Good artists copy; great artists steal. And as The Beatles proved with their 1963 release of “She Loves You”, the best, most successful artists “steal” from multiple sources at once. The Fab Four’s late summer single proved to be a tremendous hit. The song topped charts around the world, including in their native United Kingdom and the United States. And while it’s an undeniably catchy song, the real commercial feat is the formula the band used.
Like so many aspects of The Beatles’ career, the evolution of “She Loves You” began with Buddy Holly. The rising British band was on the road with Roy Orbison and Gerry And The Pacemakers in June 1963. Inspired by the former bespectacled rock ‘n’ roller and other popular performers, like “Forget Him” singer Bobby Rydell, songwriting partners John Lennon and Paul McCartney sat down to write a pop-sensible song in that same vein.
Videos by American Songwriter
Lennon took specific cues from Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” and its many “uh-huh”s and “oh yeah”s. He also lifted the falsetto “oooh” he first heard The Isley Brothers do in “Twist And Shout”, which The Beatles had already covered. The final chord of the song, a major sixth, was George Harrison’s idea. The guitarist looked to bandleaders like Glenn Miller for inspiration.
“She Loves You” Almost Sounded Much, Much Different
Simply put, The Beatles’ 1963 hit single, “She Loves You”, was an incredibly thorough amalgamation of American pop music. It encompassed the big band era and rockabilly music all in the same track. And with the Fab Four’s distinct Liverpudlian flavor, the sound became something entirely unique. The song was almost a guaranteed smash hit—though, if they had listened to Paul McCartney’s father’s advice, things might have shaken out differently.
Speaking to Barry Miles years later, McCartney recalled writing the song with John Lennon at his childhood home. McCartney’s father was in the other room when they finished it, so they showed the song to him to get his opinion. “He said, ‘That’s very nice, son, but there’s enough of these Americanisms around. Couldn’t you sing, ‘She loves you. Yes, yes, yes!’ At which point we collapsed in a heap and said, ‘No, Dad, you don’t quite get it!’”
Of course, the boys were right—about which American influences to pull from, about how to format a pop song, and about when to ignore their dad’s good-intentioned and extraordinarily English advice. All the stars aligned for The Beatles with “She Loves You”, garnering the band their best-selling single in their home country. The song was one of five simultaneous hits for The Beatles in the States, proving that the Americanisms were paying off.
Photo by Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images