The band recorded the song with keyboardist Billy Preston; the single release with "Get Back" was credited to "the Beatles with Billy Preston". Originally released as a B-side, producer Phil Spector excluded the song from Let It Be. However, it was eventually included on an alternate mix of the album, Let It Be... Naked.
Composition
Written by John Lennon as an anguished love song to Yoko Ono, it was interpreted by Paul McCartney as a "genuine plea", with Lennon saying to Ono, "I'm really stepping out of line on this one. I'm really just letting my vulnerability be seen, so you must not let me down."
The song is in the key of E major and is in 4/4 time during the verse, chorus and bridge, but changes to 5/4 in the pick-up to the verse.It grew (like "Sun King") from the F♯m7–E changes from Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" with McCartney arranging instrumental and vocal parts and George Harrison adding a descending two-part lead guitar accompaniment to the verse and a countermelody in the bridge. Alan W. Pollack states that "the counterpoint melody played in octaves during the Alternate Verse by the bass and lead guitars is one of the more novel, unusual instrumental touches you'll find anywhere in the Beatles catalogue."
Recording
Multiple versions of "Don't Let Me Down" were recorded by the Beatles during the Get Back (Let It Be) recording sessions. The version recorded on 28 January 1969, with vocal overdubs in late February, was released as a B-side to the single "Get Back", recorded the same day. The Beatles performed "Don't Let Me Down" twice during their rooftop concert of 30 January 1969, and the first performance was included in the Let It Be (1970) film, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
Don't Let Me Down
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Nobody ever loved me like she does
Ooh, she does, yeah, she does
And if somebody loved me like she do meOoh, she do me, yes, she does
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
I'm in love for the first time
Don't you know it's gonna last
It's a love that lasts forever
It's a love that has no past
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
And from the first time that she really done me
Ooh, she done me, she done me good
I guess nobody ever really done me
Ooh, she done me, she done me good
Don't let me down, hey
Don't let me down
Yee-hee (don't let me down)
Don't let me down
Yee-hee (yeah, ow)
(Ow, don't let me down)
(Ow, don't let me down, baby)
(Don't let me down)
(Can you dig it? Yeah)
(Don't let me down)
The lyrics of The Beatles' song "Don't Let Me Down" express the fear of losing someone's love when it is essential to one's happiness. The repeated phrase "don't let me down" is an appeal for the person not to hurt or disappoint the singer. The song's verses describe a love that is unlike any other and is expected to be eternal. The lines, "nobody ever loved me like she does" and "if somebody loved me like she do me," suggest that this love is rare and valuable, and the singer understands that he may never find it again. The chorus, "don't let me down," amplifies the importance of maintaining the love they have.
The song's bridge underlines the strength of the singer's emotions. He states that he is in love for the first time and, "don't you know it's gonna last." He goes on to describe the love as one that "has no past" and is "forever." The second half of the song repeats phrases from the first half, emphasizing the singer's desperation not to lose this rare love.
The song's lyrics speak to the universality of the fear of losing someone that we love. The pleading, repeated verse, and bridge, paired with the driving rock instrumentation of the song, make "Don't Let Me Down" a standout track, even on a record as iconic as The Beatles' "Let It Be."
Line by Line Meaning
Don't let me down
The singer is urgently pleading with someone not to disappoint them.
Nobody ever loved me like she does
The singer is infatuated with someone, and feels that their love is unlike any other they've experienced before.
Ooh, she does, yeah, she does
The singer is emphasizing the depth and power of the love they feel, and how it sets this person apart from others.
And if somebody loved me like she do me
The artist is contemplating how fortunate they are to have found such a great love, and how rare it is to find such a connection with someone.
Ooh, she do me, yes, she does
The artist is again emphasizing how uniquely powerful this love is, and how much it means to them.
I'm in love for the first time
The singer is declaring that they have truly fallen in love for the first time in their life.
Don't you know it's gonna last
The singer is confident that their love will endure, and is hoping for reassurance from the listener.
It's a love that lasts forever
The artist is again emphasizing the strength and longevity of their love, and how deeply they believe in it.
It's a love that has no past
The artist is declaring that their love is so powerful that it renders all their previous relationships irrelevant.
And from the first time that she really done me
The artist is reminiscing about the very beginning of their relationship, and how strongly they felt for this person right from the start.
Ooh, she done me, she done me good
The singer is again emphasizing how positive and transformative this relationship has been for them, and how much they appreciate the other person.
Don't let me down, hey
The artist is repeating their initial plea for the other person not to let them down or disappoint them.
Yee-hee (don't let me down)
The singer is adding some playful emphasis to their plea for the other person to come through for them.
Yee-hee (yeah, ow)
The singer is expressing and building on their excitement and joy around this relationship.
(Ow, don't let me down)
The singer is once again pleading with the other person not to let them down, and adding some emotional weight to the request.
(Ow, don't let me down, baby)
The artist is adding a personal touch to the request, and emphasizing their closeness and intimacy with the other person.
(Don't let me down)
The artist is repeating the central message of the song one last time, to drive home their point and deepen the emotional impact of the request.
(Can you dig it? Yeah)
The singer is emphasizing the coolness and grooviness of their love, and asking the listener if they can understand and appreciate its depth and power.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Norma G. York
Happy Birthday to My Husband... Dr. Roy York.....Love YOU....