What Goes On

Song facts

From Wikipedia:

“What Goes On” is a song by the Beatles, featured as the eighth track on their sixth British album Rubber Soul. The song was later released as the B-side of the US single “Nowhere Man“, and then as the tenth track on the North America-only album Yesterday and Today. It is the only song by the band credited to Lennon–McCartney-Starkey.

Composition

The original version of the song was written by John Lennon in the Quarrymen days and considered as a follow-up to “Please Please Me” in early 1963. The song was not used until 1965 as Ringo Starr’s vocal piece for Rubber Soul. According to Lennon, “it was resurrected with a middle eight thrown in, probably with Paul’s help” for Rubber Soul. Barry Miles also claimed that McCartney and Starr combined for the middle eight. There is no formal middle eight in the song, though one chorus and one verse are extended; Ian MacDonald believes those longer sections were written by McCartney. Starr contributed to the lyrics, his first-ever composing credit on a Beatles song. However, when asked what his contribution was to the song, Starr jokingly stated, “About five words, and I haven’t done a thing since.” To his chagrin, the first pressing of the single accidentally omitted “Starkey” in the song-writing credit.

Recording

An early version was considered as a follow-up to “Please Please Me“, and the Beatles hoped to record it on 5 March 1963, but there was only time for the other songs recorded that night: “From Me to You“, “Thank You Girl“, and an early version of “One After 909“.

The Rubber Soul version was recorded in one take, with overdubs, on 4 November 1965. In the verse before the lead break after Starr sings “tell me why,” Lennon can be heard saying “We already told you why!” in reference to the Beatles’ “Tell Me Why” from the previous year. During this session the Beatles recorded a long (6:36) instrumental tune called “12-Bar Original” for lack of a better name. “12-Bar Original” was not included on Rubber Soul, and was not commercially available until 1996 when an edited version of take 2 of this song was included on the Anthology 2 album.

Reception and reviews

Richie Unterberger, in AllMusic, says the song is an enjoyable, but lightweight, country & western-flavoured entry in The Beatles catalogue. Unterberger praises George Harrison’s guitar work, which “again marks him as the finest disciple of Carl Perkins,” and the guitar work is indeed similar to “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby“, a Perkins cover version released on Beatles for Sale.

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

• [a] mono 9 Nov 1965
  UK: Parlophone PMC 1267 Rubber Soul 1965.
  US: Capitol 5587 single 1966, Capitol T 2553 Yesterday & Today 1966.
• [b] stereo 9 Nov 1965
  UK: Parlophone PCS 3075 Rubber Soul 1965.
  US: Capitol ST 2553 Yesterday & Today 1966.
• [c] stereo 1987
  CD: EMI CDP 7 46440 2 Rubber Soul 1987.

In the closing guitar work, [b] [c] have a short probable overdub that improves the ending as heard in [a]. Ringo’s off-mike singing during the break and at the ending is easier to hear in the stereo mixes.

[…] Paul’s greatest hobby at the moment is tape recording. He has a room which is stacked with recording equipment. It’s loaded with special devices and Paul spends hours twiddling complicated sets of controls, a great big pair of headphones strapped about his ears. He’s become an expert at recording and double-tracking — he’ll start with a basic sound on one tape, re-record something over it and then repeat the process umpteen times using two tape decks. He specialises in curious space noises and electronic music. Once he set up a line of tumblers, each with a different amount of water in, and recorded the sound made by running his fingers around the rim of each one.

Often Paul’s interest in this sort of thing can be useful professionally to the group. When Paul wanted to show Ringo how “What Goes On” sounded like he made up a multi-track tape. Onto this went Paul singing, Paul playing lead guitar, Paul playing bass and Paul playing drums. Then Ringo listened to the finished tape and added his own ideas before the recording session. In fact “What Goes On” was not a new number when it was recorded for the “Rubber Soul” LP. John and Paul wrote it years ago in Liverpool. Then Ringo added things, including some new lyrics, when he’d heard Paul’s special tape. […]

From The Beatles Monthly Book – April 1966

Last updated on October 26, 2022

Lyrics