Description
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the most important pop and rock and roll singles of the 1960s, and the song that helped launch the British Invasion in the United States. Released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom and 26 December 1963 in the United States, the track was issued by Parlophone Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney, and produced by George Martin.
Musically, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” blends rock and roll and pop with the bright, energetic sound of early Beatlemania. The song is built around tight vocal harmonies, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and handclaps. The recording features John Lennon on vocals, rhythm guitar, and handclaps, Paul McCartney on vocals, bass guitar, and handclaps, George Harrison on harmony vocal, lead guitar, and handclaps, and Ringo Starr on drums and handclaps.
The song has no single lead singer in the traditional sense. Lennon and McCartney alternate between unison and harmony vocals, giving the track its excited, communal feeling. Its lyrics are simple and direct, capturing the innocent thrill of romantic attraction through one clear idea: wanting to hold someone’s hand.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was recorded on 17 October 1963 at EMI Studios in London. One important technical curiosity is that it was the first Beatles song recorded using four-track recording equipment, together with its UK B-side, “This Boy.” This gave the band and George Martin more flexibility in the studio and helped create a fuller sound than many of their earlier recordings.
The song became a massive commercial success. In the UK, it reached No. 1, stayed there for five weeks, and became the Christmas No. 1 of 1963. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1964, reached No. 1 on 1 February, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. It became the Beatles’ first American No. 1 hit and played a central role in opening the US market to British rock bands.
One curiosity about the song is where it was written. Lennon and McCartney composed it in the basement music room of 57 Wimpole Street in London, where McCartney was staying with the family of his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. Lennon later described the writing process as “eyeball to eyeball,” with both of them sitting at the piano and building the song together.
Another interesting detail is that “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was later recorded in German as “Komm, gib mir deine Hand.” The Beatles disliked the idea of recording German-language versions, but their German label believed the songs would sell better in Germany if sung in German. The band eventually recorded the version in Paris in 1964.
The song also has a major radio story behind its US success. A 14-year-old Beatles fan, Marsha Albert, asked Washington, D.C. radio DJ Carroll James to play the band on American radio. After obtaining a British copy of the single, James let her introduce it on air, helping create early demand before Capitol moved up the US release date.
Lyrics
Oh, yeah, I'll tell you something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
Oh, please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And, please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
And when I touch you, I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that, my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide
Yeah, you've got that something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
And when I touch you, I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that, my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide
Yeah, you've got that something
I think you'll understand
When I feel that something
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
Youtube video
Songs links
Specification
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the most important pop and rock and roll singles of the 1960s, and the song that helped launch the British Invasion in the United States. Released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom and 26 December 1963 in the United States, the track was issued by Parlophone Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney, and produced by George Martin.
Musically, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” blends rock and roll and pop with the bright, energetic sound of early Beatlemania. The song is built around tight vocal harmonies, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and handclaps. The recording features John Lennon on vocals, rhythm guitar, and handclaps, Paul McCartney on vocals, bass guitar, and handclaps, George Harrison on harmony vocal, lead guitar, and handclaps, and Ringo Starr on drums and handclaps.
The song has no single lead singer in the traditional sense. Lennon and McCartney alternate between unison and harmony vocals, giving the track its excited, communal feeling. Its lyrics are simple and direct, capturing the innocent thrill of romantic attraction through one clear idea: wanting to hold someone’s hand.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was recorded on 17 October 1963 at EMI Studios in London. One important technical curiosity is that it was the first Beatles song recorded using four-track recording equipment, together with its UK B-side, “This Boy.” This gave the band and George Martin more flexibility in the studio and helped create a fuller sound than many of their earlier recordings.
The song became a massive commercial success. In the UK, it reached No. 1, stayed there for five weeks, and became the Christmas No. 1 of 1963. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1964, reached No. 1 on 1 February, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. It became the Beatles’ first American No. 1 hit and played a central role in opening the US market to British rock bands.
One curiosity about the song is where it was written. Lennon and McCartney composed it in the basement music room of 57 Wimpole Street in London, where McCartney was staying with the family of his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. Lennon later described the writing process as “eyeball to eyeball,” with both of them sitting at the piano and building the song together.
Another interesting detail is that “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was later recorded in German as “Komm, gib mir deine Hand.” The Beatles disliked the idea of recording German-language versions, but their German label believed the songs would sell better in Germany if sung in German. The band eventually recorded the version in Paris in 1964.
The song also has a major radio story behind its US success. A 14-year-old Beatles fan, Marsha Albert, asked Washington, D.C. radio DJ Carroll James to play the band on American radio. After obtaining a British copy of the single, James let her introduce it on air, helping create early demand before Capitol moved up the US release date.
Specification
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the most important pop and rock and roll singles of the 1960s, and the song that helped launch the British Invasion in the United States. Released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom and 26 December 1963 in the United States, the track was issued by Parlophone Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney, and produced by George Martin.
Musically, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” blends rock and roll and pop with the bright, energetic sound of early Beatlemania. The song is built around tight vocal harmonies, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and handclaps. The recording features John Lennon on vocals, rhythm guitar, and handclaps, Paul McCartney on vocals, bass guitar, and handclaps, George Harrison on harmony vocal, lead guitar, and handclaps, and Ringo Starr on drums and handclaps.
The song has no single lead singer in the traditional sense. Lennon and McCartney alternate between unison and harmony vocals, giving the track its excited, communal feeling. Its lyrics are simple and direct, capturing the innocent thrill of romantic attraction through one clear idea: wanting to hold someone’s hand.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was recorded on 17 October 1963 at EMI Studios in London. One important technical curiosity is that it was the first Beatles song recorded using four-track recording equipment, together with its UK B-side, “This Boy.” This gave the band and George Martin more flexibility in the studio and helped create a fuller sound than many of their earlier recordings.
The song became a massive commercial success. In the UK, it reached No. 1, stayed there for five weeks, and became the Christmas No. 1 of 1963. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1964, reached No. 1 on 1 February, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. It became the Beatles’ first American No. 1 hit and played a central role in opening the US market to British rock bands.
One curiosity about the song is where it was written. Lennon and McCartney composed it in the basement music room of 57 Wimpole Street in London, where McCartney was staying with the family of his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. Lennon later described the writing process as “eyeball to eyeball,” with both of them sitting at the piano and building the song together.
Another interesting detail is that “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was later recorded in German as “Komm, gib mir deine Hand.” The Beatles disliked the idea of recording German-language versions, but their German label believed the songs would sell better in Germany if sung in German. The band eventually recorded the version in Paris in 1964.
The song also has a major radio story behind its US success. A 14-year-old Beatles fan, Marsha Albert, asked Washington, D.C. radio DJ Carroll James to play the band on American radio. After obtaining a British copy of the single, James let her introduce it on air, helping create early demand before Capitol moved up the US release date.
Specification
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the most important pop and rock and roll singles of the 1960s, and the song that helped launch the British Invasion in the United States. Released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom and 26 December 1963 in the United States, the track was issued by Parlophone Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney, and produced by George Martin.
Musically, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” blends rock and roll and pop with the bright, energetic sound of early Beatlemania. The song is built around tight vocal harmonies, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and handclaps. The recording features John Lennon on vocals, rhythm guitar, and handclaps, Paul McCartney on vocals, bass guitar, and handclaps, George Harrison on harmony vocal, lead guitar, and handclaps, and Ringo Starr on drums and handclaps.
The song has no single lead singer in the traditional sense. Lennon and McCartney alternate between unison and harmony vocals, giving the track its excited, communal feeling. Its lyrics are simple and direct, capturing the innocent thrill of romantic attraction through one clear idea: wanting to hold someone’s hand.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was recorded on 17 October 1963 at EMI Studios in London. One important technical curiosity is that it was the first Beatles song recorded using four-track recording equipment, together with its UK B-side, “This Boy.” This gave the band and George Martin more flexibility in the studio and helped create a fuller sound than many of their earlier recordings.
The song became a massive commercial success. In the UK, it reached No. 1, stayed there for five weeks, and became the Christmas No. 1 of 1963. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1964, reached No. 1 on 1 February, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. It became the Beatles’ first American No. 1 hit and played a central role in opening the US market to British rock bands.
One curiosity about the song is where it was written. Lennon and McCartney composed it in the basement music room of 57 Wimpole Street in London, where McCartney was staying with the family of his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. Lennon later described the writing process as “eyeball to eyeball,” with both of them sitting at the piano and building the song together.
Another interesting detail is that “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was later recorded in German as “Komm, gib mir deine Hand.” The Beatles disliked the idea of recording German-language versions, but their German label believed the songs would sell better in Germany if sung in German. The band eventually recorded the version in Paris in 1964.
The song also has a major radio story behind its US success. A 14-year-old Beatles fan, Marsha Albert, asked Washington, D.C. radio DJ Carroll James to play the band on American radio. After obtaining a British copy of the single, James let her introduce it on air, helping create early demand before Capitol moved up the US release date.
