I Want to Tell You

The lyric keeps measuring time ('I could wait forever, I've got time'), and it deals in the motifs of relationship and spirituality too. Formally it is confessional, and it is on more of the Beatles' 1964 records than any other year's. Curiously, the title is phrased as an instruction, and the writing draws on eastern philosophy. Interestingly, the line "I don't know why" turns up in 6 Beatles songs, among them 'Girl', 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'You Won't See Me'.

'I Want to Tell You' moves at about 125 BPM in A major, a psychedelic and raga rock song with Indian music influences (McCartney's melismatic vocal on the outro 'I've got time'). The tune carries an ostinato (a guitar figure runs the length of the song) and an appoggiatura, a note taking its time to resolve, a habit that peaked in 1965. Also, there is a defining riff, opening A-major lead-guitar riff. As it happens, the chords run Bm → E7 → A → B7, a shape 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' also uses, there as Em → A → D → E7.

Cut at EMI Studio 2 on 2 June 1966 in three takes under the working title 'Laxton's Superb' (renamed 'I Don't Know' before its final title). Overdubs the following day added McCartney's piano - voiced as a dissonant E7 with added F natural that Harrison highlighted as the song's emotional pivot - plus bass, double-tracked lead vocal, three-part backing harmonies, tambourine, maracas and handclaps. McCartney recorded bass last so he could double Harrison's vocal melody, and added an Indian-style melismatic ad-lib on 'I've got time' that floats over the fade-out. Geoff Emerick engineered with Phil McDonald. That Rickenbacker 4001S is McCartney's bass. The studio work runs to double tracked vocal and leslie speaker processing, the latter a habit that peaked in 1969. 1966 brought 19 songs, and this was the 13th of them, the 115th record of their career.

This one is Harrison's, written and sung. It was played the way the band normally lined up, with Lennon on rhythm guitar, McCartney on bass, Harrison on lead guitar and Starr on drums, with maracas among the instruments. The lead guitar plays opening fade-in riff, Leslie-treated, and it is on more of their 1965 records than any other year's.

The record was issued as track 9 (side 2 opener) of Revolver, released 5 August 1966. Never issued as a single. In America it arrived three days later, on Revolver (US), a Capitol record. This track was the 14th of 16 released in that year, and the 116th the Beatles ever made.