You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
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| "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" | ||
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| Song by The Beatles | ||
| from the album Help! | ||
| Released | August 6, 1965 | |
| Recorded | February 18, 1965 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 2:06 | |
| Label | Parlophone, Capitol, EMI | |
| Writer(s) | John Lennon / Paul McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| Help! track listing | ||
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"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by the English 1960's rock band The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon & Paul McCartney, and first appeared on the album Help! in August 1965. The song also appeared on side three of the 1973 compilation The Red Album. It was one of John Lennon's "Bob Dylan era" songs. The song was one of two songs in a transition period for the Beatles. Their previous album, Beatles for Sale, and their next album, Rubber Soul, were very different. This song and also "Yesterday" were two different songs for the Beatles at the time, two honest songs which fronted a new slant at songwriting for The Beatles.
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[edit] Performance in the film
In the film, at the opening of the song, the head of the "Indian cult", Leo McKern, appears from a manhole cover in the middle of Ailsa Avenue, London, where parts of the film were shot. He stays there for the whole song, which the Beatles play in John Lennon's flat. They are watched by "Ahme", played by Eleanor Bron, and at the end of the song, George passes out after Ahme produces a giant needle for Ringo, who is wearing the ring the cult want.
[edit] Influence of Bob Dylan
At the time of the release of Help!, John Lennon was infatuated with the American artist Bob Dylan. He even used to dress like the artist, once wearing a cap that was very similar to one Dylan sported on the 1964 album The Times They Are A-Changin'. Lennon even mimics Dylan's gruff vocal style, and uses an accompaniment which is all acoustic with very little percussion. He also wanted to add a harmonica solo at the end of the piece, which was common in Dylan's work, but he realised that his infatuation had gone far enough. [1] Instead, The Beatles hired Johnnie Scott to play two overdubbed flute solos—one on a concert flute and one an octave lower on an alto flute.
[edit] Other song information
The song is reputed to be about one of John Lennon's numerous affairs, as his marriage with his wife Cynthia was failing. If that were the case, the song would be a message to himself. Other sources state it is a reference to Brian Epstein, the group's manager, who was homosexual (homosexuality was a criminal offence in Britain at the time).
When Lennon made a mistake during the recording (he sang "two foot small" instead of "two foot tall"), he is reported to have said: "Leave it in, the pseuds'll love it!" [citation needed]
- You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Sample of The Beatles' original version
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
[edit] Selected list of recorded versions
- The Beatles
- The Silkie, produced by The Beatles
- Tim Rose
- Eddie Vedder, on the movie soundtrack of I Am Sam, as well as being popular during Pearl Jam concerts
- Oasis, as a B-Side
- The Subways
- Elvis Costello
- The Beach Boys, on their Beach Boys' Party! album, with the lead vocal by Dennis Wilson
