I'm Looking Through You

From Wikipedia:

“I’m Looking Through You” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney wrote the song about English actress Jane Asher, his girlfriend for much of the 1960s, and her refusal to give up her stage career and focus on his needs. The line “You don’t look different, but you have changed” reflects his dissatisfaction with their relationship. The lyrics also refer to his changing emotional state: “Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight”.

Composition

“I’m Looking Through You” is in the key of A♭ major. The song primarily features McCartney’s lead vocals, which is double tracked throughout, with Lennon’s harmony vocals being tracked in the third phrase of each verse. The outro switches over to single-tracking, which Alan W. Pollack opines creates a “surprising last minute sense of increased intimacy and immediacy”. The primary instruments featured on the songs are the acoustic guitar, electric bass, and tambourines, along with hand claps.

Recording

During October and November 1965, the Beatles recorded three versions of “I’m Looking Through You”. Take 1 was recorded on 24 October and was slower than the version released on Rubber Soul, having a tempo of 132 beats per minute. It had a significantly different rhythm and lacked the “Why, tell me why …” middle eight of the final version. Take 1 was eventually released in 1996 on the Anthology 2 compilation. Take 1 also featured an electric twelve-bar blues jam, and a pitch centre in the key of G.

The Beatles recorded the first remake of the track on 6 November, towards the end of the Rubber Soul sessions, but were again dissatisfied with the result. Take 4, the final version, was recorded on 10 November with overdubs on 11 November. This version is in the key of A♭ and features a bridge passage based on a descending major scale, extending a ninth from 6 down to 5. The same melodic structure was later used by McCartney in the verse of “Penny Lane“, the chorus of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer“, and in instrumental sections of “Hello, Goodbye” and “Lady Madonna“.

The final released version features several faintly audible abnormalities such as incomplete hand clapping, stray guitar notes and tambourine hits; whether these mistakes went unnoticed during post-production or were intentionally left in remains uncertain. The North American stereo version of the song contains two false guitar starts, which were cut from the other mixes. Allegedly, the engineers at Capitol Records thought the false start was intentional, and left it in.

The album sleeve and other sources indicate that Ringo Starr played Hammond organ on this track. Starr plays quick two-note vamps in the choruses. Mark Lewisohn reported that Hammond organ was not listed on the session tape box.

Critical reception

In his contemporary review of Rubber Soul for the NME, Allen Evans said that “I’m Looking Through You” sounded “like earlier Beatles numbers”, adding: “A quiet, rocking song about a girl who has changed after letting her boy down. Ringo on organ!” Record Mirror‘s reviewer recognised Starr’s unfamiliar role as an example of the album’s “spirit of everybody having a go at everything”. The writer admired the song’s rhythm, McCartney’s singing, and George Harrison’s “top-notch guitar-work”. Nikki Wine of KRLA Beat described the track as a “really swingin’ cut” and “Wonderful fun”, with an “almost-bluesy sound”.

Thomas Ward of AllMusic calls “I’m Looking Through You” one of the “finest” songs on Rubber Soul and one of the “minor gems of the Beatles canon”. He highlights McCartney’s lyrics, describing them as one of the most “mature” of the period, and praises his lead vocal. […]

I wrote quite a lot of stuff up in that room actually [in Jane Asher’s family home]. I’m Looking Through You I seem to remember after an argument with Jane. There were a few of those moments. […]

As is one’s wont in relationships, you will from time to time argue or not see eye to eye on things, and a couple of the songs around this period were that kind of thing. This one I remember particularly as me being disillusioned over her commitment. She went down to the Bristol Old Vic quite a lot around this time. Suffice to say that this one was probably related to that romantic episode and I was seeing through her façade. And realising that it wasn’t quite all that it seemed. I would write it out in a song and then I’ve got rid of the emotion. I don’t hold grudges so that gets rid of that little bit of emotional baggage. I remember specifically this one being about that, getting rid of some emotional baggage. ‘I’m looking through you, and you’re not there!’

Paul McCartney – From “Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now” by Barry Miles, 1997

‘Another problem,’ says Paul, ‘was that my whole existence for so long centred round a bachelor life. I didn’t treat women as most people do. I’ve always had a lot around, even when I’ve had a steady girl. My life generally has always been very lax, and not normal. I knew it was selfish. It caused a few rows. Jane left me once and went off to Bristol to act. I said OK then, leave, I’ll find someone else. It was shattering to be without her.’

This was when he wrote ‘I’m Looking Through You’. Jane has inspired several of his more beautiful songs, such as ‘And I Love Her’.

From “The Beatles: The Authorised Biography” by Hunter Davies, 1968

I had a question about a percussion sound on Rubber Soul and thought this was a good opportunity to ask Ringo. “What’s that tapping sound on “I’m Looking Through You”? I asked. He said, “Oh, I just tapped on a pack of matches with my finder.” That’s great! Fantastic! I’m really happy to know that bit of inside information!

Barry Tashian – Leader of the Remains, one of the opening acts of the Beatles for the 1966 US Tour – From “Ticket To ride – The Extraordinary Diary of The Beatles’ Last Tour” by Barry Tashian

Lyrics

Variations

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Videos

Live performances

“I'm Looking Through You” has been played in 36 concerts and 13 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “I'm Looking Through You” has been played

Going further

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Looking_Through_You