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Released in 1965

I've Just Seen A Face

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Last updated on April 6, 2025

Album This song officially appears on the Help! (Mono) LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1965

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“I’ve Just Seen a Face” is a song by the Beatles. It appeared on their 1965 United Kingdom album Help! and in the United States on the Capitol Records version of the Rubber Soul album.

Composition

“I’ve Just Seen a Face” was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and features McCartney on vocals. Before its recording, the song was briefly titled “Auntie Gin’s Theme” after his father’s youngest sister, because it was one of her favourites It is one of very few Beatles songs that lacks a bass track.

McCartney has stated, “It was slightly country and western from my point of view… it was faster, though, it was a strange uptempo thing. I was quite pleased with it. The lyric works; it keeps dragging you forward, it keeps pulling you to the next line, there’s an insistent quality to it that I liked.” Its lyrics sound effortless and conversational, but they also contain a complex sequence of cascading rhymes (“I have never known/The like of this/I’ve been alone/And I have missed“) that is responsible for the song’s irresistible propulsion. According to music critic Richie Unterberger of allmusic, “Several songs on 1964’s Beatles for Sale, as well as “I’ll Cry Instead” from A Hard Day’s Night, had leaned in a country and western direction. But ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face’ was almost pure country, taken at such a fast tempo that it might have been bluegrass if not for the absence of banjo and fiddle.” Music critic Ian MacDonald said the up tempo song “lifted the later stages of the Help! album with its quickfire freshness.” Capitol Records chose it as the lead track for the US edition of Rubber Soul with the intent of giving the album a stronger acoustic feel, in step with the then-current folk-rock movement.

Recording

The song was recorded by the Beatles on 14 June 1965 at Abbey Road Studios in London in the same session with “Yesterday” and “I’m Down“.

McCartney live versions

The song has remained a favourite of McCartney’s as indicated by live performances during his solo career. It was one of only five Beatles numbers performed on his Wings Over America Tour in 1976. Post-Beatles live versions appear on the 1976 album Wings over America, on the 1991 album Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) and on the 2005 DVD, Live In Red Square. It was most recently played on his 2013-15‘Out There’ tour. […]

It’s a nice easy song to do, if I can get the words in the right order. There’s a torrent of words to get out. It’s fast but it works at that speed, because it’s sustained!

You did it on the 1975/76 Wings world tour at a time when you were barely touching Beatles songs, and people realised then that perhaps this was a special song for you.

It wasn’t that so much, but if I was going to do Beatles songs, I would do lesser known ones. Now, with so much water under the bridge, I feel comfortable with any of them. The old troubles no longer apply, they’re just songs now, nice songs, that I enjoyed recording, like doing — and people like hearing.

Paul McCartney – From Club Sandwich 58, Summer 1991

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

  • [a] mono 18 Jun 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PMC 1255 Help! 1965.
    US: Capitol T 2442 Rubber Soul 1965.
  • [b] stereo 18 Jun 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PCS 3071 Help! 1965.
    US: Capitol ST 2442 Rubber Soul 1965.
  • [c] stereo 1987.
    CD: EMI CDP 7 46439 2 Help! 1987.

A voice can just be heard in the decay at the end of the song in mono [a] but not in [b] or [c]. The new mix [c] has reverb not found in [a] or [b]. Capitol added an unusual amount of echo to the mono mix [a].

Lyrics

I've just seen a face

I can't forget the time or place

Where we just met

She's just the girl for me

And I want all the world

To see we've met

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm mmm mmm

Had it been another day

I might have looked the other way

And I'd have never been aware

But as it is I'll dream of her tonight

La, di, di, da di di

Falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

I have never known the like of this

I've been alone and I have missed things

And kept out of sight

For other girls were never quite like this

La, di, di, da di di

Falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

Falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

I've just seen a face

I can't forget the time or place

Where we just met

She's just the girl for me

And I want all the world to see we've met

Mmm, mmm, mmm, la di di

Falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

Falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

Oh, falling, yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “I've Just Seen A Face”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “I've Just Seen A Face”

Videos

Album Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)

Concert Aug 19, 2010 in Pittsburgh

Concert Sep 30, 2015 in Los Angeles

Live performances

“I've Just Seen A Face” has been played in 319 concerts and 26 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “I've Just Seen A Face” has been played

See all concerts where “I've Just Seen A Face” has been played

Paul McCartney writing

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