“The Sheik of Araby” wasn’t a Beatles original — it was a novelty standard from 1921. The Beatles learned it in their early Hamburg days, inspired by Fats Domino’s 1961 rock ‘n’ roll version.

The only recorded Beatles performance comes from their January 1, 1962 Decca audition — with George Harrison singing lead.

“Free As A Bird” was originally a John Lennon demo from 1977, recorded on cassette in his New York apartment.

Yoko Ono gave Paul, George, and Ringo three unfinished John demos in 1994, asking them to complete them.

“She Came In Through the Bathroom Window” — inspired by a real break-in from a fan? Oh yes.

This quirky McCartney track on Abbey Road was born from a strange real-life event — when a Beatles fan actually climbed into Paul’s house… through the bathroom window!

“She Loves You” wasn’t just a hit — it was a cultural detonation. But there’s more to the story than “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Recorded in a single July 1963 session at EMI’s Studio 2, “She Loves You” broke all the rules — including starting with the chorus!

Introduction

(Visual: A montage of black and white photos of The Beatles in late 1962. The photos show them looking tired, a bit unkempt, and playing in small, cramped venues like The Cavern Club.)

The year is 1962. The Beatles are a band on the brink. They’ve been grinding it out for years in Liverpool and Hamburg, playing countless gigs, but their hard work is leading them nowhere. Their first single, “Love Me Do,” was a minor hit, a respectable number 17 on the charts… but only because their manager, Brian Epstein, reportedly bought 10,000 copies himself. They’re feeling “stale and cramped,” in John Lennon’s own words. The dream of national stardom is fading, replaced by a growing disillusionment.

Did you know “The Fool on the Hill” was nearly left off Magical Mystery Tour?

Paul McCartney wrote “The Fool on the Hill” during a trip to France in March 1967 — before Sgt. Pepper was even finished!
But when the Beatles recorded it in September, George Martin wasn’t impressed. He reportedly thought the arrangement was weak.
So Paul overdubbed the flute-like recorder part himself!

Paul wrote “The Long and Winding Road” at his farm in Scotland in 1968, inspired by the emotional strain of the Beatles breaking apart.

The version we all know? Wasn’t approved by McCartney.
Phil Spector added lush orchestration — 18 violins, 6 cellos, a harp, and a choir — without Paul’s permission.

“Let It Be” came to Paul in a dream — his mother Mary appeared and told him everything would be alright: “Let it be.”
It wasn’t religious — Paul later clarified that Mother Mary was literal, not biblical.

There are two different versions of the song. The single version (produced by George Martin) and the album version (remixed and overdubbed by Phil Spector).

“Penny Lane” isn’t just a catchy tune — it’s a nostalgic map of Paul McCartney’s childhood in Liverpool.

The barber shop, the fireman, the nurse — they were all real places and people Paul passed daily on the bus with John.

Paul McCartney originally wrote “Get Back” as a satirical response to anti-immigration attitudes in Britain — mocking politicians like Enoch Powell.

But fearing it’d be misunderstood, they dropped the political lyrics and reshaped it into a rock jam.