I Don't Want to Spoil the Party

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
Song by The Beatles from the album Beatles for Sale
Released	4 December 1964
Recorded	29 September 1964 EMI Studios, London
Genre	Beat, country rock
Length	2:33
Label	Parlophone PMC 1240 (mono) PCS 3062 (stereo)
Writer	Lennon–McCartney
Producer	George Martin
Beatles for Sale track listing
14 tracks Side one "No Reply" "I'm a Loser" "Baby's in Black" "Rock and Roll Music" "I'll Follow the Sun" "Mr. Moonlight" "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" Side two "Eight Days a Week" "Words of Love" "Honey Don't" "Every Little Thing" "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" "What You're Doing" "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
single cover
Single by The Beatles
A-side	"Eight Days a Week"
Released	15 February 1965 (US only)
Label	Capitol 5371 (US)
The Beatles singles chronology
"I Feel Fine" (1964) "Eight Days a Week" / "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" (US-1965) "Ticket to Ride" (1965)

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by The Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on the album Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom in 1964. In the United States, Capitol released the song on the Beatles VI album and also as the B-side of the single "Eight Days a Week" in 1965. The single peaked at number one in the US; it was not released in the UK. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" charted as a B-side, reaching number thirty-nine on Billboard.

In the UK, "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale (No. 2) EP.

Lyrics

The lyrics revisit Lennon's familiar themes of alienation and inner pain. In this song, he is at a party, waiting for his girl to show up. When it becomes clear that she has stood him up, he decides to go, rather than spoil the party for everyone else. Both the lyrics and melody share a melancholy sound and theme with previous songs on Beatles for Sale, such as "No Reply" and "I'm a Loser".

Recording

The Beatles recorded the song on 29 September 1964 in 19 takes, the last of which was released.

Personnel

• John Lennon – vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar
• Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass
• George Harrison – vocal, lead guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine

Personnel per Ian MacDonald

Chart positions

Chart (1964)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	39

Rosanne Cash version

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
Single by Rosanne Cash
from the album Hits 1979-1989
Released	1989
Genre	Country
Label	Columbia
Producer	Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash singles chronology
"Runaway Train" (1988) "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" (1989) "Black and White" (1989)

Rosanne Cash covered the song for her Hits 1979-1989 compilation. Her version went to number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 1989. It is also Cash's last number one hit to date.

Chart positions

Chart (1989)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Preceded by "Love Out Loud" by Earl Thomas Conley	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single June 24, 1989	Succeeded by "Come from the Heart" by Kathy Mattea
Preceded by "A Better Man" by Clint Black	RPM Country Tracks number-one single June 26, 1989	Succeeded by "Hole in My Pocket" by Ricky Van Shelton

References

• "Hits 1979-1989 > Charts and Awards". Allmusic. 2009. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r91958/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 18 November 2009. 
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1. 
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3. 
• Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6. 
• Ruhlmann, William (2009). "Review of "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"". Allmusic. 
• Wallgren, Mark (1982). The Beatles on Record. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-45682-2.