Don't Bother Me

"Don't Bother Me"
Song by The Beatles from the album With The Beatles
Released	22 November 1963
Recorded	11–12 September 1963
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:29
Label	Parlophone
Writer	George Harrison
Producer	George Martin
With The Beatles track listing
14 tracks Side one "It Won't Be Long" "All I've Got to Do" "All My Loving" "Don't Bother Me" "Little Child" "Till There Was You" "Please Mister Postman" Side two "Roll Over Beethoven" "Hold Me Tight" "You Really Got a Hold on Me" "I Wanna Be Your Man" "Devil in Her Heart" "Not a Second Time" "Money"
Music sample "Don't Bother Me"

"Don't Bother Me" is the first song written by George Harrison to appear on an album by The Beatles. It originally appeared on the group's With The Beatles album in the United Kingdom, released in 1963, and on their Meet The Beatles! album in the United States, released in 1964.

History

Harrison wrote the song while ill in bed at a hotel room in Bournemouth, England where The Beatles were playing some shows during the summer of 1963.^[1] Harrison never regarded it highly, stating on one occasion, "It was a fairly crappy song. I forgot all about it completely once it was on the album."^{[citation needed]} He considered it an exercise in whether he could write a song, later saying, "at least it showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing, and then maybe eventually I would write something good."^[2] Harrison received a writing credit for two earlier songs, "In Spite of All the Danger" (McCartney/Harrison) and "Cry for a Shadow" (Harrison/Lennon). Both were recorded by The Beatles but neither was released officially by the band until 1995's Anthology 1 compilation.^[3] Because the former was largely a McCartney composition (Harrison received a credit simply for playing the guitar solo) and the latter was an instrumental pastiche of The Shadows, "Don't Bother Me" is considered Harrison's first song by most (including the composer himself).

After "Don't Bother Me", it was not until 1965's Help! album that another Harrison song would appear on record. "You Know What to Do" was recorded in 1964, but was not released at the time.

Composition and recording

The sullen mood and desolate lyrics—"So go away, leave me alone, don't bother me"—were unusual for The Beatles at the time but would become characteristic for Harrison. The song mostly stays in a minor key and achieves a thick sound through its double-tracked vocal, reverbed guitars, and busy drumming. The elaborate percussion lends the song a Latin rhythm accentuated by its stop-time structure.

The Beatles recorded the song on 11 and 12 September 1963.^[4] They were not satisfied with the version recorded on the eleventh and did a remake on the 12th.^[4] Just a few days after the recording was completed, Harrison became the first Beatle to travel to the US when he visited his sister in Benton, Illinois.

Appearances

"Don't Bother Me" is one of several songs featured in A Hard Day's Night, during a scene where The Beatles dance at a nightclub while McCartney's grandfather gambles elsewhere. At the end of the film, it is noted as a Lennon/McCartney composition rather than a Harrison composition.

British singer Gregory Phillips released a version of "Don't Bother Me" as his third single. Though unsuccessful, this was the first cover version of a Harrison composition.^[5]

Personnel

• George Harrison – double-tracked vocal, lead guitar
• John Lennon – rhythm guitar, tambourine
• Paul McCartney – bass, claves
• Ringo Starr – drums, bongos
• George Martin – producer
• Norman Smith – engineer

Personnel per Ian MacDonald^[1]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} MacDonald 2005, p. 98.
2. ^ The Beatles Interview Database 2010.
3. ^ Lewisohn 1995, pp. 6, 10–11.
4. ^ ^{a b} Lewisohn 1988, p. 35–6.
5. ^ Unterberger 2009.

References

• "With the Beatles: Don't Bother Me". The Beatles Interview Database. 2010. http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/dba02with.html. Retrieved 21 February 2010. 
• Lewisohn, Mark (1995). Album notes for Anthology 2 by The Beatles [booklet]. London: Apple Records (34445).
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3. 
• Unterberger, Richie (2009). "Gregory Phillips: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p114238. Retrieved 7 September 2009.