The Beatles » Tracks » Ticket to Ride

The Beatles – Ticket to Ride (3:10)

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About This Track

“Ticket to Ride” is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album, Help!. It was recorded 15 February 1965 at Abbey Road Studios and released two months later. In 2004, this song was ranked number 384 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

The song was written primarily by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney), with Paul McCartney’s contributions in dispute. Lennon said that McCartney’s contribution was limited to “the way Ringo played the drums”. McCartney said that was an incomplete response, and that “we sat down and wrote it together. … give him 60 percent of it… we sat down together and worked on that for a full three-hour songwriting session.” Lennon said the double-time ending section (with the lyric “My baby don’t care”) was one of his “favourite bits” in the song. This song was also the first song by the band in which McCartney was featured on lead guitar.

Lennon proudly claimed that it was the first heavy metal song given the droning bassline, repeating drums, and loaded guitar lines.

While the song lyrics describe a girl “riding out of the life of the narrator”, the inspiration of the title phrase is unclear. McCartney said it was “a British Railways ticket to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight”, and Lennon said it described cards indicating a clean bill of health carried by Hamburg prostitutes in the 1960s. The Beatles played in Hamburg early in their musical career, and “ride/riding” was slang for having sex.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Help!
    The Beatles Play
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  • Early Contemporary Album (disc 1)
    The Beatles Play
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  • Anthology 2
    The Beatles Play
    Buy
  • Anthology 2 (disc 1)
    The Beatles Play
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See all 26 albums

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  • ByTheDroves

    My favorite Beatles song.

    18 days ago

  • Roy1968Wood

    First heard this song on AFRTS on Okinawa in 1965 about 2 days before deploying to Vietnam. It stayed in my head for 2 years before I heard it again. Great song!

    22 days ago

  • arthurpym

    Bong bong. Bong bong.

    last month

  • alexia_N

    Love this song ♥♥

    last month

  • ArcadeFirez

    "What is John thinking calling this heavy metal? Pop song all the way." It was heavy for it's time.

    last month

  • xtwntraphq

    Always loved the Bass Drum on this.

    last month

  • jongudni7

    @oldiesfanjohn you mean Paul is playing the lead guitar an @Colton56 you have to remember this is 1965

    March 2012

  • OasiStyle

    This was my break up song once. I had the ticket. And I didn't care :) Fantastic song. [2]

    February 2012

  • paulo_morrison

    great fab four

    January 2012

  • violatress

    This was my break up song once. I had the ticket. And I didn't care :) Fantastic song.

    January 2012

  • ShinMinBin

    Uh, we'd like to carry on now. Lol.

    December 2011

  • oldiesfanjohn

    PAUL DOIN` THE GUITAR SOLO

    December 2011

  • BlueOclock

    Oh what a song, and the group is pretty good too! Hahahaha, well.....the group is actually the best ever, and happens to be my favorite....OF ALL TIMES (How did Ali get in here)! I'm glad they are playing Beatles songs on last.fm now.

    December 2011

  • kurtnirvanakris

    one of my top favorites

    December 2011

  • yukkieparu

    ♥

    December 2011

  • AlCapwnUK

    droooone

    November 2011

  • Bastard1

    Listen to the notes he's not playing. Your ears can deceive you; don't trust them.

    November 2011

  • Colton56

    What is John thinking calling this heavy metal? Pop song all the way.

    October 2011

  • glassjimmy

    Oh those fills! Damn Ringo is sweet!

    October 2011

  • materialgirl-

    my baby dont care! <3

    September 2011
See all 193 shouts

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