'In My Life': The making of The Beatles' classic from Rubber Soul

25 February 2025, 12:46

'In My Life' is not just one of The Beatles greatest songs, but one of THE greatest songs.

The Beatles released over 200 songs during their decade odd at the top of the pop world, and you could make a fair argument for any one of 50 odd to be their very best.

In our own rankings, we put 'In My Life' in at number one, and we're not the first or the last. Back in 2000, Mojo magazine went even further, arguing that it was simply the best song of all time ever.

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But do you know who wrote 'In My Life', or what year it finally made the charts (and where it placed when it got there)?

Do you know who the "dead" and "living" friends are being referred to in the lyrics, or what instrument George Martin plays on the song?

Read on for everything you ever might want to know about 'In My Life' by The Beatles.

Who wrote 'In My Life'?

In My Life (Remastered 2009)

This one should be easy, right? Not a cover, not one of George Harrison's 22 Beatles songs, not a quirky full-band co-write of one of Ringo Starr's pair of oddities.

So it's by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Yes, indeed, we've got the immortal Lennon-McCartney on the label.

But that's never the whole story.

Some songs attributed to the Lennon/McCartney partnership were genuine co-writes. Some were quite obviously all the work of Paul ('Yesterday') or John ('Revolution'), some have an obvious give and take ('A Day in the Life') and some were smoother collaborations ('She Loves You').

'In My Life' is a rare song where Lennon and McCartney publicly bickered over who wrote what.

Both agree that Lennon wrote the lyrics.

"I'd struggled for days and hours, trying to write clever lyrics," Lennon admitted. "Then I gave up, and 'In My Life' came – letting it go is the whole game."

John was adamant that the music was pretty much all him, too, with Paul only doing the harmonies and the middle-eight.

Asked by Hit Parader in 1972 who wrote the song, Lennon said :"ME. I think I was trying to write about Penny Lane when I wrote it.

"It was about places I remembered. A nice song. José Feliciano. did a nice version of it."

McCartney has claimed that his contribution was bigger than that, taking credit for the actual vocal melody for the song.

"Funnily enough, this is one of the only songs John and I disagree on," Paul said. "I remember writing the melody on a mellotron that was parked on his half-landing."

He claims that John came to him with the lyrics and that he took inspiration from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles for the tune.

In Revolution in the Head, Ian Macdonald splits the difference and suggests that maybe Paul wrote the first half of the verse and John the second.

For whatever it's worth, AI researchers at Harvard University chucked the music into a computer and, based on stuff we knew they'd written, said that there was an 81.1% chance that Lennon wrote the verse and 18.9% probability that Paul did.

What is 'In My Life' about?

In an interview given shortly before his death, Lennon called the lyrics to 'In My Life' a turning point for him as a lyriist because he was finally looking inwards.

"I was the first song I wrote that was consciously about my life," John said.

"Before we were writing songs à la the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, pop songs with no more thought to them than that – to create a sound. The words were almost irrelevant. I think this was my first major piece of work."

Broadcaster Kenneth Allsop was the person who suggested to John that he do just that for his lyrics, as he had done for In His Own Write a year earlier.

John ditched a first draft that was based on local landmarks he saw on the number 5 route back in Liverpool.

"It started out as a bus journey from my house on 251 Menlove Avenue to town," John said. "I had a complete set of lyics, naming every sight."

A draft of handwritten lyrics survives, referencing Penny Lane, Church Road, Calderstones, the Dutch and St Columbus and more.

Of course, Lennon would return to that notion a couple of years later for 'Strawberry Fields Forever', released as a double-A-side with McCartney's similarly-themed 'Penny Lane'.

The Beatles - Penny Lane

Back to 'In My Life', the finished song is a little more oblique look back. It's a remarkable piece, given that John had only just turned 25 when The Beatles recorded it.

In the song Lennon recalls the places he remembers, but more importantly the "lovers and friends" from years gone by. He notes that "some are dead and some are living".

Lennon had experienced plenty of loss despite his young age. His beloved mum Julia died in 1958 when he was just 18. Early Beatles member Stuart Sutcliffe had died in 1962 at the age of 21.

John's long-time friend Pete Shotton has said that he was among the living friends being alluded to in the lyric.

Whatever changes there have been, for good and ill, Lennon promises to look back with affection rather than bitterness.

Does George Martin play the harpsichord on 'In My Life'?

Beyond the core of John, Paul, George and Ringo there's only a smattering of non-Beatles players on their records – the occasional string section, keys player Billy Preston, or an uncredited Eric Clapton on 'My Guitar Gently Weeps'.

That's if you don't count Fifth Beatle George Martin, who played bits and bobs on plenty of Beatles records since their very first album Please Please Me.

As a player, no-one earned the title of Fifth Beatle more than Martin, and after 'Yesteday', 'In My Life' was his second major contribution to one of their songs.

With some space for an instrumental bridge, Lennon looked to Martin for a helping hand, and George was happy to oblige.

He wrote and played the Bach-inspired solo not on a harpsichord, despite what it sounds like, but a piano.

To fit the song's tempo, Matin recorded the solo with the tape running at half speed. When it was played back at normal speed, it gave it that quirky sound.

When was 'In My Life' released and where did it get in the charts?

Despite being one of their most beloved and critically acclaimed songs, 'In My Life' was never released as a single by The Beatles.

It instead featured on the Rubber Soul album, which was released on December 3, 1965. Like all Beatles albums, the album topped the UK album charts (and the US one, too)

The album's 'Michelle' backed with 'Girl' was released as a single from that album in mainland Europe but not the UK. 'Nowhere Man' backed with 'What Goes On' was released in the US.

In fact, no singles from Rubber Soul were released in the UK at all.

But that hasn't stopped 'In My Life' from being an officially charting single over here.

When The Beatles' back catalogue was belatedly added to download platforms, 'In My Life' went to 77 in the UK singles chart in 2010, and as high as number nine in the Billboard Hot 100 Recurrents listings.

In the streaming era it eventually went Platinum in the UK in 2023, racking up the equivalent of 600,000 sales.

Who has covered 'In My Life'?

In My Life

With its accessible melody and restrained arrangement, it's no surprise that 'In My Life' has been covered so many times on stage and in the studio, by such a diverse bunch of artists.

Before the 1960s were out, we had covers by Judy Collins, John Denver and José Feliciano.

The following decade saw quirky takes by old Beatles associate Cilla Black and The Who's Keith Moon.

As the years went on, the covers kept on coming.

In My Life

Rod Stewart, Stephen Stills (and later Crosby, Stills and Nash), Bette Midler, Sean Connery (yes, Sean Connery), Roddy Frame, Dave Matthews, Bonnie Tyler with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Boyz II Men, Roberta Flack, The Seekers, Metallica, Jon Fogerty and the cast of Glee have all given it a go.

But maybe the two greatest covers are by Johnny Cash and Ozzy Osbourne, who both performed it late in their careers with just the right amount of world weariness.