I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
“I've had a drink or two, and I don't care”
Lennon's resigned country-tinged confessional, written in the autumn 1964 push to fill out Beatles For Sale. The narrator slips quietly out of a party rather than show his disappointment that the girl never arrived – prefiguring his later country-rock leanings.
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The Beatles have 20 songs where Lennon writes from doubt or need rather than from wit, including 'Anna (Go to Him)', 'Not a Second Time', 'There's a Place', 'This Boy', 'I Don't Want to Spoil the Party', 'I'll Be Back' and 14 more.
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedSeptember 29, 1964
ReleasedDecember 4, 1964
Song familyFragile LennonQuiet admission of hurt rather than anger
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Text233 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
disappearfindgladhatepartyshowspoilturnswhilewondera drinkbe gladfar toofind herfor herhate myi findi wonderi wouldi'll bei'll goif iif sheif she'slook forlove hermade menot thereor twoshe turnsshe's notso i'llthere's nothere's nothingto showtoo longwhen she'swhile i'mand i don'ti don't carei think i'lltake a walki don't want tothere's no fun in
Cover-shared words
carefarfungogoneherhereknowletlonglooklovemadememynothingpleasesadshetaketherethinkthoughtonighttwowalkwantwentwrongand idon't caredon't wantfor mehad ai doi don'ti stilli thinki willi'll takei'm gonelet meme hereme sadso itake awant towhat idon't want toi do wheni don't wanti still lovelet me knowso i will
Lyric shape
[ADV] so[VERB] i'll[VERB] or[WORD] i'm[WORD] i'vei'll [WORD]not [ADV]or [WORD]there's [NOUN]too [VERB]up [WORD]what [WORD][ADV] she's [VERB][NOUN] i've [VERB][VERB] what [WORD][WORD] i'm [VERB]a [NOUN] andhad a [NOUN]i [VERB] i'lli [VERB] whati would [VERB]i'll be [ADJ]i'm [VERB] [VERB]if i [VERB]she [VERB] upshe's [VERB] me[VERB] [VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [NOUN] and[VERB] and [VERB] for[VERB] my [NOUN] toa [NOUN] and [VERB]a [NOUN] or [WORD]and i don't [VERB]i [VERB] i'll [VERB]i don't [VERB] toi'll [VERB] a [NOUN]there's no [WORD] inhad a [NOUN] or [WORD]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] too[NOUN] for[NOUN] i've[NOUN] so[NOUN] to[VERB] a[VERB] and[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] what[WORD] and[WORD] in[WORD] thea [NOUN]and [VERB]be [ADJ]don't [VERB]i [VERB]i'll [VERB]i'm [VERB]i've [VERB]me [ADJ]me [ADV]me [VERB]my [NOUN]no [WORD]she [VERB]she's [VERB]still [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]to [WORD]will [VERB]would [VERB][NOUN] for me[NOUN] to [VERB][VERB] [VERB] me[VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] and [VERB][VERB] me [ADJ][VERB] me [VERB][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to [WORD][WORD] [NOUN] i've[WORD] and i[WORD] the [NOUN]a [NOUN] ordon't [VERB] toi [VERB] heri don't [VERB]i still [VERB]i will [VERB][VERB] [VERB] me [VERB]don't [VERB] to [WORD]so i will [VERB]
Distinctive word
disappointmentwaited
Music172 tags
Chord shape
C → Am → DC → F → DmC → D → GAm → D → FC → GC → CC → FC7 → FC → C → FC → G7C → DmC7 → DmAm → EAm → DAm → D7C → B♭C → DC → G → AmC → Dm → AAm → D → GC → AmC → E♭C7 → E♭C → Am → D7Am → E7C → G → GC → F → E♭C → D → G → EmAm → D7 → GC → E♭ → FC → F → Dm → GC7sus4 → C7C → F → E♭ → FAm → D → F → GC → G7 → AmAm → D7 → FAm → D → G → FC → G → Am → EC → G7sus4C → E♭ → F → B♭C → G7sus4 → G7Am → D7 → F → GAm → E7 → Dm
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Sources & references
Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides – then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.
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