If I Fell

"If I Fell"
Song by the Beatles from the album A Hard Day's Night
Released	10 July 1964
Recorded	27 February 1964, EMI Studos, London
Genre	Pop
Length	2:22
Label	Parlophone
Writer	Lennon–McCartney
Producer	George Martin
A Hard Day's Night track listing
13 tracks Side one "A Hard Day's Night" "I Should Have Known Better" "If I Fell" "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" "And I Love Her" "Tell Me Why" "Can't Buy Me Love" Side two "Any Time at All" "I'll Cry Instead" "Things We Said Today" "When I Get Home" "You Can't Do That" "I'll Be Back"

"If I Fell"
Single by The Beatles
from the album 'Something New'
A-side	"And I Love Her"
Released	20 July 1964
Label	Capitol
The Beatles singles chronology
"A Hard Day's Night" / "I Should Have Known Better (US-1964) "And I Love Her" / "If I Fell" (US-1964) "I'll Cry Instead" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You (US-1964)

"If I Fell" is a song by the Beatles which first appeared in 1964 on the album A Hard Day's Night in the United Kingdom and on the North American album Something New. It was written primarily by John Lennon, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.

Structure

The song is notable for its unusual structure, which includes an unrepeated introductory section sung by Lennon, followed by sequential verse sections, each having a slightly expanded form, but with no obvious chorus or bridge section. The demo version (just John on acoustic guitar) from early 1964, does include the introduction, as well as an alternate ending. The remainder of the song features a two-part harmony, sung by Lennon and McCartney together into a single microphone at their suggestion, with Lennon singing the lower harmony while McCartney sings the higher one. It also features intricate chord changes. The key changes from D flat major to D major between the introduction (a series of descending barre chords) and the main song, which uses mainly open chords, including an unusual D ninth.

Recording and performance

On the stereo mix of the song, McCartney's voice strains and cracks on the second instance of the word "vain". On the mono mix, McCartney's voice does not crack. Also, Lennon's opening vocal is single-tracked in mono but double-tracked in the stereo mix.

Lennon and McCartney shared a single microphone for their Everly Brothers-like close harmonies.

"If I Fell" was a part of the Beatles repertoire during their US and Canadian tour in 1964. The group typically performed the song faster than the studio version, and Lennon and McCartney often sang it with barely suppressed laughter. On more than one occasion it was introduced as "If I Fell Over".

Single releases

• US: It was also the B-side of the US single "And I Love Her" on Capitol 5235.
• Norway: The song was released as a single in Norway, where it hit number one.
• UK: In the UK it was released on 4 December 1964 as A-side (b/w "Tell Me Why") on Parlophone DP 562. The single was intended for export, but some retailers sold it in the UK anyway. It did not chart there and is generally not considered an "official" UK single.^{[citation needed]}

Personnel

• John Lennon – lead vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar
• Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass
• George Harrison – twelve-string lead guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums

Personnel per Ian MacDonald

Cover versions

According to Robert Fontenont of About.com, this was Kurt Cobain's favourite Beatles song, and was played by Nirvana whenever there were technical problems at their concerts.

• Maroon 5 performed an acoustic version of the song on their 1.22.03.Acoustic album.
• Evan Rachel Wood sang the song in the Across the Universe film.
• Reparata and the Delrons covered the song on their 1965 LP Whenever a Teenager Cries.
• Sammy Kershaw performed a cover on the album Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles, which appeared later on his album Covers the Hits.
• Rita Lee performed a version of the song as a bonus track to her Beatles cover album Aqui, Ali, em Qualquer Lugar.
• Adrian Belew performed an acoustic version on his 1993 album The Acoustic Adrian Belew.
• The Rutles' song "With a Girl Like You" is based on this song.
• Peters and Lee performed a cover of this song on their album Favourites.
• Weezer performed this song in a show in 1993 before they were signed to Geffen Records.
• R&B guitarist Jonathan Butler covered the song from his 1994 album "Head to Head."
• Cilla Black performed the song, accompanied by Dudley Moore on a 1966 episode of 'Not Only... But Also'. Moore provides backing vocals, which prompts Black to burst out laughing on a few occasions. The clip was featured on a BBC archive show entitled '...Sings the Beatles", which aired on 15 January 2010.
• The Pozo-Seco Singers in 1966.
• Diane Keaton sings the song in the 1982 film, Shoot the Moon, while crying in the bathtub.
• Reba McEntire recorded this song on her European-only compilation album I'll Be, released in 2000.

References

• Fontenont, Robert (2008). "If I Fell". About.com. Retrieved 14 August 2008. 
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3. 
• Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6. 
• "TOPP 20 SINGLE UKE 49, 1964". VG-lista. 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009. 
• "BBC Four Programmes - ...Sings The Beatles". BBC. 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010. 
• Ingham, Chris (2003). The Rough Guide to the Beatles. Rough Guides. ISBN 1-84353-140-2.