The song, simple in arrangement, was recorded on 15 and 16 February 1965. It is commonly thought to address Harrison's relationship with Pattie Boyd, whom he had met in March 1964 while filming A Hard Day's Night. (They married in January 1966.)
The recording's distinctive lead guitar cadences, achieved by Harrison's first recorded use of a volume pedal, are based on common guitar suspended chords in the key of A, forming the introduction and most of the verse of the song and giving a quasi-modal effect that is relieved in the verse by a line in the relative minor (with a simple backing harmony from Lennon and McCartney), the whole making a fourteen-bar ternary verse-structure. This, after a repeat, segues easily into a second, bridge melody that introduces a cowbell for contrast and is based on a simple IV-V-I chord progression that passes through the dominant key to resolve back on the verse. Many such aspects of the song are developed in Harrison's song "If I Needed Someone" on the group's next album, Rubber Soul.
I Need You
Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love you all the time
And never leave you.
Please come on back to me.
I'm lonely as can be.
I need you.
Said you had a thing or two to tell me.
How was I to know
I didn't realize
As I looked in your eyes
You told me, oh yes, you told me you don't want my lovin' anymore.
That's when it hurt me and feeling like this
I just can't go on anymore.
Please remember how I feel about you,
I could never really live without you.
So, come on back and see
Just what you mean to me.
I need you. (repeat)
I need you.
I need you.
The song "I Need You" by the Beatles is a touching plea for a lost love to return. The singer expresses his loneliness and his constant love for the person he is addressing. He is devastated by the revelation that she no longer wants his love, and it has left him feeling lost and unable to go on.
In the chorus, he repeats the line "I need you" three times, emphasizing his desperate desire for her to come back to him. He pleads with her to remember how he feels about her and declares that he could never really live without her.
The lyrics of the song are simple but poignant, and the music is soft and melodic, perfectly complementing the wistful mood of the lyrics. This song showcases the Beatles' ability to craft heartwarming and memorable love ballads that resonate with audiences to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't realize how much I need you,
The singer feels the need to communicate their desire for the recipient to be aware of how much their presence is valued.
Love you all the time
The emotions of love and commitment are felt by the singer consistently.
And never leave you.
The singer is dedicated to sticking by the side of their loved one.
Please come on back to me.
The recipient is asked to return to the artist.
I'm lonely as can be.
The emotions of loneliness and despair are currently felt by the artist.
I need you.
The singer directly communicates their sense of necessity for the recipient's companionship.
Said you had a thing or two to tell me.
The singer's attention has been grabbed by something the recipient has revealed.
How was I to know
The artist expresses confusion in retrospect over not knowing how to react.
You would upset me?
The artist did not anticipate feeling upset as a result of hearing what the recipient said.
I didn't realize
The artist admits to not having known something previously regarding the current situation.
As I looked in your eyes
The singer describes a specific moment where they shared eye contact with the recipient and what it revealed.
You told me, oh yes, you told me you don't want my lovin' anymore.
The recipient disclosed to the artist that they do not want their love.
That's when it hurt me and feeling like this, I just can't go on anymore.
The singer admits feeling emotional pain in response to the information given by the recipient.
Please remember how I feel about you,
The singer is asking the recipient to recall the depth of their emotions.
I could never really live without you.
The singer shares their belief that their life would suffer in the absence of the recipient.
So, come on back and see
The recipient is urged to return to the artist.
Just what you mean to me.
The artist desires for the recipient to understand the depth of their significance.
I need you. (repeat)
The idea of necessity is reinforced multiple times to emphasize the gravity of the situation.
I need you.
The song ends on a forceful restating of the desperate desire for the recipient's presence.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY STEFAN HARRISON, ERNEST EUGENE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind