Tag: Ringoisms

This is probably one of the most studied songs by the Beatles in their entire catalog. Why is it studied? That opening chord or chords. It baffled musicians for years on how to duplicate it. It took around 40 years to figure it out to be exact. It’s probably one of the most recognizable intros in rock. A musician didn’t figure it out…that took a Dalhousie mathematician. None of the Beatles could remember exactly how they did it.

Here is a PDF you can download. A Hard Days Night Chord . It’s called Mathematics, Physics and A Hard Day’s Night. Here is what Wiki said: George Harrison: Fadd9 in 1st position on Rickenbacker 360/12 12-string electric guitar. John Lennon: Fadd9 in 1st position on a Gibson J-160E 6-string acoustic guitar. Paul McCartney: high D3 played on the D-string, 12th fret on Hofner 500/1 electric bass. George Martin: D2-G2-D3 played on a Steinway Grand Piano.

I just don’t see how they thought it up…it was most likely helped by George Martin.  Anyway, it’s a great song and a hugely popular one from their early years. The title came from something Ringo said and John remembered it. They all called Ringo’s odd phrases Ringoisms. Ringo said “We went to do a job, and we’d worked all day and we happened to work all night. I came up still thinking it was day I suppose, and I said, ‘It’s been a hard day…’ and I looked around and saw it was dark so I said, ‘Night!’ So we came to ‘A Hard Day’s Night.”

A Hard Day’s Night was written and recorded in less than 24 hours. It only took them 3 hours to finish the song. It was another song that was written under pressure. The movie production had begun and this was the last song to be recorded. On the way to the studio, John Lennon was talking to a journalist Maureen Cleave who was sharing a cab with him.

He showed her the lyrics to A Hard Day’s Night. They were scrawled down on a birthday card sent from a fan to his son Julian. What the lyrics were was  “When I get home to you / I find my tiredness is through …” and Cleave didn’t like the word tiredness and told John…so he grabbed her pen and wrote, “When I get home to you / I find the things that you do / Will make me feel all right.” Today Julian’s birthday card is in the British Library.

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #1 in New Zealand, and #1 in the UK in 1964.

The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Album Charts, #1 in Canada, and #1 in the UK.

A fun fact about the movie. Phil Collins was one of the school kids brought in as extras for a scene in the movie where The Beatles perform. He didn’t make the cut, but years later, the film’s producer gave Collins the outtake footage with him in it and had Collins add commentary to the DVD release.

They won their first Grammy with this song.

A Hard Day’s Night

It’s been a hard day’s night
And I’ve been workin’ like a dog
It’s been a hard day’s night
I should be sleepin’ like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright

You know I work all day
To get you money to buy you things
And it’s worth it just to hear you say
You’re gonna give me everything
So why on Earth should I moan?
‘Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel okay

When I’m home
Everything seems to be right
When I’m home
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah

It’s been a hard day’s night
And I’ve been workin’ like a dog
It’s been a hard day’s night
I should be sleepin’ like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright, ow

So why on Earth should I moan?
‘Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel okay

When I’m home
Everything seems to be right
When I’m home
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah

Oh, it’s been a hard day’s night
And I’ve been workin’ like a dog
It’s been a hard day’s night
I should be sleepin’ like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright

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