I assumed this stupendously well-known early Beatles rocker was penned by them, but it was in fact written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns two years before the Beatles’ 1963 release. It was already a hit in the record charts in a version by the Isley Brothers, from their own album Twist & Shout in 1962. Other groups after the Beatles even had chart success with their versions of it, like Salt-N-Pepa, and Chaka Demus & Pliers.
My favourite aspect of the song is John Lennon’s untamed and ardent singing, but interestingly Lennon initially didn’t like his voice on it. He said, ‘because I could sing better than that, but now it doesn’t bother me. You can hear that I’m just a frantic guy doing his best‘.
Well, he might not have liked it, but I think it’s the ants’ pants. A second take was attempted, but Lennon had nothing left because of his hoarse voice, and it was abandoned. It’s funny how, from his sheer zeal in the first take, he seems destined to go hoarse. So it’s foretelling, really. He’s clearly shattered by the end, but it’s still magic.
Twist and Shout and their other rocker Dizzy Miss Lizzy are two of my favourite rockers from their early period – interestingly both are covers. That deceptively simple guitar intro has a beautiful timbre and gets the engine churning. It’s so anticipatory and then, boom, Lennon’s voice comes in so unhinged, husky and impassioned, like there’s no tomorrow – at times screeching, screaming and just plain old – belting it out.
Twist and Shout is so bursting with unbridled youthful energy and excitement. It draws some parallels to the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll like Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.
It reached No. 2 on the US Billboard singles chart, during the week when the top five places on the chart were all Beatles singles. The song failed to hit No. 1 in the US because the group’s own follow-up single, Can’t Buy Me Love, held the spot.
In the UK, Twist and Shout was released as an EP, where it reached No. 1 on the EP chart.
[Verse 1]
Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out, ooh)
Well, work it on out, honey (Work it on out)
You know you look so good (Look so good)
You know you got me goin’ now (Got me goin’)
Just like you knew you would (Like I knew you would, ooh)
[Verse 2]
Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out, ooh)
You know you twist, you little girl (Twist, little girl)
You know you twist so fine (Twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer, now (Twist a little closer)
And let me know that you’re mine (Let me know you’re mine, ooh)
[Bridge]
Ah (Ah, ah, ah)
(Ah) Woah (Yeah), yeah
[Verse 3]
Baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (Come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out, ooh)
You know you twist, you little girl (Twist, little girl)
You know you twist so fine (Twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer, now (Twist a little closer)
And let me know that you’re mine (Let me know you’re mine, ooh)
[Outro]
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Ah (Ah, ah, ah)
Ayy
References:
1. Twist and Shout – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Love this song and also Dizzy Miss Lizzy. Some of their early stuff doesn’t really get the recognition it deserves, but it really should.
I couldn’t agree more about the lack of recognition for their early stuff. I’m probably more of a fan of it overall than their latter stuff. I’m definitely more of a fan of their post-Beatles output, but I didn’t say that. Shhh lol
I will never tell lol
It might have been because we were subjected to “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Yellow Submarine” ad nauseam at school during pre-class aerobics.
I hear that, but I would love to know if Ob-La-Di…was written about a couple that they saw. Kind of like the characters in Penny Lane that they saw around.
This is where I declare you’re outside my league when it comes to Beatles intricacies. I surrender! 😂
No don’t do that. My brain just goes all sideways sometimes in looking at stuff. I remember lyrics and movie quotes, but not what I did 3 weeks ago lol
No really, my scope of the Beatles is limited to their anthology documentary and music and all the stuff I’ve heard. Go sideways any which way, but it’s unlikely I can be of much use.
Well, you beat me in everything else music wise
I doubt that.
You didn’t know that it was originally recorded by the Isley Brothers? WOW
This is definitely one of my favorite Beatles covers. THEY OWN THIS SONG. John’s vocals are SOOOOO SEXY.
I can imagine them doing this in Hamburg, when they were just youngsters & getting it DOWN.
love love love this song.
I can imagine that about Hamburg. Having listened to those other versions, I agree that theirs is the definitive version.
Here’s some cool history which I wish I’d put in the article:
The Beatles recorded 10 of the 14 tracks for Please Please Me in a marathon session lasting 12 hours. “Twist and Shout” was the last song recorded. John had a heavy cold, and his voice was already pretty much shot.
I like how it sounds half wrecked.
Yeah! So do I!
“Please Please Me” is another one of my all-time favorites. Great lyrics, almost Shakespearean in the way they use repeating words.
Yeh, I posted on that one.
It’s great.