- Album This song officially appears on the Magical Mystery Tour (EP - Stereo) EP.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "Your Mother Should Know"
Aug 22, 1967
Recording "Your Mother Should Know"
Aug 23, 1967
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Your Mother Should Know” is a song by the Beatles from their 1967 record Magical Mystery Tour, released in the US as an LP on 27 November 1967 and in the UK as a double-EP on 8 December 1967. It was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) based on a line from the screenplay for A Taste of Honey.
In the Magical Mystery Tour film
McCartney said he wrote it as a production number for the movie Magical Mystery Tour, supporting an old-fashioned dance segment that starts with the Beatles coming down a grand staircase in white tuxedoes. After they descend, Boy Scouts, RAF cadets and other groups march through. John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are wearing red carnations, while McCartney’s is black. The carnation difference contributed to the “Paul is dead” urban legend. […]
Recording
The song was recorded in four sessions on 22 and 23 August, and on 16 and 29 September 1967. The remake from 16 September was left unused, and overdubs layered on the best take from 22 August. 22 and 23 August sessions took place overnight at Chappell Recording Studios because EMI Studios was unavailable, but all the remaining sessions were at Abbey Road. Mixing took place on 29 & 30 September, and 7 November 1967. It was during the latter Chappell Studio session that the group’s manager Brian Epstein made his last visit to a Beatles recording session before his death on 27 August 1967.
Live performances
Paul McCartney performed the song live for the first time by any Beatle on 4 May 2013 at the Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil and during the Spring and Summer parts of his 2013 Out There! Tour, up to and including the show on 14 August 2013 at Mosaic Stadium, Regina, Canada, and dropped it from the set list afterwards.
Paul McCartney in "Many Years From Now", by Barry Miles:
I wrote it in Cavendish Avenue on the harmonium I have in the dining room there. My Aunty Jin and Uncle Harry and a couple of relatives were staying and they were in the living room just across the hall, so I just went to the dining room and spent a few hours with the door open with them listening. And I suppose because of the family atmosphere Your Mother Should Know came in. It’s a very music-hall kind of thing, probably influenced by the fact that my Aunty Jin was in the house.
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
- [a] mono 2 Oct 1967.
UK: Parlophone MMT 1 (EP) Magical Mystery Tour 1967.
US: Capitol MAL 2835 Magical Mystery Tour 1967.
CD: EMI EP box set 1991.- [b] stereo 6 Nov 1967.
UK: Parlophone SMMT 1 (EP) Magical Mystery Tour 1967.
US: Capitol SMAL 2835 Magical Mystery Tour 1967.
CD: EMI CDP 7 48062 2 Magical Mystery Tour 1987, EMI EP box set 1991.Mono [a] has “phasing” in the last verse, not in stereo [b]. The right and left channels of stereo in [b] switch twice as a special effect; the 1988 stereo mix made for the Magical Mystery Tour home video does not do so.
Last updated on December 1, 2016
The book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present", published in 2021, covers Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, the Beatles, Wings, and solo careers, by pairing the lyrics of 154 of his songs with first-person commentaries of the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.
"Your Mother Should Know" is one of the 154 songs covered.
Lyrics
Let's all get up and dance to a song
That was a hit before your mother was born
Though she was born a long, long time ago
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Sing it again
Let's all get up and dance to a song
That was a hit before your mother was born
Though she was born a long, long time ago
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Lift up your hearts and sing me a song
That was a hit before your mother was born
Though she was born a long, long time ago
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Sing it again
Da da da da da da da da da da da
Da da da da da da da da
Though she was born a long, long time ago
Your mother should know
Your mother should know
Officially appears on
Official album
2:28 • Studio version • B
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Nov 06, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1967
2:28 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 02, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
EP • Released in 1967
2:31 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 02, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Magical Mystery Tour (EP - Stereo)
EP • Released in 1967
2:31 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Nov 06, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1996
3:02 • Outtake • C • Take 27. "Do you want us to do it again, George?" mocked Paul to the Beatles' producer at the star of this recording. Your Mother Should Know had already been on the blocks for a month, initial sessions taking place at a different venue - Chappell Studios, just off New Bond Street in Central London - on 22 and 23 August (the last time that the Beatles saw their manager Brian Epstein, who died on the 27th). Now Paul was embarking on a new arrangement, with snare drum, harmonium, jangle piano and vocal. The Beatles recorded eleven such takes of Your Mother Should Know during this 16th September session, the one featured here, Take 27, being marked "best", albeit only temporarily.
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Magical Mystery Tour (Mono - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
2:28 • Studio version • A2009 • 2009 mono remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Paul Hicks :
- Remastering
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Sean Magee :
- Remastering
- Allan Rouse :
- Project co-ordinator
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 02, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Magical Mystery Tour (Stereo - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
2:28 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Guy Massey :
- Remastering
- Steve Rooke :
- Remastering
- Allan Rouse :
- Project co-ordinator
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Nov 06, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Magical Mystery Tour (Mono - 2014 vinyl)
Official album • Released in 2014
2:28 • Studio version • A2014 • 2014 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums, Tambourine
- John Lennon :
- Backing vocals, Organ
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Guitar
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- John Timperley :
- Recording engineer
- Sean Magee :
- Remastering
- Steve Berkowitz :
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Aug 22, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 23, 1967
- Studio :
- Chappell Recording Studios, London UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 29, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 02, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2016
3:02 • Outtake • C2016 • Take 27. "Do you want us to do it again, George?" mocked Paul to the Beatles' producer at the star of this recording. Your Mother Should Know had already been on the blocks for a month, initial sessions taking place at a different venue - Chappell Studios, just off New Bond Street in Central London - on 22 and 23 August (the last time that the Beatles saw their manager Brian Epstein, who died on the 27th). Now Paul was embarking on a new arrangement, with snare drum, harmonium, jangle piano and vocal. The Beatles recorded eleven such takes of Your Mother Should Know during this 16th September session, the one featured here, Take 27, being marked "best", albeit only temporarily.
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1967
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Bootlegs
Unofficial live
3:08 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Fukuoka, Japan on Nov 15, 2013
Unofficial album
2:26 • Alternate take • Take 52 RM23? 1967 Movie mix mono
Live performances
“Your Mother Should Know” has been played in 26 concerts and 2 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where Your Mother Should Know has been played
Regina • Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field • Canada
Aug 14, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
Winnipeg • Investors Group Field • Canada
Aug 12, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
Aug 09, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
Quebec City • Plains of Abraham • Canada
Jul 23, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
Jul 19, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
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