“It Fell Out of Bed”: The Night Paul McCartney (Literally) Dreamed up One of the Greatest Beatles Songs Ever

Think of a classic by The Beatles, and “Yesterday” is almost certainly near the top of the list. Out in 1965 on their Yesterday And Today record, the song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, the songwriting duo made up of band members John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But it’s McCartney who had the idea for “Yesterday”, a song he initially was sure he stole from somebody else.

McCartney reportedly had “Yesterday” come to him in a dream. As soon as he woke up, McCartney went to the piano and wrote it down, although he later admits he did not want to take credit for the song idea.

“For about a month, I went round to people in the music business and asked them whether they had ever heard it before,” McCartney recalls. “Eventually, it became like handing something in to the police. I thought if no one claimed it after a few weeks, then I could have it.”

In a separate interview, McCartney adds more of the unique story behind their legendary song.

“It fell out of bed,” Paul McCartney tells Rolling Stone. “I had a piano by my bedside, and I must have dreamed it, because I tumbled out of bed and put my hands on the piano keys, and I had a tune in my head. It was just all there, a complete thing. I couldn’t believe it. It came too easy.”

The Odd Title Paul McCartney Initially Used for “Yesterday”

“Yesterday” says, “Yesterday all my trouble seemed so far away / Now it looks as though they’re here to stay / Oh, I believe in yesterday.”

McCartney had the idea for “Yesterday” in a dream. Still, it took a while for the song to come to life, which is why it was initially called “Scrambled Eggs” instead. When fleshing out the song, McCartney and Lennon sang, “Scrambled eggs / Oh my baby how I love your legs / Not as much as I love scrambled eggs,” instead of the song’s current lyrics.

When discussing the song, Lennon rightfully gave McCartney most of the credit for its composition.

“Paul wrote nearly all of it, but we just couldn’t find the right title,” Lennon later recounts. “We called it ‘Scrambled Eggs,’ and it became a joke between us. We made up our minds that only a one-word title would suit; we just couldn’t find the right one. Then one morning, Paul woke up, and the song and the title were both there, completed. I was sorry in a way. We’d had so many laughs about it.”

“Yesterday” is reportedly the most covered song in history. With more than 3000 versions, other artists who have recorded “Yesterday” include Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, and more.

Photo by Keystone/Getty Images