McCartney and Lennon grew up in the area and they would meet at Penny Lane junction to catch a bus into the centre of the city. The street is an important landmark, sought out by most Beatles fans touring Liverpool. In the past, street signs saying "Penny Lane" were constant targets of tourist theft and had to be continually replaced. Eventually, city officials gave up and simply began painting the street name on the sides of buildings. This practice has now stopped (2007) and more theft-resistant "Penny Lane" street signs have been installed; however, they are still stolen on a regular basis. The Abbey Road sign is also frequently stolen for the same reason.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #449 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
PENNY LANE
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say "Hello"
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar,
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass,
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer. Meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play,
She is anyway
In Penny Lane the barber shaves another customer,
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim,
And then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain - very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
Penny Lane!
The Beatles classic "Penny Lane" is a bittersweet nostalgia trip featuring a poignant, understated lyric reflecting on childhood memories of a Liverpool street of the same name. The song is a clever slice of surrealistic whimsy that treats the eponymous street corner as a sort of playground, populated with diverse characters including a friendly barber who keeps photographs of all his clients, a banker who's the butt of local kids' jokes, and a punctual fireman who likes to keep his engine "clean." The melody is characteristically lilting, cheerful and memorable.
The seemingly disparate characters on the corner of Penny Lane each have their own distinctive quirks and stories, but what is shared between them is a sense of community and belonging. The street itself, with its blue skies and memories of youth, becomes a sort of focal point for a warm, nostalgic, and innocent view of the world. Even the seemingly random references to finger pies and selling poppies from a tray fit perfectly within the lyrical tapestry, adding a layer of quotidian detail that further contributes to the song's sense of place.
Line by Line Meaning
Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
In Penny Lane, there is a barber that displays pictures of every person whose head he has trimmed.
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
The pictures he displays are of each client's head he has styled.
And all the people that come and go, stop and say 'Hello'
Those who come and go from Penny Lane generally greet and acknowledge each other.
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
There is a banker stationed on the Penny Lane corner with a car.
And little children laugh at him behind his back. And the banker never wears a mac
The kids ridicule the banker behind his back, and he refuses to wear a coat in the rain.
In the pouring rain, very strange
The lack of a coat in the downpour is odd.
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes, there beneath the blue suburban skies
The singer holds Penny Lane close to his heart and sees its allure in the blue skies above.
I sit, and meanwhile back, in Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
As the singer remains seated, he envisions a fireman in Penny Lane holding an hourglass.
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen. He likes to keep his fire engine clean, it's a clean machine
The fireman in Penny Lane carries a portrait of the Queen in his pocket and takes great pride in his spotless fire engine.
A four of fish and finger pies, in summer. Meanwhile back
In summertime, people in Penny Lane consume four of fish and finger pies.
Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout. The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray. And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway
In the center of the roundabout, there is a shelter where a lovely nurse peddles poppies from a tray. Though she feels like a part of an act, she continues to sell nonetheless.
In Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer. We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim. And then the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain - very strange
In Penny Lane, the singer watches as the barber shaves another client while the banker waits for his turn. Then, suddenly, the fireman arrives while it is raining heavily.
Penny Lane!
The song concludes with a jubilant exclamation of the neighborhood's name, intended to highlight its uniqueness and charm.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesguy1030
Fox spox ~ Yeah,
if you haven’t already seen it before,
Check out the amazing documentary footage called =
“THE WINGED BEATLE”
The extended version is the best one & is a must see for everyone that is a true fan of the Beatles
YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED
ENJOY 🇬🇧
It’s the best of British Youth culture
@BeatlesBowieKrimson
Four of the coolest guys in history.
@melanierubio3663
@@andrewmatthews6861
Poor John, *
Don't forget the comma, you're making it sound like John was a murderer.
@johnross7988
@@melanierubio3663 HAHAHAHAHA. Exactly ☺️
@jello1737
Crimson Kng I’m sorry I think you meant THE four coolest guys in history
@BeatlesBowieKrimson
@@jello1737 Well, David Bowie was pretty cool, too.
@jello1737
Crimson Kng but you can’t beat these four
@rubedogg6969
This song would have two billion views if Youtube was around in the 60's!
@rikkiwhite1900
5 billion easily.
@jerispencer5220
At least three
@advikaryan
What about the conservative people who comprised most of the population during the 60's who would obviously oppose to the use of the internet?