts who suggested that he should write a single that was not about love.

Nevertheless, Paul choose the topic of a paperback writer who wants to get his work published.

McCartney apparently got the idea to the song while he was on his way to John Lennon's house in Weybridge. When he got there he said to John that he wanted to sing the song like a letter - line by line.

Another theory is that the song was based on a letter that McCartney received from an aspiring novelist. Some have also suggested that the lyrics are about Lennon who had published two books by then.

The line "Based on a novel by a man named Lear" is probably a reference to Edward Lear, a Victorian painter who wrote nonsense poems and songs that John loved.

In the studio, McCartney got the idea that John and George should sing the French nursery rhyme 'Frere Jacques' (Father Jacob), and this can be heard several places in the background.

Paperback Writer was recorded a week into the Revolver sessions, but was not included on that album.

Although the Papeback Writer/Rain single did not sell as many copies as previous Beatles singles (except Love Me Do), it still made it to number one in the US (May 30 1966) and in the UK (June 10 1966). It topped the charts for two weeks in both countries.

Paperback Writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Dear Sir or Madam will you read my book
It took me years to write will you take a look
Based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job
So I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

It’s a dirty story of a dirty man,
And his clinging wife doesn’t understand
His son is working for the Daily Mail
It’s a steady job
But he wants to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

It’s a thousand pages give or take a few
I’ll be writing more in a week or two
I can make it longer if you like the style
I can change it round
And I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer

If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnight
If you must return it you can send it here
But I need a break
And I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer