You Never Give Me Your Money
Encyclopedia
"You Never Give Me Your Money" is a song by The Beatles
that opens the climactic medley on side two of the album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney
and is credited to Lennon–McCartney.
voice which contrasts the song's somewhat poignant lyrics. Next comes an instrumental interlude with George Harrison
's aggressive blues rock-style and a concluding unison line between guitar and bass. The song fades out with a chant of a nursery rhyme, set to a Harrison guitar riff similar to a previous album track, "Here Comes the Sun
". The riff would later return in the medley
's track "Carry That Weight
". The song's production is notable for prominent use of leslie
-amplified, arpeggiated
guitar parts, which became synonymous with the late-era Beatles sound.
It slowly and quietly segues into "Sun King
".
and vocals, Lennon and Harrison on guitar
and Starr on drums. At this early stage the song ended abruptly prior to the "One two three four five six seven" refrain.
On 1 July, McCartney overdubbed lead vocals onto take 30, and added more vocals and chimes on 15 July.
"You Never Give Me Your Money" was originally to segue
into "Sun King" with a long organ note. This was recorded along with more vocals on 30 July. They were scrapped the following day, when McCartney completed the song by adding bass guitar
and piano. The "Sun King" crossfade was completed on 5 August with a series of tape loops containing the sounds of chimes, birds, bubbles, and bugs.
& Lou Reizner
covered the song for the transitory musical documentary All This and World War II
.
Tenacious D
regularly includes this song in their live performances as a "Beatles Medley".
Glenn Tilbrook
with Nine Below Zero
cover the song on "Abbey Road Now!" the Mojo
October 2009 cover CD along with covers of all Abbey Road songs.
Harvey Danger
played the song at their final All Ages show at The Vera Project
in Seattle, WA. Lead singer Sean Nelson cited it as being his favorite song by the Beatles in a Q&A session at the end of the show.
Paloma Faith
covered this song on her 2010 live tour and recorded it for TV on 'Abbey Road Live'.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
that opens the climactic medley on side two of the album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and is credited to Lennon–McCartney.
Structure
The song begins with two verses sung by McCartney in a large-sound, almost classical style. This is followed by a section played in a double time swing feel with McCartney switching to a more nasal vocal style, using a mock-baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice which contrasts the song's somewhat poignant lyrics. Next comes an instrumental interlude with George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's aggressive blues rock-style and a concluding unison line between guitar and bass. The song fades out with a chant of a nursery rhyme, set to a Harrison guitar riff similar to a previous album track, "Here Comes the Sun
Here Comes the Sun
"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
". The riff would later return in the medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
's track "Carry That Weight
Carry That Weight
"Carry That Weight" is a song by The Beatles. Released on Abbey Road and part of the long, climactic medley that closes the album, it features vocals from all four Beatles...
". The song's production is notable for prominent use of leslie
Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/loudspeaker used to create special audio effects using the Doppler effect. Named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The...
-amplified, arpeggiated
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
guitar parts, which became synonymous with the late-era Beatles sound.
It slowly and quietly segues into "Sun King
Sun King (song)
"Sun King" is a song written primarily by John Lennon, but credited to Lennon–McCartney and recorded by The Beatles for their 1969 album, Abbey Road. It is the second song of the B-side's climactic medley.-History:...
".
Recording
The Beatles recorded 36 takes of "You Never Give Me Your Money" on 6 May, 1969, with McCartney on pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and vocals, Lennon and Harrison on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Starr on drums. At this early stage the song ended abruptly prior to the "One two three four five six seven" refrain.
On 1 July, McCartney overdubbed lead vocals onto take 30, and added more vocals and chimes on 15 July.
"You Never Give Me Your Money" was originally to segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
into "Sun King" with a long organ note. This was recorded along with more vocals on 30 July. They were scrapped the following day, when McCartney completed the song by adding bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and piano. The "Sun King" crossfade was completed on 5 August with a series of tape loops containing the sounds of chimes, birds, bubbles, and bugs.
Personnel
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– lead and backing vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, wind chimesWind Chimes"Wind Chimes" is a song composed by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the American rock band The Beach Boys. The original version of the song was written and recorded for the aborted 1966 album Smile. The band completely re-recorded the song for inclusion on their next album, Smiley Smile...
, tape loops - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– fuzzed lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
Covers
In 1976, Will MaloneWill Malone
Will Malone is a British music producer, who has worked with artists including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Todd Rundgren, The Verve, Massive Attack and Italian rocker Gianna Nannini. In 1976, Malone & Lou Reizner covered a Beatles song, "You Never Give Me Your Money", for the evanescent musical...
& Lou Reizner
Lou Reizner
Lou Reizner was a record producer, A&R executive and head of Mercury Records European operations. As a producer, he is perhaps best known for Rod Stewart's first two solo albums, for the orchestral version of The Who's rock opera Tommy, and Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth...
covered the song for the transitory musical documentary All This and World War II
All This and World War II
All This and World War II is a 1976 musical documentary that juxtaposes Beatles songs, performed by a number of musicians, with World War II newsreel footage and 20th Century Fox films from the 1940s...
.
Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
regularly includes this song in their live performances as a "Beatles Medley".
Glenn Tilbrook
Glenn Tilbrook
Glenn Martin Tilbrook is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid 1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody for Squeeze, while his writing partner, Chris Difford, wrote the lyrics...
with Nine Below Zero
Nine Below Zero
Nine Below Zero are an English blues band, who have a cult following throughout Europe, and were most popular in the period between 1980 and 1982.-Career:...
cover the song on "Abbey Road Now!" the Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
October 2009 cover CD along with covers of all Abbey Road songs.
Harvey Danger
Harvey Danger
Harvey Danger was an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, and rose to prominence in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." On August 29, 2009, the band played its final show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle....
played the song at their final All Ages show at The Vera Project
The VERA Project
The Vera Project, or VERA, is an all-ages, non-profit youth arts organization in Seattle, Washington.-About:Based on the Vera club in Groningen, Netherlands, Seattle's VERA Project was founded in 2001 by James Keblas, Shannon Stewart , and Kate Becker , along with the help of many other...
in Seattle, WA. Lead singer Sean Nelson cited it as being his favorite song by the Beatles in a Q&A session at the end of the show.
Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith is a British singer-songwriter and actress. In 2009, she released her debut single "Stone Cold Sober", then her debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?, which was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Her debut album stayed within the top 40 album...
covered this song on her 2010 live tour and recorded it for TV on 'Abbey Road Live'.