The Beatles

Released: May 26, 1967

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney Paul McCartney

Producer: George Martin

[Intro: John Lennon, Paul McCartney & George Harrison]
Lovely Rita, meter maid
Lovely Rita, meter maid

[Chorus 1: Paul McCartney]
Lovely Rita, meter maid
Nothing can come between us
When it gets dark I tow your heart away

[Verse 1: Paul McCartney]
Standing by a parking meter
When I caught a glimpse of Rita
Filling in a ticket in her little white book
In a cap she looked much older
And the bag across her shoulder
Made her look a little like a military man

[Chorus 2: Paul McCartney and (Lennon, McCartney & Harrison)]
Lovely Rita, meter maid
May I inquire discreetly (Lovely Rita)
When are you free to take some tea with me? (Lovely Rita maid! Ahh-ah-ah)
Rita!

[Piano Solo]

[Verse 2: Paul McCartney]
Took her out and tried to win her
Had a laugh and over dinner
Told her I would really like to see her again
Got the bill and Rita paid it
Took her home, I nearly made it
Sitting on the sofa with a sister or two

[Chorus 3: Paul McCartney]
Oh, lovely Rita meter maid
Where would I be without you?
Give us a wink and make me think of you

[Outro: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, & George Harrison and (Paul McCartney)]
Lovely Rita meter maid (Lovely meter maid)
Lovely Rita meter maid (Rita meter maid)
Lovely Rita meter maid (Oh Lovely Rita, meter meter maid)
Lovely Rita meter maid
Ah da, ah da, ah da, ah da
Ah da, ah da, ah da, ah da
Ah da, ah da, ah da, ah da
Ah da, ah da, ah da, ah da

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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