Don't Let Me Down (The Beatles song)
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| "Don't Let Me Down" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by The Beatles & Billy Preston | ||
| from the album Let It Be | ||
| Released | 11 April 1969 | |
| Recorded | 30 January 1969 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:25 | |
| Label | Apple Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lennon-McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | No Official Credit (single version) George Martin; Produced for disc by Phil Spector (album version) The Beatles & George Martin; Produced for disc by Paul Hicks, Guy Massey & Allan Rouse (Naked version) |
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| Let It Be track listing | ||
| Get Back (A) |
"Don't Let Me Down" (B) |
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- For other uses, see Don't Let Me Down.
"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by The Beatles, recorded in 1969 during the Get Back sessions.
Contents |
[edit] Composition
Written by John Lennon, it is a somewhat anguished love song, which is probably about Yoko Ono.[citation needed] The song is in the key of E and is in 4/4 time during the chorus and bridge but changes to 5/4 during the verses. George Harrison played lead guitar, John Lennon played rhythm guitar and sang lead vocal, Paul McCartney played bass and sang backing vocals, Ringo Starr played drums, and Billy Preston played organ and electric piano. Lennon's vocals work their way into screams, presaging the primal scream stylings of the following year's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album. The Beatles would perform "Don't Let Me Down" live during their rooftop concert of 30 January 1969; this performance is included in the Let It Be film.
When the "Get Back" project was revisited, Phil Spector dropped "Don't Let Me Down" from the Let It Be album. However, it was released as a b-side to the single "Get Back", and was included on the Hey Jude compilation. The song was later released on the soundtrack to the 1988 documentary, Imagine: John Lennon, and in November 2003, the song was remastered and included on the revamped Let It Be... Naked.
[edit] Critical reception
Although not as popular as other Beatles songs, it is often considered one of the band's best. In their best-selling 1975 book The Beatles: An Illustrated Record, Roy Carr and Tony Tyler called it "a superb sobber from misery-expert J. W. O. Lennon MBE. And still one of the most highly underrated Beatle underbellies."
[edit] Cover interpretations
A cover is featured on the 1969 Dillard & Clark album Through the Morning Through the Night. This was a collaboration between Gene Clark and bluesgrass banjo player Doug Dillard, which also featured Chris Hillman of The Byrds and Bernie Leadon, later of The Eagles.
On the European leg of their 1987 "Get Close" tour, The Pretenders included a cover of the song into their live set.
On her 1977 album It Looks Like Snow, Phoebe Snow covered this song - her version was described as an "exquisite interpretation" by All Music Guide.
The song was covered by the band Stereophonics and appears in the I Am Sam soundtrack.
It is performed by The Aggrolites at many live shows, as well as by Taylor Hicks during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2006.
Paul Weller covered the song on his album Fly on the Wall: B-Sides & Rarities 1991-2000.
Maroon 5 played the song at a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina.
Garbage performed the song at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland as a message to the newly-elected MSPs.
Zwan covered the song many times in 2002 and 2003.
Matchbox Twenty covered the song on Last Call with Carson Daly.
[edit] External links
- YouTube: Beatles' performance of "Don't Let Me Down" from the rooftop concert, 30 January 1969. John Lennon flubs a line.
