Released: April 9, 1965

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney John Lennon

Producer: George Martin

[Verse 1]
If you wear red tonight
Remember what I said tonight
For red is the color that my baby wore
And what's more, it's true
Yes it is

[Verse 2]
Scarlet were the clothes she wore
Everybody knows I'm sure
I would remember all the things we planned
Understand, it's true
Yes it is, it's true
Yes it is

[Bridge]
I could be happy with you by my side
If I could forget her, but it's my pride
Yes it is, yes it is
Oh, yes it is, yeah

[Verse 3]
"Please don't wear red tonight"
This is what I said tonight
For red is the color that will make me blue
In spite of you, it's true
Yes it is, it's true
Yes it is

[Bridge]
I could be happy with you by my side
If I could forget her, but it's my pride
Yes it is, yes it is
Oh, yes it is, yeah

[Verse 3]
"Please don't wear red tonight"
This is what I said tonight
For red is the color that will make me blue
In spite of you, it's true
Yes it is, it's true
Yes it is, it's true

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.