“It was John’s original inspiration, I think my melody, I think my guitar riff. That’s my recollection”: Lennon might have written the lyrics, but as McCartney remembers it, he “wrote the tune” to one of The Beatles’ greatest and most poignant songs.
Recorded between 12 October and 11 November 1965, Rubber Soul marked a defining leap forward for The Beatles. Often described as their first true masterpiece, it bridged the gap between polished pop and the more adventurous psychedelia that would soon follow. Drawing from folk, soul, and melodic pop, the album reshaped not only the band’s sound but the possibilities of the LP as an artistic statement.
Sonically, it was a revelation. Soul-inspired bass lines, fuzz bass textures, harmonium, and the chiming resonance of the sitar expanded their palette. The transformation was equally profound in the songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who began moving beyond stand-alone singles toward cohesive, album-focused storytelling. Influences from Bob Dylan, the jangling folk-rock of The Byrds, and the groove-heavy sounds of Motown and Stax Records filtered into their writing. The hazy calm that runs through the record also reflected their increasing experimentation with marijuana, which subtly colored its mellow atmosphere.
By 1965, Lennon’s lyrics in particular had taken on a new depth. Songs like “Nowhere Man” revealed alienation and self-doubt, while “Norwegian Wood” hinted at personal entanglements. Yet it was “In My Life” that became his most intimate reflection—a tender meditation on memory, loss, and the passage of time rooted in his upbringing in post-war Liverpool.
The song carries a quiet nostalgia, contemplating the people and places that shaped him while acknowledging life’s inevitable changes. It balances remembrance with renewal, suggesting that while the past holds meaning, new love can ultimately transcend it.
Authorship of “In My Life” has long been debated. The lyrics are widely accepted as Lennon’s, but both Lennon and McCartney offered conflicting memories about the melody. In a 1980 interview later published in All We Are Saying, Lennon called it his “first real major piece of work,” crediting McCartney mainly for harmonies and the middle section. McCartney, however, maintained in later interviews and in Barry Miles’ Many Years From Now that he composed the melody after Lennon showed him the completed lyrics at Kenwood. He recalled asking Lennon to leave him alone briefly, then shaping a tune that felt melodic yet tinged with bluesy minor chords.
Biographer Ian Leslie, in his 2025 book John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs, leans slightly toward McCartney’s version, noting the intricacy and diplomatic tone of his recollections. Yet he ultimately suggests that disentangling their contributions may miss the point: Lennon and McCartney were so attuned to each other musically that strict ownership becomes almost irrelevant.
The genesis of the lyrics is clearer. Lennon originally envisioned a literal travelogue of his bus journey from his Aunt Mimi’s home into central Liverpool, referencing landmarks like Penny Lane and the now-defunct Dockers’ Umbrella railway. Dissatisfied with the draft’s documentary tone, he stripped away the specifics and reshaped the song into a broader meditation on memory—retaining emotional truth while achieving universality.
Musically, “In My Life” opens with a delicate six-note guitar motif played by George Harrison on his Epiphone Casino, establishing a luminous A major foundation. Recorded on 18 October 1965 at EMI Studios’ Abbey Road location, the band captured three takes of the rhythm track, selecting the third. Lennon double-tracked his vocal manually—predating automatic double tracking—to enrich its warmth.
The arrangement is subtle yet masterful. McCartney and Harrison’s harmonies ebb and flow, sometimes blending fully, sometimes retreating into soft “ooohs,” creating contrast and emotional shading. The shift from D major to D minor in the verses introduces a fleeting ache, reinforcing the song’s themes of longing and remembrance.
The bridge was initially left empty. On 22 October, producer George Martin supplied a Baroque-inspired piano solo at Lennon’s request. Unable to perform the intricate passage at full tempo, Martin recorded it at half-speed and an octave lower, then sped up the tape—producing a bright, harpsichord-like flourish that became one of the track’s defining moments.
Released on 3 December 1965, Rubber Soul quickly earned acclaim, with “In My Life” standing out as one of its emotional centerpieces. Decades later, the song remains among the band’s most cherished works; in 2000, Mojo named it the greatest song of all time by any artist.
What endures most is its purity. Lennon’s words are unadorned yet profound, personal yet universal. By abandoning literal nostalgia for emotional resonance, he created a song that feels both intimately his and deeply ours.