Remembering When John Lennon Hid His Insecurities and Pain in Plain Sight Within a No. 1 Beatles Hit in 1965

Based on their unprecedented success, The Beatles certainly seemed on top of the world in 1965. They projected the utmost confidence and ebullience in their public image. Who could imagine they had anything negative lurking underneath?

Even when John Lennon attempted to communicate some angst in a song, it was papered over by the band’s indomitable musical thrust. But years later, he told the world about the deep wells of insecurity and sorrow behind what turned out to be a No. 1 single.

Movie Songs

The Beatles entered 1965 on an unstoppable hot streak. In the previous year, they had extended their musical dominance from their home base in England to the rest of the world, including America. And they had added film stars to their list of accolades with the ringing success of A Hard Day’s Night.

1965 started with another film on the horizon. And, of course, they’d create new music to go along with it. At one point, the film was slated to be called Eight Arms To Hold You. At a meeting with the group and the film’s director, Richard Lester, it was decided that the movie would be called Help!

That title promised a degree of intrigue and suspense when it came to the film’s plot. But it also opened the door for John Lennon to deliver some lyrics. Those lyrics suggested that his inner life was far removed from his public persona.

“Help!” Wanted

Many have attributed the song “Help!” to John Lennon alone. That could be because he always spoke in interviews as if he were the sole writer. However, it must be remembered that Lennon was answering rapid-fire questions about all The Beatles songs in those interviews. As such, he didn’t always go into too much detail or nuance about his collaborations with Paul McCartney on certain tracks.

For his part, McCartney has claimed that he added a good deal to “Help!”, including the countermelodies that pop out from the main verse. But even he suggested that the lyrical inspiration was mostly Lennon’s. And those words are striking when you read them on the page, removed from the bouncy music.

Lennon said after the fact that the lyrics to “Help!” were, quite literally, an open plea for assistance to anyone who could hear him. Words like “insecure” and “haze” relate to John’s mental state at the time. He later claimed that he was in his “Fat Elvis” period, referring to the weight he’d gained as a result of his mental and emotional unease.

John’s Malaise

Lennon imagined “Help!” as a ballad. But because it was earmarked as the single to introduce the album and the movie, that approach was never going to happen. The Beatles revved up the pace in the studio. Ringo Starr beat out a locomotive rhythm amidst a phalanx of interlocking guitars.

In later years, Lennon said he regretted that he couldn’t record the song as he heard it in his head. And he also claimed it was one of his favorite songs that he’d written, in part because of its honesty. Few people heard the pain in “Help!” the first time around. But the song’s sneaky profundity has made it one of the Fab Four’s most timelessly relatable hits.

Photo by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns