Day Tripper

This article is about the Beatles song. For other uses, see Daytripper.

"Day Tripper"
Single by The Beatles
A-side	"We Can Work It Out"
Released	3 December 1965 (UK) 6 December 1965 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	16 October 1965 EMI Studios, London
Genre	Rock
Length	2:46 (stereo version) 2:50 (mono version)
Label	Parlophone (UK) Capitol (US)
Writer(s)	Lennon/McCartney
Producer	George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Help!" (UK-1965) — "Yesterday" (US-1965) "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" (1965) "Paperback Writer" (UK-1966) — "Nowhere Man" (US-1966)

"Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out".^[1] Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album. The single topped the UK Singles Chart^[2] and the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January, 1966.^[3][1]

Composition

Main Guitar Riff

Under the pressure of needing a new single for the Christmas market,^[4] John Lennon wrote much of the music, including the famous guitar hook, and most of the lyrics, while Paul McCartney helped with the verses.

"Day Tripper" was a typical play on words by Lennon: "Day trippers are people who go on a day trip, right? Usually on a ferryboat or something. But [the song] was kind of . . . you're just a weekend hippie. Get it?"^[5] In the same interview Lennon said, "That's mine. Including the lick, the guitar break and the whole bit."^[5] In his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, however, he used "Day Tripper" as one example of their collaboration, where one partner had the main idea but the other took up the cause and completed it.^[6] For his part, McCartney claimed it was very much a collaboration based on Lennon's original idea.^[7]

In Many Years From Now, McCartney said that "Day Tripper" was about drugs, and "a tongue-in-cheek song about someone who was ... committed only in part to the idea."^[7] The line recorded as "she's a big teaser" was originally written as "she's a prick teaser."^[7]

According to music critic Ian MacDonald, the song "starts as a twelve-bar blues in E, which makes a feint at turning into a twelve-bar in the relative minor (i.e. the chorus) before doubling back to the expected B—another joke from a group which had clearly decided that wit was to be their new gimmick."^[8] Indeed, in 1966 McCartney said in Melody Maker that "Day Tripper" and "Drive My Car" (recorded three days prior) were "funny songs, songs with jokes in." McCartney provides the lead vocal for the verses and Lennon the harmony, in contrast to the Beatles' usual practice of a song's principal composer singing lead, although Lennon sings lead in the chorus, with McCartney on harmony.

Recording

The song was recorded on 16 October 1965. The Beatles recorded the basic rhythm track for "If I Needed Someone" after completing "Day Tripper".^[4]

The released master contains one of the most noticeable mistakes of any Beatles song, a drop out at 1:50 in which the lead guitar and tambourine momentarily disappears, or drops out. There are also two more minor drop outs at 1:56 and 2:32^[9]. Bootleg releases of an early mix (which present an extended breakdown as opposed to a polished fadeout) feature a technical glitch on the session tape itself, with characteristics of an accidental recording over the original take as the recorder comes up to speed. This was later fixed on the 2000 compilation 1 and on the remastered Past Masters.

In 1966, "Day Tripper" was featured on the US album Yesterday and Today and the British A Collection of Beatles Oldies compilation. It was later included on the 1962–1966 compilation (aka the Red Album), released in 1973.

Music video

The Beatles filmed three different music videos, directed by Joe McGrath.

Personnel

• John Lennon – lead vocal (chorus), harmony vocal (verses), rhythm guitar, lead guitar (solo)
• Paul McCartney – lead vocal (verses), harmony vocal (chorus), bass
• George Harrison – harmony vocal (chorus), lead guitar (riff)
• Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine

Personnel per Ian MacDonald^[8] and Mark Lewisohn.^[4]

Cover versions

• The Jimi Hendrix Experience covered this song on BBC Sessions.
• Mae West covered the song on her 1966 album Way Out West. The album was re-released in 2008 on CD.
• Otis Redding's version is available on Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul.
• Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 covered this song on Herb Alpert Presents
• Anne Murray covered this song on Highly Prized Possession
• Whitesnake covered this song on Trouble
• Electric Light Orchestra covered this song on the Long Beach live album
• James Taylor covered this song on Flag
• Cheap Trick covered this song on the Found All the Parts EP
• Sham 69 covered this song on The Game
• Yellow Magic Orchestra covered this song on the 1979 album Solid State Survivor
• Daniel Ash covered this song on Coming Down
• Gene Wooten covered this song on The Great Dobro Sessions
• Ocean Colour Scene covered this song with members of Oasis on a single
• Tok tok tok covered this song on 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
• Ian Hunter covered this song on Missing In Action
• The Punkles covered this song on Pistol
• Tommy Shaw covered this song on Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute
• David Cook covered this song on Day Tripper (American Idol Studio Version)- Single
• Bad Brains covered this song in dub reggae format as a staple at live shows during the tour for I Against I.
• Type O Negative recorded a medley of Beatles' songs including this one on "World Coming Down"
• Lulu covered this song in 1967 on her album Love Loves to Love Lulu^[10]
• Nancy Sinatra covered the song on her album Boots
• Fever Tree covered the song on their album Fever Tree in a medley with "We Can Work It Out".^[11]
• Budos Band used the melody in their song Reppirt Yad (Day Tripper spelled in reverse) on their album Budos Band III.
• J. J. Barnes covered this song on a single released on the Ric-Tic label in 1966.
• Ramsey Lewis covered this song on the 1966 album Wade in the Water (album).

The song is playable in the music video game The Beatles: Rock Band.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Wallgren 1982, p. 45.
2. ^ The Official UK Charts Company 2009.
3. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 -- Week of January 22, 1966". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/hot-100?chartDate=1966-01-22. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Lewisohn 1988, p. 64.
5. ^ ^{a b} Sheff 2000, p. 177.
6. ^ Wenner 2000.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Miles 1997, pp. 209–210.
8. ^ ^{a b} MacDonald 2005, pp. 167–168.
9. ^ What Goes On 2010.
10. ^ Flanagan 2009.
11. ^ Eder 2009.

References

• Eder, Bruce (2009). "Review of Fever Tree". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r37467. Retrieved 26 December 2009. 
• Flanagan, Rob (2009). "Review of Love Loves to Love Lulu". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r43699. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1. 
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised Edition ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3. 
• Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6. 
• "Beatles - Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out". The Official UK Charts Company. 2009. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_singles_song.php?id=207. Retrieved 30 November 2009. ^{[dead link]}
• Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-25464-4. 
• Wallgren, Mark (1982). The Beatles on Record. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-45682-2. 
• Wenner, Jann S. (2000). Lennon Remembers (Full interview from Lennon's 1970 interview in Rolling Stone magazine). London: Verso. ISBN 1-85984-600-9. 
• "Day Tripper". What Goes On. 2011. http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/content/d.htm#dt. Retrieved 10 June 2011. 

Preceded by "The Carnival Is Over" by The Seekers

UK number one single 16 December 1965 (five weeks)

Succeeded by "Keep on Running" by The Spencer Davis Group