The Beatles

Released: November 22, 1963

Songwriter: Smokey Robinson

Producer: George Martin

[Verse 1]
I don't like you, but I love you
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
Oh, oh, oh
You treat me badly, I love you madly
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me)
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me), baby!

[Verse 2]
I don't want you, but I need you
Don't want to kiss you, but I need to
Oh, oh, oh
You do me wrong now, my love is strong now
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me)
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me), baby!

[Refrain]
I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me...
Tighter!
Tighter!

[Verse 3]
I want to leave you, don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend another day here
Oh, oh, oh
I want to split now, I just can't quit now
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me)
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me), baby! (baby!)

[Refrain]
I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me (Please), hold me (Squeeze), hold me, hold me...

[Outro]
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me)
You've really got a hold on me (You've really got a hold on me)

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.

more tracks from the album

A Hard Day’s Night (US)

From the albums

With the Beatles (1963)
The Beatles’ Second Album (1964)
The Beatles’ Long Tall Sally (1964)
Anthology 1 (1995)
The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 (2004)
The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings) Boxset (2009)
The U.S. Albums (2014)

The Beatles popular songs

You Really Got a Hold on MeThe Beatles

The Beatles

A Hard Day’s Night (US)