Released: July 10, 1964

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney Paul McCartney John Lennon

Producer: George Martin

[Verse 1]
You know if you break my heart I'll go
But I'll be back again
'Cause I told you once before goodbye
But I came back again

[Bridge 1]
I love you so
I'm the one who wants you
Yes, I'm the one who wants you
Oh ho, oh ho, oh

[Verse 2]
You could find better things to do
Than to break my heart again
This time, I will try to show that I'm
Not trying to pretend

[Bridge 2]
I thought that you would realize
That if I ran away from you
That you would want me too
But I got a big surprise
Oh ho, oh ho, oh

[Verse 3]
You could find better things to do
Than to break my heart again
This time I will try to show that I'm
Not trying to pretend

[Bridge 1]
I wanna go
But I hate to leave you
You know I hate to leave you
Oh ho, oh ho, oh

[Outro]
You, if you break my heart I'll go
But I'll be back again

The Beatles

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.