The Story Behind the First Songs Paul McCartney and John Lennon Wrote for Ringo Starr After the Beatles’ Split

By 1973, three years after the Beatles‘ split, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were the first two to collaborate. In 1970, Starr played on tracks “Wah-Wah,” “My Sweet Lord,” and others from Harrison’s third solo album, All Things Must Pass. Though uncredited, Harrison also co-wrote and produced Starr’s 1971 hit “It Don’t Come Easy,” along with “Back Off Bugaloo,” a year later.

Starr played on Harrison’s fourth album, Living in the Material World, and Harrison did the same for Starr’s 1973 album Ringo, co-writing and writing three more tracks—”Photograph,” “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond),” and “You and Me (Babe).” The latter album was a reunion of the Beatles, since it featured contributions from Harrison, along with John Lennon.

Once Lennon and Harrison had signed on to contribute to Ringo, Starr managed to convince Paul McCartney to get involved by saying, “You don’t want to be left out, do you?“

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[RELATED: 5 Songs George Harrison Wrote for Ringo Starr Solo Projects During the 1970s]

“I’m the Greatest”

Written by John Lennon

Recorded at Sunset Sounds in Los Angeles in March 1973, Lennon wrote, provided backing vocals, and played piano on “I’m the Greatest,” working for the first time alongside Harrison and Starr since the Beatles broke up.”

A piano-led pop ballad, the song is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, a coming-of-age story of growing up in Liverpool and being in the greatest show on earth (the Beatles), to becoming a husband and father and finding his own path.

When I was a little boy
Way back home in Liverpool
My mama told me I was great

Then when I was a teenager
I knew that I had got somethin’ goin’
All my friends told me I was great

And now I’m a man
A woman took me by the hand
And you know what she told me? I was great

I was in the greatest show on Earth
For what it was worth
Now I’m only thirty-two
And all I wanna do is boogaloo

‘Six O’Clock”

Written by Paul McCarthney and Linda McCarthney

While Starr was working on Ringo, he requested a song from McCartney, and even delivered it on a strict Wednesday deadline to producer Richard Perry. Co-written with his wife Linda, McCartney crafted the song to suit Starr’s vocals. Both also sing with Starr on the recorded track.

Six o’clock in the morning, you’ve just gone to sleep
I wipe a tear from my eye
It can’t be the kind of company I keep
That keeps me askin’, you keep me askin’
You keep me wonderin’ why

I don’t treat you like I like to treat you
Every planet in the sky’s in your eyes
But I don’t treat you like I
No I don’t treat you like I
No, I don’t treat you like I should

It could be the comfort going to my head
That makes me wanna dream of you
But while you’re sleeping softly in your bed
I wanna tell you, I’d like to tell you
I’d love to tell you too

“’Six o’clock in the morning, You’ve just gone to sleep,’” said Starr, reading the first line of the song. “Paul wrote that. See, they knew me so well, they [the three other Beatles] would write songs that they felt I could get away with.”

Photo: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images