Paul McCartney – “Drive My Car” Live
Listen Baby, I Got Something To Say!
“Drive My Car” was primarily written by Paul McCartney but John Lennon also had some lyrical contributions. It was recorded by The Beatles on October 13, 1965 and released on December 3, 1965 for their sixth studio album “Rubber Soul.” This upbeat, lighthearted track has been covered several times by other musicians.
Paul McCartney’s first draft of the song featured a chorus based around the line, “You can buy me golden rings”. He and Lennon reworked the song with some difficulty, eventually discarding the clichés and settling upon the idea of a headstrong woman.
McCartney already had the tune in his head when he went Lennon’s home but he was having difficulty with the lyrics. They eventually rewrote it and McCartney even referred to it as “one of the stickiest” writing sessions they’ve ever had and its arrangement was at the suggestion of George Harrison.
McCartney worked closely with George Harrison on the basic rhythm track, the pair playing, in author Ian MacDonald’s description, “similar riffing lines on bass and low guitar”, respectively, as per Harrison’s suggestion. Harrison had been listening to Otis Redding’s “Respect” at the time and, as a result of this influence, “Drive My Car” contains more bottom end than previous Beatles recordings, mimicking the bass-heavy sound that Redding ‘s Memphis studio.
The band recorded four takes but they completed only the last one. It’s definitely a crowd favorite!
