![]() To keep awake for the session, Lennon went to take an amphetamine from his pill box however, rather than choosing an upper, he accidentally dosed himself with LSD. On March 21st, 1967, the band (minus Ringo Starr) went to the iconic Abbey Road studios to record the backing harmonies of “Getting Better”. McCartney brought the potential song subject to John Lennon, who took the optimistic line and quickly made it darker and more emotionally rounded, offering up “It couldn’t get no worse” as a follow-up to the lyrics “Getting better all the time.” As noted in the biography Many Years From Now, McCartney later referenced that moment and the disparity between their two takes to highlight the perfection of their partnership, noting, “I thought, ‘Oh, brilliant! This is exactly why I love writing with John.” John also added in the dark confessional final verse about beating women-”‘I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved”-later telling Playboy during an interview in 1980 that the line was autobiographical, explaining that he “used to be cruel to my woman, and psychically, any woman. However, within the band, the phrase “It’s getting better” had previously become an inside joke- Jimmie Nichol, a drummer who played a ten-show run with the band in 1964 while Ringo Starr was sick, had earnestly replied “It’s getting better!” to inquiries about how he was adjusting to the fervent Beatlemania at the time, much to the delight of the other members of the group. Initially, McCartney came up with the idea for the song during a jaunt through London’s Regent’s Park with journalist Hunter Davies, with McCartney eventually telling the biographer “It’s getting better” was a reference to the coming spring. The song, while innocently conceived by McCartney on a walk with his sheepdog, Martha, also was the cause behind a favorite Beatles story-the time that John Lennon accidentally dosed himself in the studio, which led to McCartney’s first acid trip with one of his Beatles bandmates. While all the tracks have gained their own life in the fifty years since, the creation of the fourth number on the iconic album, John Lennon– and Paul McCartney-penned tune, “Getting Better”, has become fabled in Beatles lore.Īn extensive piece by Rolling Stone details the rich history behind “Getting Better”. The album, which is still a staple to this day, was immediately a commercial and critical success, known for its innovative production, ability to bridge pop music and high art, and psychedelic sensibilities that came to represent the late 60’s counterculture. Over the years, McCartney has performed “In Spite of All the Danger” live, including the historic song in this year’s Glastonbury headline set (opens in new tab).From the fall of 1966 through to spring of 1967, The Beatles were in the studio recording what would become their eighth studio album, the critically acclaimed Sgt. “It says on the label that it was me and George,” said McCartney, “but I think it was actually written by me, and George played the guitar solo!” Sung by Lennon with the other guitarists providing BV, the song is credited to McCartney and Harrison. In July 1958, just over a year after Lennon and McCartney met for the first time at the church fete, the proto- Beatles were stood in a Liverpool lounge, guitars in hand, recording their first original song together, “In Spite of All the Danger.” Given Harrison’s younger age Lennon initially resisted the idea, though he soon relented after watching him play the 1957 hit “ Raunchy (opens in new tab)” by Bill Justis. Having pondered over it for a while, McCartney eventually joined the Quarrymen and the following year he recommended his friend George Harrison should follow suit. John Lennon, late '50s (Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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