"You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (Lennon – August 13, 1965)
Help! – Side 1, Track 3 (2:08)
"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released on the album Help! in August 1965.
History –
Written by John in late 1964, this song is said to be a veiled reference to manager Brian Epstein's homosexuality. It's known that Lennon was sensitive to Epstein's troubles as a gay man forced to stay in the closet due to the mores of the time; it's also agreed that Epstein was quite fond of Lennon. The two went away to Barcelona, Spain, on vacation in April 1963; although rumors swirled about an affair when they returned, both denied any interaction.
Lennon himself only acknowledged that the song's lyrics were more personal here, part of a trend that had been going on since his introduction, in 1964, to the music of Bob Dylan. Indeed, Dylan's song "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)," released in August of that year, is often cited as the direct lyrical inspiration, as the Dylan song begins with the lines "I can't understand / She let go of my hand / And left me here facing the wall," while John's begin, "Here I stand / Head in hand / Turn my face to the wall."
This song was recorded at the fourth session for Help!, developed and arranged in just under two hours before work began on the unused "If You've Got Trouble" (available on Anthology), and "Tell Me What You See." For the first time, all Beatles play acoustic instruments only, with George creating a barely perceptible melody line in the chorus, a harmonic counterpoint to John's vocal.
Lennon mistakenly sings "two foot small" at the end of the first verse, when the written lyrics were actually "two foot tall." John decided to leave the mistake in, saying that "all the pseuds will love it." ("Pseud" was then British slang for "pseudo-intellectual.")
John's childhood friend Pete Shotton, present in the studio, is credited with coming up with the idea of adding the "Hey!" to the front of each chorus.
Composition and recording –
However, John reportedly told author Hunter Davies that an unnamed sexual encounter did take place. In the Anthology video, this song plays during the discussion of Brian's sexuality, further lending credence to the claim that it is about him. Yet others have speculated that the love which must "hide away" in this song was a heterosexual affair John was carrying on behind his wife, Cynthia's, back.
Lennon himself only acknowledged that the song's lyrics were more personal here, part of a trend that had been going on since his introduction, in 1964, to the music of Bob Dylan. Indeed, Dylan's song "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)," released in August of that year, is often cited as the direct lyrical inspiration, as the Dylan song begins with the lines "I can't understand / She let go of my hand / And left me here facing the wall," while John's begin, "Here I stand / Head in hand / Turn my face to the wall."
This song was recorded at the fourth session for Help!, developed and arranged in just under two hours before work began on the unused "If You've Got Trouble" (available on Anthology), and "Tell Me What You See." For the first time, all Beatles play acoustic instruments only, with George creating a barely perceptible melody line in the chorus, a harmonic counterpoint to John's vocal.
Lennon mistakenly sings "two foot small" at the end of the first verse, when the written lyrics were actually "two foot tall." John decided to leave the mistake in, saying that "all the pseuds will love it." ("Pseud" was then British slang for "pseudo-intellectual.")
John's childhood friend Pete Shotton, present in the studio, is credited with coming up with the idea of adding the "Hey!" to the front of each chorus.
Composition and recording –
The song shows the influence of the American singer Bob Dylan. The song "is just basically John doing Dylan", Paul McCartney later said.
The song is in a folkish strophic form and uses a Dylanesque acoustic guitar figure in compound time, chiefly acoustic accompaniment, no backing voices and light percussion from brushed snare, tambourine and maraca.
"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" was the first Beatles song to feature an outside musician (apart from "Love Me Do", the group's first EMI recording, in which producer George Martin had engaged a session drummer to substitute for the then-untried Ringo Starr). The basic rhythm track was recorded first, followed by George Harrison's guitar and some extra percussion. John Scott recorded a tenor flute in the spaces in Lennon's vocal track and an additional alto flute part, in harmony with the first, on the last available track of the four-track machine.
Musician/singer Tom Robinson connected the song's lyrics to Brian Epstein, the group's manager, who was a closeted homosexual (homosexuality was a criminal offence in Britain at the time). When Lennon made a mistake during the recording, singing "two foot small" instead of "two foot tall", he is reported to have said: "Let's leave that in, actually. All those pseuds will really love it."
Performance in the film –
Performance in the film –
In the film Help!, at the opening of the song, the head of the cult, Clang (Leo McKern), appears from underneath a manhole cover in the middle of Ailsa Avenue, London, where parts of the film were shot. He stays there for the whole song, which the Beatles play in Lennon's quarter of the Beatles' shared flat. The flute part of the song is performed by George's in-house gardener (who also trims his grass carpet with chattery teeth). They are watched by Ahme (Eleanor Bron), and at the end of the song, Harrison passes out after Ahme produces a giant needle for Starr, who is wearing the ring the cult is seeking.
Other studio tracks –
There is an alternative take included on Anthology 2. Before the song begins, a montage of chatter associated with several other takes is presented. In this sequence, Lennon counts off the song, then stops to readjust his guitar pickup.[citation needed] After a glass shatters, Lennon sings "Paul's broken a glass, broken a glass. Paul's broken a glass. A glass, a glass he's broke today." He also addresses Paul as 'Macca', a nickname in England for someone who's of Irish descent and/or having 'Mc' in their last name.
There is an alternative take included on Anthology 2. Before the song begins, a montage of chatter associated with several other takes is presented. In this sequence, Lennon counts off the song, then stops to readjust his guitar pickup.[citation needed] After a glass shatters, Lennon sings "Paul's broken a glass, broken a glass. Paul's broken a glass. A glass, a glass he's broke today." He also addresses Paul as 'Macca', a nickname in England for someone who's of Irish descent and/or having 'Mc' in their last name.
Takes: 9
Personnel –
Personnel –
John Lennon – Lead vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Framus 12-string "Hootenanny")
Paul McCartney – Acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Epiphone Texan)
George Harrison – Acoustic lead guitar (1950 Jose Ramirez classical)
Ringo Starr – Tambourine, shaker, maracas
Johnnie Scott – Alto and tenor flutes
Trivia –
George Harrison – Acoustic lead guitar (1950 Jose Ramirez classical)
Ringo Starr – Tambourine, shaker, maracas
Johnnie Scott – Alto and tenor flutes
Trivia –
This was the first Beatles song since "Love Me Do" to bring in an outside musician -- in this case, flautist Johnnie Scott, who double-tracked his brief solo at the end by playing a tenor flute along with the band and then later doubling that melody with an alto line.
The stereo version of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" is mixed slightly different than the mono version, which contains less reverb.
The only other completed take of this song was take 5, which is included on Anthology, spliced together with intro chatter from takes 1 and 2.
Paul played acoustic guitar on the recording but bass in the film.
Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) March 10 –
The stereo version of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" is mixed slightly different than the mono version, which contains less reverb.
The only other completed take of this song was take 5, which is included on Anthology, spliced together with intro chatter from takes 1 and 2.
Paul played acoustic guitar on the recording but bass in the film.
1963 – Concert at the Hippodrome, Birmingham (Chris Montez and Tommy Roe tour).
1964 – Studio 2. 10.00am-1.00pm. Stereo mixing: "Can't Buy Me Love" (from take 4); "Long Tall Sally" (from take 1); "I Call Your Name" (from take 7); "You Can't Do That" (from take 9). Mono mixing: "Long Tall Sally" (from take 1); "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" (from edit of takes 5, 7); "Sie Liebt Dich" (from take 14). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: unknown.
– The Chilean magazine Ecran officially presents the new Beatles phenomenon in Chile on today's issue.
– Turks Head, St Margaret's, Twickenham, Middlesex. Shooting for A Hard Day's Night: Ringo in a pub.
– Turks Head, St Margaret's, Twickenham, Middlesex. Shooting for A Hard Day's Night: Ringo in a pub.
1965 – Brian reveals his plan to film the Shea Stadium concert.
1967 – Studio 2. 7.00pm-4.00am. Recording: "Getting Better" (overdub onto take 12). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
1969 – Olympic Sound Studios. Time unknown. Stereo mixing: "Get Back"; "Teddy Boy"; 'On Our Way Home' (working title of "Two Of Us"); "Dig A Pony"; "I've Got A Feeling"; "The Long And Winding Road"; "Let It Be"; "Rocker"; "Save The Last Dance For Me"; "Don't Let Me Down"; "Because You're Sweet And Lovely" (working title of "For You Blue"); "Get Back"; "The Walk". Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Glyn Johns; 2nd Engineer: unknown.
– Glyn Johns, commissioned by John and Paul, begins work of compilation of the album 'Get Back'.
1971 – Evening: According to a rumor, John, with George and Ringo, presented himself at Paul's Cavendish Avenue house and threw a brick to one of the windows.
1971 – Evening: According to a rumor, John, with George and Ringo, presented himself at Paul's Cavendish Avenue house and threw a brick to one of the windows.
– A court names J. D. Spooner as trustee of the Beatles goods.
1975 – US single release: 'Stand By Me'/'Move Over Ms. L.'.
1982 – Startling Studios. Recording of basic tracks for LP 'Old Wave'. Chris Stainton plays keyboards instead of Gary Brooker. Producer: Jim Nipar.
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