About This Track
The song was heavily influenced by the music of The Byrds. In a 2004 radio interview with the BBC in London, Roger McGuinn confirmed that Harrison had sent a tape recording of the song to him in Los Angeles before it was released on record. Harrison did this to show McGuinn that the guitar riff he had used in “If I Needed Someone” was based on McGuinn’s own riff in “The Bells of Rhymney.”[1] The song’s introduction and coda are also very similar to those of The Byrds’ song. Appropriately, The Byrds’ own use of electric 12-string guitar was influenced by George Harrison’s use of the instrument in the film A Hard Day’s Night.
The song as recorded by the Beatles is in the key of A mixolydian, switching to B minor during the breaks. The verses are heavily harmonised, with George Harrison taking the lead line on the first two lines, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing above him throughout on each subsequent verse. Harrison sings the break solo, but double tracked in the studio with himself as was customary during the period the Beatles recorded “Rubber Soul”.
“If I Needed Someone” was the only Harrison composition played during any of the Beatles’ tours; The Quiet Beatle otherwise only sang covers onstage. “If I Needed Someone” is included in the Beatles’ Tokyo concerts in July 1966; the documentary The Compleat Beatles used a clip from the Beatles’ haggard performance of the song on stage in Tokyo as illustration of how the band was growing tired of touring. The song was also performed on the Beatles’ very last concert in Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. It is suspected, but not confirmed, that “If I Needed Someone” was performed at every Beatles concert in 1966.
The song as recorded by the Beatles is in the key of A mixolydian, switching to B minor during the breaks. The verses are heavily harmonised, with George Harrison taking the lead line on the first two lines, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing above him throughout on each subsequent verse. Harrison sings the break solo, but double tracked in the studio with himself as was customary during the period the Beatles recorded “Rubber Soul”.
“If I Needed Someone” was the only Harrison composition played during any of the Beatles’ tours; The Quiet Beatle otherwise only sang covers onstage. “If I Needed Someone” is included in the Beatles’ Tokyo concerts in July 1966; the documentary The Compleat Beatles used a clip from the Beatles’ haggard performance of the song on stage in Tokyo as illustration of how the band was growing tired of touring. The song was also performed on the Beatles’ very last concert in Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. It is suspected, but not confirmed, that “If I Needed Someone” was performed at every Beatles concert in 1966.
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Albums featuring this track
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Yesterday... and Today
The Beatles
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Beatles for Sale - Rubber Soul
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Rubber Soul (Mo 84066)
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From Yesterday Forever
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Shouts
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xtwntraphq wrote:
One of my favorite George tunes ! Wish I still had my "Butcher" album. ( somebody stole the damn thing) :(
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obscurecendo wrote:
duet between george and john sounds so beautiful
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Bastard1 wrote:
LOVE that ascending bassline.
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moissonneuse wrote:
eargasm
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tcbp wrote:
"Carve your number on my wall", That line is amazing
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sage80_wanker wrote:
Wow! I know their oeuvre as well as anyone... but never REALLY appreciated how great this song was until today. what an overlooked gem! amazing feel.
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RoomForSymmetry wrote:
New goal in life: find people to harmonize with on this song
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lesliedahlink wrote:
This is my jam.
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Beanoboo wrote:
Sounds like the player's anthem. Great lyrics/great song.
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Lilloneto wrote:
George fuckin' rocks!
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Tarkus10 wrote:
George wrote the best songs imo [6]
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khareen17 wrote:
awwww! love this!
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promisedeyes wrote:
GEORGE FTW
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RafaelDivoz wrote:
George wrote the best songs imo [5]
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freiitag wrote:
I love this song so, so, so, so much.
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Zahltag wrote:
George wrote the best songs imo [4] Awww if you just would know that I think of you while listening to this song...:)
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Sevortrin wrote:
Deze is voor jou Joey, mocht je dit ooit lezen (<3) Dit is mijn beltoon voor jou, 'cause if you needed someone, dan ben ik daar (as always!)
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sodr2 wrote:
that... doesnt make sense
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sodr2 wrote:
I love this song like I love my (hypothetical) girlfriend (emma watson)
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ativke wrote:
Yeah, he totally carried the Beatles. :|
Track Stats
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251,627 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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PriiHard, spam-boo-limbo, thetearsofbarry and 4 other people loved The Beatles – If I Needed Someone. yesterday afternoon
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Art_Ramone added If I Needed Someone to Art_Ramone’s library. Thursday afternoon
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Art_Ramone added If I Needed Someone to the playlist Лучшие песни The Beatles. Thursday afternoon
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spandex_ballet, Thisismie, reebsy and 8 other people loved The Beatles – If I Needed Someone. Thursday afternoon
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PaulyPopEx tagged If I Needed Someone with ‘pop’. Sunday morning
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sly-3, KetchupFashion, Maa_66 and 25 other people loved The Beatles – If I Needed Someone. last week
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penquinharp added If I Needed Someone to penquinharp’s library. last month
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penquinharp tagged If I Needed Someone with ‘the beatles’. last month
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Danny_lbn tagged If I Needed Someone with ‘classic rock’. last month
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