| "I'm Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve (reverse) | ||||
| Single by the Beatles | ||||
| A-side | "Help!" | |||
| Released | 19 July 1965 | |||
| Recorded | 14 June 1965 | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 2:32 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney | |||
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
| The Beatles UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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"I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard, whose song "Long Tall Sally" the band regularly covered.
Inspired by 1950s R&B and rock and roll numbers, the song's lyrics sing of an unrequited love, but rather than a lament are instead performed in a hysterical, "celebratory frenzy"[1] of self assuredness. Some commentators interpret the song's tone as partially parodic. Melodically uncomplicated, the composition uses only three basic chords. The Beatles recorded "I'm Down" during sessions for their album Help! in June 1965. The first song by the band to incorporate a Vox Continental electric organ, John Lennon plays the instrument in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis, doing glissandos with his elbow. In the decade following its release, the song became a comparative rarity among the band's recordings. It has subsequently appeared on compilation albums such as Rock 'n' Roll Music; the UK edition of Rarities; Past Masters, Volume One and Mono Masters.
"I'm Down" has received praise from several music critics and musicologists, with several mentioning McCartney's strong vocal and the band's raucous performance. The Beatles regularly performed the song during their 1965 and 1966 tours as the closing number, including an especially chaotic performance in August 1965 depicted in the documentary The Beatles at Shea Stadium. Beastie Boys and Aerosmith are among the artists that have covered the song.
- ^ Riley 2002, p. 135.