Lovely Rita
The Beatlesࠀ Lyrics
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Nothing can come between us,
When it gets dark I tow your heart away.
Standing by a parking meter,
When I caught a glimpse of Rita,
Filling in a ticket in her little white book.
In a cap she looked much older,
Made her look a little like a military man.
Lovely Rita meter maid,
May I inquire discreetly,
When are you free to take some tea with me.
Took her out and tried to win her,
Had a laugh and over dinner,
Told her I would really like to see her again
Got the bill and Rita paid it,
Took her home I nearly made it,
Sitting on the sofa with a sister or two.
Oh, lovely Rita meter maid,
Where would I be without you,
Give us a wink and make me think of you
The song "Lovely Rita" by The Beatles is a playful and lighthearted love song about a man's infatuation with a meter maid named Rita. The singer paints Rita as an attractive figure with whom he shares a connection. The first verse describes the singer's admiration of Rita from a distance as she works, filling parking tickets in her white book, wearing a cap that makes her look older and a bag that makes her look like a military man. The second verse narrates the singer's attempts to woo her by taking her out for dinner and expressing his interest in seeing her again. The chorus emphasizes the singer's appreciation for her, stating that he cannot imagine where he would be without her and asking for her to give him a wink and make him think of her.
One interpretation of the song is that it represents a desire for love in a world where people are constantly being regulated by the law. The meter maid represents that regulation, but the singer sees beyond that to the person behind the uniform. The act of parking and receiving a parking ticket can be seen as a mundane, regimented aspect of our lives, but the singer sees the meter maid as a person, someone he can connect with on a deeper level.
Line by Line Meaning
Lovely Rita meter maid,
The singer is addressing a woman named Rita who works as a meter maid, expressing admiration for her.
Nothing can come between us,
The singer feels a strong connection to Rita and believes that nothing can come between them.
When it gets dark I tow your heart away.
The singer is saying that he takes Rita's heart away when it gets dark, likely implying that they spend time together at night.
Standing by a parking meter,
The artist is setting the scene of when he first saw Rita - she was standing next to a parking meter.
When I caught a glimpse of Rita,
The artist is saying that he saw Rita briefly.
Filling in a ticket in her little white book.
Rita was writing a ticket in a small white book, indicating she was working as a meter maid at the time.
In a cap she looked much older,
Rita's cap made her appear more mature than her actual age.
And the bag across her shoulder
Rita was carrying a bag over her shoulder, which may have been part of her uniform or equipment as a meter maid.
Made her look a little like a military man.
Rita's appearance with her hat and bag gave her a slightly militaristic look.
Lovely Rita meter maid,
The artist repeats his opening line to address Rita and emphasize his admiration for her.
May I inquire discreetly,
The singer is asking if Rita is free to have tea with him, but he wants to ask cautiously.
When are you free to take some tea with me.
The artist is proposing a date to have tea with Rita.
Took her out and tried to win her,
The singer took Rita out and tried to impress her.
Had a laugh and over dinner,
The singer and Rita had a good time together and shared a meal.
Told her I would really like to see her again
The singer expressed his interest in seeing Rita again in the future.
Got the bill and Rita paid it,
Rita paid for the bill during their outing.
Took her home I nearly made it,
The artist almost made it to Rita's home with her.
Sitting on the sofa with a sister or two.
The singer and Rita were sitting on the sofa with Rita's sisters, potentially indicating they were meeting or hanging out with them.
Oh, lovely Rita meter maid,
The singer repeats his opening line again, indicating that he is still taken with Rita.
Where would I be without you,
The artist is expressing gratitude for having Rita in his life.
Give us a wink and make me think of you
The artist is asking Rita to give him a wink as a way to think of her and keep her memory alive in his mind.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind