With a Little Help From My Friends

In March 1967, John and Paul needed to write the two final tracks for Sergeant Pepper's. Paul travelled out to John's house in Weybridge. 

Photo by Fleur on Unsplash

The deadline was fast approaching. But according to The Beatles'  official biographer, Hunter Davies, they showed no sign of time pressure. 

For several hours, they mostly flicked through magazines and sang old songs. Occasionally, they would sing out phrases or pick out bits of tunes at the piano.

Subconscious inspiration

Ian Macdonald speculates that there was some method at work. Both writers 'found inspiration in moments where their conscious minds had fallen into abeyance.'  In other words, they often had ideas while apparently doing other things.

They were also under the influence of their new drug of choice: LSD

Lennon said during that period: Doing nothing, I almost leave myself. I'm up there watching myself 

Badfinger Boogie

During a day of apparently doing nothing, McCartney created the melody for 'The Fool on the Hill'. 

Lennon, meanwhile, plugged away at the chords to a new tune with the working title of Badfinger Boogie.

 

In a trance-like state, he began writing the words. As Macdonald puts it, 'These were both communal and personal, an acid lullaby that everyone could join in.

The new title was a tribute to his bandmates. 'With a Little Help From My Friends'. And it would be sung by one of those friends, Ringo Starr.