Music

Find a fact for every Beatles song from A to Z released by the band on the 14 albums from their core catalog.

Published on February 26, 2024

The Beatles’ songs from A to Z are a study of how the band changed the course of pop music. The songwriting, melodies, instrumentals, and recording technqiues established the band as among the most influential in music history. But for all their success, The Beatles remained active for a relatively short period of time.

In 10 years, The Beatles released 14 albums in what’s considered their core catalog. It includes just over 200 songs from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Some are much more memorable than others, but every Beatles song from A to Z has its own story and interesting facts to keep listeners entertained even when the music stops.

Beatles songs starting with ‘A’

• “Across the Universe”
• “Act Naturally”
• “All I’ve Got to Do”
• “All My Loving”
  • Paul McCartney conceived “All My Loving” as a country song.
• “All You Need Is Love”
  • The song includes elements from “La Marseillaise” and the 1939 song “In the Mood.”
• “And I Love Her”
  • Lana Del Rey reuses part of the song for her tune “West Coast.”
• “And Your Bird Can Sing”
  • John Lennon called it a “throwaway,” and the Beatles never performed it live.
• “Anna (Go to Him)”
• “Another Girl”
  • The song is allegedly about Paul McCartney’s first love, Jane Asher.
• “Any Time at All”
  • An auction sold John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for £6,000 in 1988.
• “Ask Me Why”
  • Elvis Costello considers the song a turning point in the Beatles’ maturity as songwriters.

Beatles songs starting with ‘B’

• “Baby It’s You”
• “Baby, You’re a Rich Man”
• “Baby’s In Black”
  • Paul and John wrote the song because they wanted something in waltz time.
• “Back in the U.S.S.R.”
• “Bad Boy”
  • It’s a cover of R&B singer Larry Williams’ 1958 original.
• “The Ballad of John and Yoko”
• “Because”
  • George Martin plays harpsichord on the song inspired by Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”
• “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”
• “Birthday”
• “Blackbird”
  • Charles Manson thought “Blackbird” was about an impending race war.
• “Blue Jay Way”
  • The name comes from the Los Angeles street where George Harrison once lived.
• “Boys”
  • The Beatles recorded the cover song in a single take.

Beatles songs starting with ‘C’

• “Can’t Buy Me Love”
• “Carry That Weight”
• “Chains”
  • It’s a cover of the girl group The Cookies’ 1962 original. 
• “Come Together”
• “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill”
• “Cry Baby Cry”
  • George Harrison recorded with a Gibson Les Paul borrowed from Eric Clapton.

Beatles songs starting with ‘D’

• “A Day In the Life”
  • George Martin nixed Paul’s idea to hire a full orchestra for the song and instead recorded a 40-musician ensemble four times.
• “Day Tripper”
  • Some interpretations suggest the song is a dig at Paul for being the only Beatle abstaining from LSD at the time.
• “Dear Prudence”
• “Devil in Her Heart”
  • It’s a cover of “Devil in His Heart” by the girl group the Donays.
• “Dig a Pony”
• “Dig It”
  • A 6-year-old Heather Eastman provided vocals on the full version.
• “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”
  • It’s a cover of the 1958 song by Larry Williams.
• “Do You Want to Know a Secret”
• “Doctor Robert”
  • Multiple interpretations suggest the song is about Dr. Robert Freymann, who supplied amphetamines to his wealthy patients including Jackie Kennedy.
• “Don’t Bother Me”
  • The song was George’s experiment to see if he could write a Beatles song.
• “Don’t Let Me Down”
  • Paul called it John’s “cry for help” while in a relationship with Yoko Ono and using heroin.
• Don’t Pass Me By”
  • It’s the first solo songwriting credit for Ringo Starr.
• “Drive My Car”
  • George drew inspiration from the Otis Redding song “Respect” for his guitar part.

Beatles songs starting with ‘E’

• “Eight Days a Week”
• “Eleanor Rigby”
• “The End”
• “Every Little Thing”
  • Ringo uses timpani on the track, an early example of the Beatles’ songs experimenting with instruments.
• “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”
  • John claimed the song was about hiding his true self in public.
• “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”
  • It’s a cover of a song dating to the 1930s made famous by Carl Perkins in 1957.

Beatles songs starting with ‘F’

• “Fixing a Hole”
• “Flying”
  • The instrumental song is one of the few Beatles songs credited to all four members.
• “The Fool on the Hill”
• “For No One”
  • It’s Elvis Costello’s favorite composition from Paul McCartney.
• “For You Blue”
• “From Me to You”

Beatles songs starting with ‘G’

• “Get Back”
• “Getting Better”
  • Lennon accidentally took LSD during a recording session for the song, leading George Martin to take John to the roof for fresh air and alarming Paul and George.
• “Girl”
  • John said the song contains lyrics criticizing Christianity’s teachings on suffering as the path to heaven.
• “Glass Onion”
• “Golden Slumbers”
  • Paul based the song on the poem “Cradle Song” from a 17th-century play by Thomas Dekker.
• “Good Day Sunshine”
  • McCartney played the song live to the International Space Station crew in 2005, making it the first-ever concert link up to the ISS.
• “Good Morning Good Morning”
  • The lyrics reference the 1960s British sitcom Meet the Wife.
• “Good Night”
  • Lennon wrote it as a lullaby for his 5-year-old son Julian.
• “Got to Get You Into My Life”

Beatles songs starting with ‘H’

• “Happiness Is a Warm Gun”
• “A Hard Day’s Night”
• “Hello, Goodbye”
• “Help!”
• “Helter Skelter”
  • Paul based the song on verses in the Mock Turtle’s song from Alice in Wonderland.
• “Her Majesty”
  • At 23 seconds long, it’s the shortest Beatles song.
• “Here Comes the Sun”
• “Here, There and Everywhere”
  • In a 2015 book, Paul said it was his favorite song he’d done.
• “Hey Bulldog”
• “Hey Jude”
• “Hold Me Tight”
  • Paul called it a failed attempt at a single, while John said it was a poor song.
• “Honey Don’t”
  • It’s a cover of a 1956 song by Carl Perkins.
• “Honey Pie”

Beatles songs starting with ‘I’

• “I Am the Walrus”
  • John Lennon accidentally wrote it about the villain from an Alice in Wonderland poem.
• “I Call Your Name”
• “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”
• “I Feel Fine”
  • The song is among the first in pop music to use feedback as a recording effect.
• “I Me Mine”
  • It was the last Beatles song recorded by the band before their 1970 breakup.
• “I Need You”
  • It’s the first use of a guitar volume pedal by the Beatles.
• “I Saw Her Standing There”
• “I Should Have Known Better”
  • A harmonica is used in the intro for the last time in the Beatles catalog. 
• “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
  • Bob Dylan named it his favorite Beatles song.

• “I Want to Tell You”
• “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
  • There are only 15 words in the song.
• “I Will”
  • Paul ranks it among his favorite melodies.
• “If I Fell”
• “If I Needed Someone”
  • George Harrison bashed a cover version released by the Hollies despite the song’s success on the charts.
• “I’ll Be Back”
  • The song’s odd structure includes two bridges and lacks a chorus.
• “I’ll Cry Instead”
  • John said the lyrics reflected his frustration with fame by 1964.
• “I’ll Follow the Sun”
• “I’ll Get You”
• “I’m a Loser”
  • John said the song reflects his “[Bob] Dylan period.”
• “I’m Down”
  • It’s the first Beatles song to use a Vox Continental electric organ.
• “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You”
• “I’m Looking Through You”
  • Paul wrote the song about then-girlfriend Jane Asher and how she put her career ahead of their relationship.
• “I’m Only Sleeping”
  • George Harrison recorded a backward lead guitar part for the song.
• “I’m So Tired”
  • The mumbling heard at the end of the song flammed the “Paul is dead” conspiracy theory.
• “I’ve Got a Feeling”
  • In 2022, McCartney played the song live as a virtual duet with Lennon using isolated vocals from the Get Back documentary.
• “I’ve Just Seen a Face”
  • The original title was “Auntie Gin’s Theme,” after Paul’s aunt.
• “In My Life”
  • George Martin wrote and recorded the piano solo.
• “The Inner Light”
  • George Harrison took inspiration from a book given to him by a Sanskrit professor at Cambridge University.
• “It Won’t Be Long”
  • John called it an attempt to write a single that “never quite made it.”
• “It’s All Too Much”
  • George Harrison wrote the song as an ode to his LSD usage.
• “It’s Only Love”

Beatles songs starting with ‘J’

• “Julia”
  • Scottish musician Donovan helped John come up with Alice in Wonderland-inspired lyrics.

Beatles songs starting with ‘K’

• “Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey”
  • It’s a cover of a 1955 song by Little Richard, itself a cover of a Little Willie Littlefield song released in 1952.

Beatles songs starting with ‘L’

• “Lady Madonna”
• “Let It Be”
  • Aretha Franklin’s version was released first after the song came to her through producer Jerry Wexler.
• “Little Child”
  • Paul revealed it was a filler song with the melody borrowed from singer Elton Hayes.
• “The Long and Winding Road”
• “Long Tall Sally”
  • It’s a cover of a Little Richard song originally released in 1956.
• “Long, Long, Long”
• “Love Me Do”
  • Three versions of the song have been released, each with a different drummer: Pete Best, Ringo Starr, and Andy White.
• “Love You To”
  • The traditional Indian instruments sitar and tabla feature prominently in the song.
• “Lovely Rita”
• “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”
  • John loved Elton John’s cover and encouraged more artists to cover Beatles songs.

Beatles songs starting with ‘M’

• “Maggie Mae”
  • The cover is the second-shortest song among the official releases from the Beatles, coming in at 39 seconds.
• “Magical Mystery Tour”
• “Martha My Dear”
• “Matchbox”
  • It’s a cover of a 1957 song by Carl Perkins.
• “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”
• “Mean Mr. Mustard”
  • The title character was a real person John read about in the newspaper.
• “Michelle”
• “Misery”
  • Kenny Lynch’s 1963 version became the first cover of a Beatles song.
• “Money (That’s What I Want)”
  • It’s a cover of a 1959 song by Barrett Strong.
• “Mother Nature’s Son”
• “Mr. Moonlight”
  • It’s a cover of a 1962 song by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns.

Beatles songs starting with ‘N’

• “The Night Before”
  • It’s the first Beatles song to use an electric piano.
• “No Reply”
• “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
  • Bob Dylan satirized the song in one of his own after feeling like the Beatles ripped off his style.
• “Not a Second Time”
• “Nowhere Man”

Beatles songs starting with ‘O’

• “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
• “Octopus’s Garden”
  • Ringo tried but failed to get real bubble noises on the track.
• “Oh! Darling”
  • John didn’t think Paul sang too well on the track and suggested he would have done a better job.
• “Old Brown Shoe”
  • George originally composed the song on piano, not guitar.
• “One After 909”
• “Only a Northern Song”
  • The song reflects George’s frustration with the Beatles’ publishing company Northern Songs for how it retained copyrights on his compositions.

Beatles songs starting with ‘P’

• “Paperback Writer”
  • Paul’s aunt challenged him to write about something other than love, leading him to come up with “Paperback Writer.”
• “Penny Lane”
• “Piggies
• “Please Mr. Postman”
  • It’s a cover of a 1961 song by the Marvelettes.
• “Please Please Me”
  • John called it his attempt to write a Roy Orbison song.
• “Polythene Pam”
• “P.S. I Love You”
  • Paul denied that it was about then-girlfriend Dot Rhone.

Beatles songs starting with ‘R’

• “Rain”
• “Revolution”
  • After initially saying the Chairman Mao lyric was the most important in the song, John regretted it.
• “Revolution 1”
• “Revolution 9”
  • It’s the longest Beatles song among the band’s official releases at 8:22 long.
• “Rock and Roll Music”
  • It’s a cover of a 1957 song by Chuck Berry.
• “Rocky Raccoon”
• “Roll Over Beethoven”
  • It’s a cover of a 1956 Chuck Berry song.
• “Run for Your Life”

Beatles songs starting with ‘S’

• “Savoy Truffle”
• “Sexy Sadie”
  • George came up with the title for the diss track, which John wrote in response to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s advances on Mia Farrow.
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
  • The Beatles never played the song live, but Paul, George, and Ringo, and Eric Clapton performed it at Clapton’s wedding party.
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)”
  • Beatles’ road manager Neil Aspinall came up with the idea to include a reprise.
• “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window”
• “She Loves You”
• “She Said She Said”
• “She’s a Woman”
  • It’s the first Beatles song to contain a drug reference.
• “She’s Leaving Home”
• “Slow Down”
  • It’s a cover of a 1957 song by Larry Williams.
• “Something”
• “Strawberry Fields Forever”
• “Sun King”
  • The song includes Liverpool slang terms for profanities.

Beatles songs starting with ‘T’

• “A Taste of Honey”
  • It’s a cover of a song recorded by Lenny Welch.
• “Taxman”
• “Tell Me What You See”
  • Paul dismissed it as a filler track that wasn’t especially good.
• “Tell Me Why”
• “Thank You Girl”
  • The song is an ode to the band’s female fans.
• “There’s a Place”
• “Things We Said Today”
  • Paul wrote the song while on vacation in the Virgin Islands with girlfriend Jane Asher, Ringo, and Ringo’s girlfriend Maureen Cox.
• “Think For Yourself”
  • It’s the first song where a bass guitar had been recorded using a fuzzbox.
• “This Boy”
• “Ticket to Ride”
• “Till There Was You”
  • It’s a cover of a show tune written by Meredith Willson.
• “Tomorrow Never Knows”
  • John admitted he didn’t know what he was saying when he wrote the lyrics.
• “Twist and Shout”
  • It’s a cover of a song made popular by the Isley Brothers in 1962.
• “Two of Us”

Beatles songs starting with ‘W’

• “Wait”
  • The song was originally intended for Help!, but didn’t make the cut.
• “We Can Work It Out”
• “What Goes On”
• “What You’re Doing”
  • The Beatles never performed it live, and Paul called it a “filler” song.
• “When I Get Home”
  • The song features unusual chord progressions favored by Lennon in the mid-1960s.
• “When I’m Sixty-Four”
• “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
  • George asked Eric Clapton to do the guitar solo in an effort to get John and Paul to take the song seriously.
• “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”
• “Wild Honey Pie”
• “With a Little Help From My Friends”
  • Ringo made the band rewrite a line to avoid potentially having tomatoes thrown at him.
• “Within You Without You”
  • The placement of the song’s lyrics “Without You” on the back cover next to McCartney’s head added to the “Paul Is Dead” conspiracy.
• “The Word”
  • It’s the first Beatles song written about the concept of love.
• “Words of Love”
  • It’s a cover of a Buddy Holly song released in 1957.

Beatles songs starting with ‘Y’

• “Yellow Submarine”
• “Yer Blues”
• “Yesterday”
• “You Can’t Do That”
  • George used a Rickenbacker 360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar that cost a hefty $900 at the time, marking the instrument’s first-ever recording.
• “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”
• “You Like Me Too Much”
  • Paul McCartney, George Martin, and John Lennon all play piano on the track.
• “You Never Give Me Your Money”
• “You Really Got a Hold on Me”
  • It’s a cover of a 1962 song by Smokey Robinson.
• “You Won’t See Me”
  • Anne Murray’s cover became one of the biggest hits of her career.
• “Your Mother Should Know”
• “You’re Going to Lose That Girl”
  • George’s original guitar solo was erased from the initial recording.
• “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”

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