The Beatles

Released: March 18, 1996

Songwriter: Paul McCartney Lennon-McCartney

Producer: George Martin

[Spoken Word: Paul McCartney]
Lets hope this one turns out pretty darn good huh?

[Verse 1]
You tell lies thinking I can't see
You can't cry 'cause you're laughing at me

[Chorus]
I'm down
I'm down
I'm down
How can you laugh when you know I'm down
When you know I'm down

[Verse 2]
Man buys ring, woman throws it away
Same old thing happen everyday

[Chorus]
I'm down
I'm down
I'm down
How can you laugh when you know I'm down?
When you know I'm down?

[Guitar solo & McCartney shouts]

[Verse 3]
We're all alone and there nobody else
You still moan, "Keep your hands to yourself!"

[Chorus]
I'm down
I'm down
I'm down
How can you laugh when you know I'm down?
How can you laugh when you know I'm down?

[McCartney barks]
Keep going

[Chorus]
Oh baby I'm down
Oh yes, I'm down
Oh don't you know I'm down?
I'm down, yeah
I'm down, down, down, down, down, down, down

Wow, I'm down
Oh baby, I'm down
I'm down on the ground
I'm down
Woo, I'm hyeah
I'm down, and I'm a downer
I'll be a downer, and I'm a downer
Well yes I'm down, ow

[Spoken Word: Paul McCartney]
Ay its gonna be a goo-
Plastic soul, man, plastic soul
Plastic soul man

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join—but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August—just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.

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