Album This song officially appears on the Revolver (UK Mono) LP.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1966
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1966, when Paul McCartney was 24 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
People normally asked me “What’s my most favourite song of my own?” That’s kind of difficult. I think the one I kind of like the most is “Here, There And Everywhere”. I kind of think it’s got quite a good structure. It goes through and then comes back on itself. And I just thought that’s gonna be quite a nice tune.
Paul McCartney – Interview with Idris Elba, December 2020
From Wikipedia:
“Here, There and Everywhere” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. A love ballad, it was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney includes it among his personal favourites of the songs he has written. In 2000, Mojo ranked it 4th in the magazine’s list of the greatest songs of all time.
Inspiration and background
McCartney began writing “Here, There and Everywhere” at Lennon’s house in Weybridge, in early June, while waiting for Lennon to wake up. McCartney recalled: “I sat out by the pool on one of the sun chairs with my guitar and started strumming in E. And soon [I] had a few chords, and I think by the time he’d woken up, I had pretty much written the song, so we took it indoors and finished it up.”
When discussing his song “Here, There and Everywhere”, McCartney has often cited the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows“, his favourite pop song of all time, as a source of inspiration. In 1990, McCartney told Beach Boys biographer David Leaf that it was “just the introduction that’s influenced [by the Beach Boys]”, referring to the harmonies he and Lennon devised for the opening lines of “Here, There and Everywhere”. McCartney added that, with this style of introduction, they wanted to capture the “old-fashioned” idea of a preamble to the song.
Musical structure
Author Kenneth Womack describes “Here, There and Everywhere” as a romantic ballad “about living in the here and now” and “fully experiencing the conscious moment”. The verse is based on an ascending major chord sequence, while the middle eight (being 4 bars in fact), which modulates to the relative major of the tonic – if it had been minor, creates a telling contrast. The introduction beginning “To lead a better life” opens in the key of G and involves a I–iii–♭III–ii–V7 chord progression. The ♭III (B♭ chord) on “I need my love to be here” (arpeggiated in the melody line) is a dissonant substitute for the more predictable VI (E7) that would normally lead to the ii (Am) chord. Music critic Richie Unterberger considers that this “dramatic opening [lyric]” contains “an almost philosophical undertone of humility, acknowledging that the singer needs his woman not just to be happy, but also to be a better person”.
The verse opens strongly anchored on “Here” in the key of G (with simultaneous I (G chord) and melody G note) and moves equally predictably to a I–ii–iii–IV chord shift (G–Am–Bm–C) through “making each day of the year”. This repeats on “Changing my life with a wave”; but immediately after (in bar 5) the song indeed changes on “of her hand”. It goes down six semitones from the IV (C chord) to a vii (F♯m) [adding a non-G scale C#] then a V-of-vi (B7) chord [adding a non-G scale D♯] which briefly modulates towards a new tonic E minor. McCartney mostly sings a B note (“of her hand”) over both F♯m, where it is the eleventh, and the B7, where it is the tonic. When the sequence is repeated (“nobody can”), McCartney sings both B and C♮ over the F♯m, the C natural producing a tritone.
The harmonic fascination with the bridge segment beginning “I want her everywhere” is that at that point the key centre does go “everywhere”. It shifts via an F7 chord (a ♭VII in the old G key and a V7 in the new B♭ key) to a I–vi–ii (B♭–Gm–Cm) chord progression in B♭ major. It then shifts again via a D7 chord (a III7 in the old B♭ key and a V7 in the new Gm key) to G minor where we go through a i–iv (Gm–Cm chord) progression. Finally the pivot of D7 takes us back to the G major tonic and reinforcing G melody note of “Everywhere”.
Rolling Stone has noted: “The tune’s chord sequence bears Brian Wilson’s influence, ambling through three related keys without ever fully settling into one, and the modulations – particularly the one on the line ‘changing my life with a wave of her hand’ – deftly underscore the lyrics, inspired by McCartney’s girlfriend, actress Jane Asher.”
Recording
The Beatles recorded “Here, There and Everywhere” towards the end of the sessions for their 1966 album Revolver. The band worked on the song at Abbey Road Studios over three session dates – on 14, 16 and 17 June. Before carrying out overdubs, they taped 13 takes before achieving a satisfactory basic track.
The recording is noted for its layered backing vocals, which McCartney, Lennon and George Harrison spent much of the three days attempting to perfect. McCartney mentioned in the 1989 radio series McCartney on McCartney that the vocals were meant to have a Beach Boys sound; he has also said that he was trying to sing it in the style of Marianne Faithfull. McCartney’s lead vocal on the recording is multi-tracked. In his book Revolution in the Head, Ian MacDonald also comments on Harrison’s lead guitar part being given a mandolin-like tone via a Leslie speaker effect, before it adopts a “horn-like timbre” for the song’s ending.
Release and reception
“Here, There and Everywhere” was released in August 1966 as the fifth track on Revolver, sequenced between Harrison’s Indian-styled “Love You To“, and the children’s song “Yellow Submarine“. Writing of its positioning in the running order, music critic Tim Riley says that “Here, There and Everywhere” “domesticates” the “eroticisms” of “Love You To”, and he praises the composition as “the most perfect song” that McCartney had ever written. In his review for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger describes “Here, There and Everywhere” as one of its author’s “outstanding contribution[s]” to the genre of “love ballads”, and a song with “the sound of an instant standard”. Unterberger comments on the recording: “The delicacy of the execution is exquisite, the sensual imagery more explicit, the sense of desire and fulfillment tangible.”
Less impressed, Ian MacDonald admired the “ingenuity of the music”, but concluded that “for all its soft-focus charm, the song’s overall effect is chintzy and rather cloying.” In his chapter on Revolver in the book The Album, James Perone describes “Here, There and Everywhere” as a “mid 1960s love ballad that could find its way into the set list for bands at a senior prom” and a track that to some listeners appears “syrupy and mushy”. Chris Coplan of Consequence of Sound pairs it with “Got to Get You into My Life” as songs that are “seemingly out of place” on Revolver amid the overtly psychedelic and experimental music that typifies the album.
In his authorised biography, Many Years from Now, McCartney names “Here, There and Everywhere” as one of his personal favourites. Beatles producer George Martin also highlighted it among his favourite McCartney songs. Lennon reportedly told McCartney that “Here, There and Everywhere” was “the best tune” on Revolver. In a 1980 interview for Playboy magazine, Lennon described it as “one of my favourite songs of the Beatles”.
In 2000, Mojo placed “Here, There and Everywhere” at number 4 on its list of the greatest songs of all time. In April 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it 25th out of the “100 Greatest Beatles Songs”. Art Garfunkel has cited this as his all-time favourite pop song.
McCartney re-recorded the song for his 1984 soundtrack album Give My Regards to Broad Street and also performed it for MTV in 1991, released on Unplugged (The Official Bootleg).
Cover versions
Unterberger highlights Emmylou Harris among the notable artists who have recorded “Here, There and Everywhere”. Harris’ version became a minor hit in 1976, reaching number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. It reached number 30 in the Official UK music chart. Frank Ocean interpolated its lyrics on his 2016 album Blonde, for which Lennon–McCartney received a writing credit.
Bruce Welch of the Shadows claimed in his autobiography that McCartney offered the tune to Shadows lead guitarist Hank Marvin before the Beatles’ recording. Marvin eventually released an instrumental version of the song on his 2007 album Guitar Man.
Lennon’s son Sean and Elvis Costello both covered the song in 2022 in celebration of McCartney’s 80th birthday.
In popular culture
In the TV series Friends, this song is played on steel drums when Phoebe Buffay walks down the aisle during her wedding. It was the second time a song written by McCartney was used in a wedding sequence in the series, the first being “My Love” when Chandler and Monica married.
Gary Sparrow sings the song at the piano in an episode of Goodnight Sweetheart.
Geoff Emerick, who engineered many of the Beatles’ recordings, used the title of the song for his 2006 memoir Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles. […]
[In reference to a demo made in March 1965 during the filming of Help! in Austria] John and I shared a room and we were taking off our heavy ski boots after a day’s filming, ready to have a shower and get ready for the nice bit, the evening meal and the drinks. We were playing a cassette of our new recordings and my song Here, There And Everywhere was on. And I remember John saying, ‘You know, I probably like that better than any of my songs on the tape.’ Coming from John, that was high praise indeed.
Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997
I sat out by the pool (at Kenwood) on one of the sun chairs with my guitar and started strumming, and soon had a few chords. I think by the time he (John) had woken up, I had, pretty much, written the song, so, we took it indoors and finished it up. It’s very me, it’s one of my favourite songs that I’ve written.
Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles: Off The Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
When I sang it in the studio I remember thinking, I’ll sing it like Marianne Faithfull; something no one would ever know. You get these little things in your mind, you think, I’ll sing it like James Brown might, but of course it’s always you that sings it, but in your head there’s a little James Brown for that session. If you can’t think how to sing the thing, that’s always a good clue: imagine Aretha Franklin to come and sing it, Ray Charles is going to sing it. So that one was a little voice, I used an almost falsetto voice…My Marianne Faithfull impression.
Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997
At the time, Neil Aspinall and I were staying in a hotel in London and we had been up rather late, until about seven o’clock in the morning, and we were really whacked out. And at nine o’clock, there is a bang at the door and jolly ol’ Paul comes in with a smile from ear to ear. ‘Good morning, lads. Thought we’d come and have breakfast with you.’ ‘Oh, sure, Paul,’ we’replied.’ Then he said, ‘I’ve got this song of mine and I’m stuck for a line.’ So, he sits down, plays it for us and sings it, and the line I came up with was ‘Watching her eyes, hoping I’m always there.’ I’m very eye conscious.
Mal Evans – From “The Beatles: Off The Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
“Here, There and Everywhere” was supposed to be a Beach Boys song, but you wouldn’t have known.
Paul McCartney – Interview with Rolling Stone, 1974
It has been said that “Here, There And Everywhere” was influenced by The Beach Boys. Is that accurate?
It’s actually just the introduction that’s influenced…John and I used to be interested in what the old fashioned writers used to call the verse, which we nowadays would call the intro…this whole preamble to a song, and I wanted to have one of those on the front of ‘Here, There and Everywhere.’ John and I were quite into those from the old-fashioned songs that used to have them, and in putting that [sings “To lead a better life”] on the front of ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ we were doing harmonies, and the inspiration for that was the Beach Boys. We had that in our minds during the introduction to ‘Here, There and Everywhere.’
I don’t think anyone, unless I told them, would even notice, but we’d often do that, get something off an artist or artists that you really liked and have them in your mind while you were recording things, to give you the inspiration and give you the direction…nearly always, it ended up sounding more like us than them anyway.
Paul McCartney – From interview with David Leaf, about The Beach Boys’ album “Pet Sounds”, 1990
John and I were particular fans of songs with little Cole Porter-era preambles, and we put them into a few of our own. ‘Girl Of My Dreams’, one of John’s favourite songs from early on, had a long preamble before it got into the song. So ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ was going to have a preamble; in fact, it’s only a short one [‘to lead a better life…’], but it’s nice to have those little bits that don’t happen anywhere else in the song.
When people have asked what my favourite song is I’ve often listed ‘Here, There And Everywhere’. There are some nice chord changes and clever little ideas. It ends on a major chord that you don’t expect, and there’s a real nice key change that George Martin suggested in the middle, to go into the solo. I think that’s why jazz people picked up on it. I like the words, too.
Paul McCartney, from Club Sandwich 55/56, Winter 1990/91
‘Here, There And Everywhere’, you once professed that to be one of your personal favourites – was it a favourite when you were writing it or did it become your favourite because of how it turned out?
Sometimes when you write a thing you think, ‘Oh, this is good’, and it’s not a modesty or an immodesty thing, you just… it’s just the same with anything; when you write a piece you just figure, ‘Oh yeah, I’m on a roll here. This is good; I’m getting the hang of this’. Some pieces are better than others. I was round at John’s house – I’d shown up for a writing session – and he was late getting up, as often happened. So, what would happen was we’d just give him a shout, you know, ‘Paul’s here’, then I would get a cup of coffee or something, and hang out until he got up and showed up. I was sitting by the pool out in Weybridge where he used to live, at a house called Kenwood. I had my guitar for the writing session and I just started playing around and got this idea of, “Here… [sings melody].” Second verse: “There… [sings melody]” “Everywhere…” I sort of got the structure of it, and then he got up, he got his cup of coffee, and we set to actually working on it and completing it. That was a nice one for me, cos I liked the structure of it and the melody and I thought it worked. I suppose what else I liked was I remember being on a skiing holiday… Well, it wasn’t actually, it was when we were doing Help! It was a skiing thing in Austria. I remember John and I sharing a room, and we played that album, what was it, ‘Rubber Soul’ or ‘Revolver’?
Paul McCartney – Interview with Clash Magazine, September 2009
In coming up with lyrics to ‘Here, There and Everywhere’, we were trying to emulate the openings of some of our favourite old songs that had a completely rambling preamble. That’s what lies behind the lines ‘To lead a better life / I need my love to be here’.
What I like most about this song is that we think we’re on a path on the moors and we’re going for a walk, and then suddenly we’ve arrived where we started. It’s not quite that we’ve gone around in a circle. It’s more magical than that. We’ve come to another beginning of the path. You can see back to where you came from, and you’re definitely not there. You’re in a new place, though it’s got the same scenery. I’ve always liked that trick. […]
My favourite line is ‘Changing my life with a wave of her hand’. I look at that line now and wonder where it came from. What was it? Was I thinking of the queen waving from the royal carriage? Or just the power of the little thing. The power of doing hardly anything. She waves her hand and she’s changed my life. It summons up a lot.
So now when I sing it, I look back at it and think, ‘The boy’s not bad.’ In fact, if pushed, I would say that ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ is my own favourite of all my songs.
Paul McCartney – From “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present“, 2021
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
[a] stereo 21 Jun 1966.
UK: Parlophone PCS 7009 Revolver 1966.
US: Capitol ST 2576 Revolver 1966.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46441 2 Revolver 1987.[b] mono 21 June 1966.
UK: Parlophone PMC 7009 Revolver 1966.
US: Capitol T 2576 Revolver 1966.In the last line the lead voice is “You’ll be there, and everywhere”. In mono [b] the backing voice is heard to sing “I’ll be there” instead, not audible in [a] but possibly there very softly. The vocal backing is missing in mono [b] on the last chord.
To lead a better life
I need my love to be here
Here, making each day of the year
Changing my life with a wave of her hand
Nobody can deny that there's something there
There, running my hands through her hair
Both of us thinking how good it can be
Someone is speaking, but she doesn't know he's there
I want her everywhere
And if she's beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her
Everywhere, knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there
I want her everywhere
And if she's beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her
Everywhere, knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching their eyes and hoping I'm always there
I will be there, and everywhere
Here, there and everywhere
LP • Released in 1966
2:25 • Studio version • A • Mono
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Finger clicks, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Finger clicks John Lennon : Backing vocals, Finger clicks George Harrison : Backing vocals, Finger clicks, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jun 14, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Recording: Jun 16, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 1966
2:25 • Studio version • B • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Finger clicks, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Finger clicks John Lennon : Backing vocals, Finger clicks George Harrison : Backing vocals, Finger clicks, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jun 14, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Recording: Jun 16, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Revolver (UK Mono - first pressing)
LP • Released in 1966
2:25 • Studio version • A • Mono
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Finger clicks, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Finger clicks John Lennon : Backing vocals, Finger clicks George Harrison : Backing vocals, Finger clicks, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jun 14, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Recording: Jun 16, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 1966
2:26 • Studio version • A • Mono
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Finger clicks, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Finger clicks John Lennon : Backing vocals, Finger clicks George Harrison : Backing vocals, Finger clicks, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jun 14, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Recording: Jun 16, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 1966
2:26 • Studio version • B • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Bass, Finger clicks, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Finger clicks John Lennon : Backing vocals, Finger clicks George Harrison : Backing vocals, Finger clicks, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jun 14, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Recording: Jun 16, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 21, 1966 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Give My Regards To Broad Street (CD version)
Official album • Released in 1984
1:43 • Studio version • C • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Vocal George Martin : Producer Philip Jones : Trumpet Stuart Breed : Assistant engineer (?) John Kelly : Recording engineer (?) Jeff Bryant : French horn Philip Jones Brass Ensemble : Brass instruments Paul Archibald : Trumpet James Watson : Trumpet Michael Thompson : French horn John Pigneguy : French horn Raymond Premu : Bass trombone
Session Recording: February - March 1983 ? • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
Give My Regards To Broad Street (LP version)
Official album • Released in 1984
1:45 • Studio version • C • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Vocal George Martin : Producer Philip Jones : Trumpet Stuart Breed : Assistant engineer (?) John Kelly : Recording engineer (?) Jeff Bryant : French horn Philip Jones Brass Ensemble : Brass instruments Paul Archibald : Trumpet James Watson : Trumpet Michael Thompson : French horn John Pigneguy : French horn Raymond Premu : Bass trombone
Session Recording: February - March 1983 ? • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)
Official live • Released in 1991
3:16 • Live • L1
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Harmonium Robbie McIntosh : Acoustic guitar Hamish Stuart : Acoustic bass, Vocal harmonies Paul Wickens : Accordion Blair Cunningham : Drums Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Eddie Klein : Assistant engineer Gary Stewart : Assistant engineer Peter Craigie : Assistant engineer Gary Bradshaw : Monitor engineer
Concert From "MTV Unplugged" in Wembley, United Kingdom on Jan 25, 1991
Give My Regards To Broad Street (1993)
Official album • Released in 1993
1:43 • Studio version • C • Stereo • 1993 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Vocal George Martin : Producer Philip Jones : Trumpet Stuart Breed : Assistant engineer (?) John Kelly : Recording engineer (?) Jeff Bryant : French horn Philip Jones Brass Ensemble : Brass instruments Paul Archibald : Trumpet James Watson : Trumpet Michael Thompson : French horn John Pigneguy : French horn Raymond Premu : Bass trombone
Session Recording: February - March 1983 ? • Studio AIR Studios, London, UK
See all official recordings containing “Here, There And Everywhere”
Unofficial live
3:12 • Live
Concert From the concert in Barcelona, Spain on May 08, 1991
Unofficial live
3:06 • Live
Concert From the concert in Copenhagen, Denmark on Jul 24, 1991
Unofficial live
3:00 • Live
Concert From the concert in Toronto, Canada on Jun 06, 1993
Unofficial live
3:01 • Live
Concert From the concert in Westcliff-on-Sea, United Kingdom on Jul 19, 1991
Driving USA Super Tree Volume 13 - Uniondale, NY 21 April 2002
Unofficial live
2:29 • Live
Concert From the concert in Uniondale, USA on Apr 21, 2002
2022 • For The Beatles
2022 • For The Beatles • Directed by Rok Predin
Concert Sep 25, 2008 in Tel Aviv
“Here, There And Everywhere” has been played in 186 concerts and 3 soundchecks.
Sacramento • Golden 1 Center • USA
Oct 05, 2016 • Part of One On One Tour
Sacramento • Golden 1 Center • USA
Oct 04, 2016 • Part of One On One Tour
Cleveland • Quicken Loans Arena • USA
Aug 18, 2016 • Part of One On One Tour
Cleveland • Quicken Loans Arena • USA
Aug 17, 2016 • Part of One On One Tour
Grand Rapids • Van Andel Arena • USA
Aug 15, 2016 • Part of One On One Tour
See all concerts where “Here, There And Everywhere” has been played
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
"Here, There And Everywhere" is one of the songs featured in the book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present," published in 2021. The book explores Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, his time with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. It pairs the lyrics of 154 of his songs with his first-person commentary on the circumstances of their creation, the inspirations behind them, and his current thoughts on them.
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