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Released in 1964

When I Get Home

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Last updated on March 6, 2016

Album This song officially appears on the A Hard Day's Night (Mono) LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1964

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

From Wikipedia:

“When I Get Home” is a John Lennon composition (credited to Lennon–McCartney) recorded by the Beatles on 2 June 1964, during the last session for their LP A Hard Day’s Night. Its first US release was on the Something New LP.

Influenced somewhat by the Shirelles, “When I Get Home” is essentially a rock and roll number, but with its unusual chord progressions (changing from major to minor keys and back) it bucks the genre to some extent. Lennon liked this particular ploy, and used it on many of his songs at the time.

Typical also of this period of the Beatles is the vocal leap into falsetto.

Recording

After completing “When I Get Home” in 11 takes, the Beatles finished recording another Lennon song, “Any Time At All“, which they had started work on earlier that day. They also recorded Paul McCartney’s “Things We Said Today” during the same session.

A mono mix was made on 4 June 1964, although this was replaced when new mono and stereo mixes were made on 22 June. […]

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

  • [a] mono 22 Jun 1964.
    US: Capitol T 2018 Something New 1964.
  • [b] mono 22 Jun 1964.
    UK: Parlophone PMC 1230 Hard Day’s Night 1964.
    CD: EMI CDP 7 46437 2 Hard Day’s Night 1987.
  • [c] stereo 22 Jun 1964.
    UK: Parlophone PCS 3058 Hard Day’s Night 1964.
    US: Capitol ST 2108 Something New 1964.

US mono [a] has the piano mixed louder than UK mono [b], but the latter has a louder percussion crash at “whoa-ah”. And they were mixed one right after the other.

The line “till I walk out that door” is doubletracked in US mono [a] while only “out that door” is in [b] and [c]. As heard on [a], one of the vocals starts “till I” before the other, and the single vocal track used in [b] [c] is the one that starts later. As a result, this variation has been reported elsewhere as an edit instead of a mix difference.

Lyrics

Whoa ha, whoa ha

I got a whole lot of things to tell her

When I get home

Come on, out my way

'Cause I'm a gonna see my baby today

I got a whole lot of things I gotta say

To her

Whoa ha, whoa ha

I got a whole lot of things to tell her

When I get home

Come on, if you please

I got no time for trivialities

I got a girl who's waiting home for me

Tonight

Whoa ha, whoa ha

I got a whole lot of things to tell her

When I get home

When I'm getting home tonight

I'm gonna hold her tight

I'm gonna love her till the cows come home

I bet I'll love her more

Till I walk out that door again

Come on, let me through

I got so many things I gotta do

I got no business being here with you

This way

Whoa ha, whoa ha

I got a whole lot of things to tell her

When I get home, yeah

I got a whole lot of things to tell her

When I get home

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “When I Get Home”

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

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