I always enjoyed the melody and singing in the verses of The Beatles – “Help!” more than any other part of the song. It contains a sophisticated Lead-Lag-Lead-Synchronous pattern where backing vocals (Paul and George) move between anticipating, following, and echoing John’s lead melody. It’s clever, and you can see it clearly in the video, with them arranged one behind the other on a work plank. In fact, according to Paul McCartney, he was called in “to complete it” at John Lennon’s house, helping shape the countermelody arrangement.
Once again Lennon’s expressive and gritty vocals are wonderful, but here they feel more open and vulnerable than on rasping rockers like Twist and Shout and Dizzy Miss Lizzy; his voice carries a sense of urgency while still sounding controlled and melodic.
Help! was the title song for the 1965 film and its accompanying soundtrack album. Lennon later said that when he was commissioned to write it, he didn’t realise at the time that he was genuinely crying out for help, as he was going through a period of depression. He famously called it his “fat Elvis” period, saying, “Anyway, I was fat and depressed, and I was crying out for help.”
By this time, these four musicians from Liverpool – rooted in rock and blues and gifted in playing, singing, and songwriting – had become a cultural phenomenon. The Beatles had grown into something larger than John, Paul, George, and Ringo as individuals could comfortably carry.
Lennon, as his later reflections suggest, was becoming more aware of his own limitations and the strange weight of fame, including the sense of power others projected onto him. Through songs like Help!, he was trying to hold on to a more honest version of himself amid the noise surrounding his life.
“The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help“
– Playboy interview 1980
Wikipedia:
In the 1970 Rolling Stone “Lennon Remembers” interviews, Lennon said he felt that “Help!” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” were his most honest, genuine Beatles songs and not just songs “written to order“.
The Beatles recorded “Help!” in 12 takes on 13 April 1965 using four-track equipment. The first nine takes concentrated on the instrumental backing. The descending lead guitar riff that precedes each verse proved to be difficult, so by take 4 it was decided to postpone it for an overdub. To guide the later overdub by George Harrison, Lennon thumped the beat on his acoustic guitar body, which can be heard in the final stereo mix.
On 14 August, the group recorded a live performance of “Help!” and five other songs for The Ed Sullivan Show.
Help, I need somebody
Help, not just anybody
Help, you know I need someone, help
When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody’s help in any way
But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured
Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors
Help me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me, get my feet back on the ground
Won’t you please, please help me
And now my life has changed in oh so many ways
My independence seems to vanish in the haze
But every now and then I feel so insecure
I know that I just need you like I’ve never done before
Help me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me, get my feet back on the ground
Won’t you please, please help me
When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody’s help in any way
But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured
Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors
Help me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me, get my feet back on the ground
Won’t you please, please help me, help me, help me, oh
References:
1. Help! (song) – Wikipedia
2. Help! – SongMeanings
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Whenever the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show, it was a treat to be allowed to stay up & watch them. In 1965, I was 5 years old & my bedtime was 7:30. Ed Sullivan came on at 8 p.m. I wouldn’t have an 8 p.m. bedtime until I was 7 years old & not until I was 8 would it go to 8:30 & so on. But for special occasions like seeing the Beatles or a good movie (like the yearly showing of “The Wizard of Oz”, although I remember being allowed to stay up to see “Elmer Gantry”, probably because my Roman Catholic father hated what he called “Holy Rollers”), we were always allowed to stay up. Of course we had to be on our best behavior. Popcorn was a requirement. One big giant bowl that sat on my mother’s lap & smaller bowls for each one of us individually.
I remember my mother exclaiming, “They’re chewing gum as they sing!” I chewed gum for years after that, because the Beatles did. I did a lot of things ~ because the Beatles did.
Someone once said on SongMeanings that, at this point in music history, anyone born after 1965 can hardly fathom just how big The Beatles were. As always, Polly, your reflections are second to none – it’s a real privilege to read them.
I had a feeling that including the Ed Sullivan performance was essential to the article, and I’m glad it found its place, at least through your comments.
I remember their first time on Ed Sullivan. I was only 4 years old, but I do remember. The Beatles were CENTRAL to my childhood cultural reality. & yeah, if you weren’t there, you don’t get it & you never will.
This little doco was great in case u have the time:
I don’t have the time today, I’m leaving for the airport in an hour & I still have a lot to do. But I’ll check it out.
I was SO into Paul as a little girl ~ as most little girls were. But John became my man when I got to be around 10, 11 or so. Ya know, the age of rebellion. Of course, I was a born rebel LOL
I remember I was supposed to be Christmas shopping for my family & I was standing in a book store, reading “Lennon Remembers”, which had just been published. I read the whole book, just standing there.
I have a picture of John & Yoko standing on a bridge in NYC hanging over my desk that I’ve had since 1972. I’ve been looking for my “John Lennon” forever ~ you know, that collaborative genius to work creatively with ~ the way they did. At age 66 ~ almost ~ I don’t think that’s going to happen.
I hope you have a safe flight. I’ll respond further to this tomorrow, since I’ve also got some stuff to do. Oh, btw no rush on the video – you probably already know all of the Beatles history within. Cheers Polly.
Well, I’ll admit I’ve never been the biggest Beatles fan, but of course I like a lot of their stuff and understand their legacy. My reticence in my formative years may have had something to do with hearing “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Yellow Submarine” nearly everyday before each primary school day even began – doing a warm up dancing or something.
It’s only in recent years that I’ve started to move past that mild disdain I used to feel whenever I heard them. One thing’s for certain: I almost always prefer tracks where John’s on vocals over Paul. Looking at my playlist, I think nearly all my Beatles picks have John as the lead.
So you went from being a Paul fan to a John fan. I was always more of a John fan myself — we played his solo records a lot when I was growing up. I’ve only really come to appreciate George after exploring his solo material in recent years.
That’s pretty great, by the way – reading the whole “Lennon Remembers” right there in the store. And nice that the John and Yoko picture is still adorning your place.
Have a great day!
I was born in 1965, so the Beatles have been in my life for my entire life. I admit that my favorite albums were their later ones, which is probably a result of my being so much younger than older fans, but I celebrate their entire catalog.
That’s super and thanks for sharing your reflections here about the Beatles.
That’s a fantastic Beatles song and the video is so clever! I love Ringo’s facial gymnastics, especially the little tick at 0:58. I had never thought of the backing vocals in the way you describe, but they are truly brilliant. Interesting facts about the recording process… those backstories add so much to the experience of listening to a record. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, the expressions in the video are priceless – they look just a touch goofballish, but in the best possible way. It makes them so relatable. There’s so much personality and charisma on display.
Wow, Steve – great catch on those two ticks by Ringo. Nothing gets past you.
As always, thanks for reading these. Your words of encouragement and your own intriguing insights really mean a lot and add so much to the article.
Cheers, man.
Cheers to you as well, man. And “a touch goofballish, but in the best possible way” – exactly.
I watched it a couple of times so I feel like I got almost everything there was to draw out of it. An unusual concept for a video – especially at that time. Have to wonder what the creative team was discussing (or maybe imbibing!); “Let’s do a bit of a pantomime horse thing, shall we?”
It’s always a treat to see what music other folks get into and your presentations of it are always inviting.