I'm Down
by The Beatles

Album: Past Masters, Vol. 1 (1965)
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Paul McCartney plays the role of a poor sap wallowing in his misery. But the joke is on him, which the arrangement and backing vocals make clear. When he sings, "I'm down," John Lennon and George Harrison retort in mocking fashion, with lines like "down on the ground." It's as if they've heard too much of his bellyaching and they're sick of it.

    A telling line is, "How can you laugh when you know I'm down?" You can only have so much sympathy for someone who won't help himself. After that, you have to laugh.
  • Paul McCartney wrote this in the style of Little Richard. American R&B singers like Richard were a big influence on The Beatles.
  • John Lennon played the Hammond organ on this track. It was the first time Lennon played any kind of keyboard on a record. When The Beatles played this live, he often played an electric piano instead.
  • The Beatles performed this on their third live Ed Sullivan Show appearance - September 12, 1965. Before The Beatles broke through in America, Sullivan was in the London airport when The Beatles returned from a tour of Sweden. When he saw the massive crowd there to greet them, he thought The Queen was arriving. When he found out the throngs were there for The Beatles, he made sure to book them on his show. He became a big fan and had them on whenever he could.
  • This was the first song ever recorded by Aerosmith. They used it as a demo which eventually got them a record deal. They used it in 1987 on their album Permanent Vacation.
  • This was used as the B-side of "Help!" The line, "I'm feeling upside down" could be a reference to its position on the flip side.
  • The Beatles used this as their closing number on 1965 North American and UK tours, and 1966 World tour.
  • This was recorded at the same session with "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2
  • The Beastie Boys recorded a version of this in 1986. Michael Jackson, who owned the publishing rights to this and many other Beatles songs, would not allow them to release it.
  • Paul McCartney played this at the "Concert For New York," a benefit show he helped organize in 2001 to help victims of the World Trade Center disaster. It was the first song of his set.
  • Ace Frehley, who did two stints on guitar for Kiss, covered this song on his 2020 album Origins Vol. 2. "That was a song I always loved by the Beatles because it was not really that indicative of a Beatles song," he said in a Songfacts interview. "Most of the Beatles songs had three-part harmony and were well put together and well-written, but 'I'm Down' was more of just a kick-ass rock n' roll number more in the vein of Chuck Berry."

Comments: 41

  • Grimtraveller from North West London[This was recorded at the same session as "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face." ]

    Only the lead vocal was.
    In a 3-hour session, McCartney came up with those 3. That's pretty versatile !
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaFinally have a copy of this on a 45. know those lyrics very well: You're telling lies thinking I can't see/ you can't cry cause your laughing at me.
  • Rick from Brick, NjThis song was recorded on the same day in June '65 as several other McCartney classics "I Just Saw Her Face" and "Yesterday". It wasn't recorded in the same session--they had 3 sperate sessions that day beginning around 10:00am. He showed off his creative/performance range....Folk--Pop & Rock 'n Roll. Not a bad day of for a just turned 23 year old artist!
  • Jim from West Palm Beach, FlThe '65 Shea Stadium version is the best. Old time rock n roll. Old time hockey.
  • Olivia from Philadelphia, PaThe Beatles are the best band the world will ever see and they are the best ever!
  • Rick from Brick, NjSmall correction to a prevous posting. This song was recorded 6/14/65 in the afternoon session. He first laid down 6 takes of the folk-driven "I've Just Seen A Face" and then completed the rocker "I'm Down" in 7 takes. His classic "Yesterday" was recorded in 2 takes in the evening session. An amazing accomplishment...3 very different genres written by the then 23 yr older and all recorded on the same day.
  • Carl from Apg, MdWasn't that Sept. 12, 1965 Ed Sullivan appearance actually taped during Beatles' visit to NY in August (at which time they also played in Shea Stadium)?
  • Breanna from Henderson, NvI love this song. It's really on of McCartney's best.
  • Harold from Hopland, CaWhen Paul performend this song as the openner of his set for Concert for NYC it was controversial at the time. Why??? Because it was rumored (?) that McCartney and Mills had a arguement in their hotel in Miami around this time and in a fit of anger Mills was said to have thrown her engagement ring out the window of the highrise building window. The story also goes on that McCartney paid a large sum to hotel maintainence crews to find it! It was recovered.
  • Fermin from Resistencia, ArgentinaTim Dalton from MA, let me tell you something: Creedence's Travelin' Band sounds a lot more like Little's Richard, Long Tall Sally (also covered by The Beatles) more than this one, specially the melody of the voice and the chords are practically the same ones. Anyway, there must be some connection. McCartney is a huge Richard´s fan! And McCartney's strained singuing voice often resembles Fogertys´s style.
  • Breanna from Henderson, NvI agree with Paulo the Beastie Boy's version would have been interesting to hear, stupid Michael Jakson!
  • Freddy from Miami, FlMan The Beatles never cease to amaze me.
  • K from Nowhere, OnIs it just me, or does Paul yell in every song inpsired by Little Richard? I have no problem with it, I'm just seeing a pattern....
  • John from Grand Island, NyPaul recorded the vocals to this the same day he laid down the vocal for Yesterday. What an amazing range he had to go from this to a soft ballad so wonderfully.
  • Howard from Wakefield, United KingdomI am sure Paul got this from What'd I Say' by Ray Charles. They are both similar in parts.
  • Mem from Melbourne, AustraliaMy favorite part of the single is when paul shouts 'HURRY UP JOHN!' when he is playing the lead keyboard
  • Chloe from St. Louis, Mocrazy awesome song!!! the video on this page is hilarious- john and george can barely sing, theyre laughing so hard, and paul just continues screaming into the mike and rolling his eyes. hahaha. i also think the keyboard is great touch, it sounds a bit Doors-ish to me.
  • Lennix from Hamburg, GermanyThis song is the best for any occaison! I personally listen to it when i'm studying - when Paul says "keep your hands to yourself" is WILD!!!!!

    <33
  • Forrest from Rochester, MnThis is a killer song that kind of goes off the rails on a crazy train at the end.
  • Lucyinthesky from Philadelphia, PaKyven, Paul McCartney is saying in between takes of I'm Down,the words,Plastic Soul Man Plastic Soul because this is what many black musicians descibed Mick Jagger as!
  • Lucyinthesky from Philadelphia, PaThis is a very good hard rocker especially for 1965 and as The All Music Guide says this one of the great early hard rockers and they said they performed a really wild perfomance of this song at the August 1965 Shea Stadium concert,which was the first big outdoor rock concert with over 55,000 fans. And the sound systems they had back then were very primitive and limited,they only had 100 watt amolifiers,no feedback mintors so they couldn't even hear themselves play and sing,yet they amazingly played in tune and sync anyway,screaming crowds,and at this concert they were also plugged into the PA system that use to announce baseball games but they still sounded great! The All Music Guide says that The Beatles showed that they could rock really really hard,with I'm Down,She's A Woman which is another great early Paul rocker (a blues rocker)and John's I Feel Fine with first use of feedback guitar.
  • Andrea from Sønderborg, DenmarkI would probably give anything to have been at the Shea concert in 1965. They're all so cute, having so much fun together. I watch it on YouTube, and it always makes me smile. Beatles forever and ever and ever!
  • Kyven from Cedar City, UtAnother example of genius by The Beatles.

    Has anyone elese heard "Plastic song, man, plastic song." at the end of the Anthology 2 version? Can you tell me who that was?
  • Zoloft from Milton, WvAn intense tune that captures the raw essence of coming down from amphetamines.
  • Jerry from Portland, OrHey, anybody see the Shea Stadium part where John aims his guitar like a machine gun at a plane flying overhead?
  • Michelle from Antigonish, Canadazach, philly, KS, I watched the clip and your abosolutly right, Paul, John, George, and Ringo and having a blast and when i see this i think about how they were such good friends, even through the hard times...really, Friends for Life!!!
  • Zach from Philly, Ksi like this at shea stadium john is going crazy paul cant even sing the song because he is laughing
  • Mike from Newark, NdJust another of the many songs that shows nobody did rock and roll better than the Beatles. McCartney gives it his all in this song. Love the beat and the lyrics. Cool tune.
  • Jeffrey from Troy, AlJohn Lennon also played the organ with his elbow on "Ed Sullivan" as well.
  • Charlie from Cape Girardeau, MoOn the 1965 Ed Sullivan show Paul switches the order of verses one and two from the record version.
  • Ben from Cheverly, MdI'm Down is a great song.
  • Jordan from Wimette, IlThe single has a funny name. (Help! I'm Down)
  • Tim from Dalton, MaWhenever I hear the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Travelin' Band", I am always reminded of this song, they sound a lil bit similar in my opinion, anybody agree?
  • Ken from Louisville, KyPaul McCartney said that when thep played this song at the 1965 Shea Stadium concert, John "cracked up" from the pressures. In the film of the concert, John can be seen playing the organ with his elbows while George is laughing hysterically, and even Paul blows some of the lyrics because he is laughing at John.
  • Kristen from Aurora, IlI think if I remember correctly, during this song at the concert at Shea Stadium, John was laughing and did not sing much back up with George. I just started cracking up to see him laughing and George trying not to.
  • Mike from New Point, VaI'm sure John did play a Hammond organ, but not on this tune. A Vox organ was used. Completely different sound. The two instruments are engineered differently. See Shea Stadium comment.
  • Alan from City, MiJohn played part of this (on the organ) with his elbow in Shea Stadium.
  • Gordo from Boise, IdAnn and Nancy Wilson also covered it on a later Heart album
  • Paulo from New York, NyDamn, I would like to have heard a version done by the Beastie Boys. Damn Michael Jackson, that freak.
  • Adrian from Wilmington, DeThis song completely rocks out, especially the Anthology 2 version. Go Paul!
  • Louie from Sumerduck, VaThe New Grass Revival (John Cowan, Bela Fleck, Pat Flynn, Sam Bush) also did a bluegrass version of this with John Cowan on vocal. I'm not sure which CD it's on except for their greatest hits.
see more comments

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