She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
| "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the song's sheet music | |
| Song by the Beatles | |
| from the album Abbey Road | |
| Released | 26 September 1969 |
| Recorded | 25–30 July 1969 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Rock[1] |
| Length | 1:57 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
| Audio sample | |
"She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" | |
"She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the fifth song of the album's climactic B-side medley, immediately following "Polythene Pam".
Origin
McCartney said the song was inspired by Apple scruffs (dedicated fans who hung around outside the Abbey Road studio, the Apple Corps offices, and the individual homes of the Beatles), who broke into McCartney's St John's Wood home. Diane Ashley says:
We were bored, he was out and so we decided to pay him a visit. We found a ladder in his garden and stuck it up at the bathroom window which he'd left slightly open. I was the one who climbed up and got in.
— Diane Ashley
She then opened the front door to let the others in. The scruffs also stole a number of photographs in addition to clothes. Another Apple scruff, Margo Bird, remembers being good friends with McCartney – she would often take his dog for walks – and later got a job at Apple Corps. She says that she was asked to retrieve a photograph of his father Jim, which she did.[2]
Recording
The rhythm track was recorded by the Beatles for this and "Polythene Pam" as one piece on 25 July 1969. After take 39, they added lead vocals, and re-recorded the drums and bass parts. On 28 July they added more vocals, guitar, percussion and piano. The song was completed two days later with additional guitar and percussion.[3] "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" segues abruptly after "Polythene Pam", the song on the preceding track, without pause. At the very beginning of the song, in anticipation of the change of tempo, John Lennon gives out a laugh and then shouts "Oh, look out!"[4]
A slower, ethereal version of this song, recorded in late January 1969 during the Let It Be sessions, appears on the 1996 compilation Anthology 3.[5]
Personnel
According to Walter Everett,[6] except where noted:
- Paul McCartney – lead and harmony vocals, bass guitar
- John Lennon – 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
- uncredited – tambourine, maracas, "whipcrack" percussion[7]
Notable cover versions
- Joe Cocker's cover of this song reached number 30 on the Billboard top 40 in 1970.[8]
Notes
- ^ Richie Unterberger. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window – The Beatles – Listen, Appearances, Song Review – AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ Turner 2005, p. 198.
- ^ The Beatles Bible 2008.
- ^ Riley 2002, p. 330.
- ^ Winn, John C. (2009). That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970. New York: Three Rivers Press. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-307-45239-9.
- ^ Everett, Walter (1999). The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 266–67. ISBN 0-19-512941-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Winn, John C. (2009). That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-307-45239-9.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ SuperSeventies.com 2010.
References
- Brewer, Jon (producer/director) (2006). The Classic Artists Series: The Moody Blues. DVD UK Ltd.
- "Joe Cocker – In His Own Words". SuperSeventies.com. 2010.
- Riley, Tim (2002). Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81120-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window". The Beatles Bible. 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
- Turner, Steve (2005). A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Paperbacks. ISBN 0-06-084409-4.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
External links
