We love The Beatles for a ton of reasons, one of which is that they were somewhat incapable of clunkers. Even when it came to deep album cuts, the band generally infused a jolt of energy and their natural talent into the proceedings.
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“The Night Before”, found on the Help! album from 1965, sounds like it might have been a hit had the band chosen to release it as a single. It’s a peppy, succinct snapshot of a relationship suffering from the volatility of one of its participants. And one lyric tells the real story of this Beatles song.
Remember “The Night Before”
“The Night Before” is one of the rare Beatles’ songs whose creation hasn’t been over-documented in terms of commentary. John Lennon explained that he didn’t remember having much to do with it. Though, it’s listed as a Lennon-McCartney collaboration in the writing credits.
Paul McCartney hasn’t talked much about his inspiration for writing the song. However, based on when it was released and the nature of the subject matter, we can infer that it might have been influenced by his romantic relationship with actress Jane Asher.
McCartney and Asher dated for a good chunk of The Beatles’ most prolific recording stretch. Macca often referred to their relationship in songs. Some were happy, such as “Here, There And Everywhere”. Others, like “You Won’t See Me” and “I’m Looking Through You”, tended toward the critical.
“The Night Before” definitely falls into the latter category. Again, we can’t say for sure if this song was directly referencing McCartney’s time with Asher. Even if not, it’s fair to say that some residual frustrations from past disagreements might have worked their way into the song.
Musically, “The Night Before” comes from a period when The Beatles weren’t yet testing the boundaries of the studio, as they would on records like Revolver and Rubber Soul. But they were already adamant about incorporating new sounds into their records. That explains why the track was adorned with the pleasant surprise of the churning electric piano, played by John Lennon, that lends it such momentum.
Behind the Telltale Lyric in The Beatles’ “The Night Before”
“The Night Before” delves into the aggravation that can accrue when one member of a relationship is inconsistent with their affection, warmth, and behavior in general. McCartney sets the table by showing us the good side.
“We said our goodbyes (the night before) / Love was in your eyes (the night before).”
That makes it all the more infuriating for the narrator when the hammer drops.
“Now today I find / You have changed your mind.”
It leads to him feeling paranoid, unable to trust anything she says or shows.
“Were you telling lies (the night before) / Was I so unwise (the night before)?“
In the middle eight, he tries to focus on the positive: “Last night is the night I will remember you by.” But, it only makes him sadder when he compares that to her current temperament: “When I think of things we did / It makes me wanna cry.” He finally begs for mercy: “Treat me like you did the night before.“
Of course, we never get her side of the story to defend herself. And maybe there are hidden reasons for her up-and-down nature that he’s not revealing. In any case, The Beatles’ Paul McCartney makes a pretty good case with his lyric in “The Night Before”. Consistency is the underrated bedrock of all successful love stories.
Photo by Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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