Richie Unterberger, in Allmusic, says the song is an enjoyable, but lightweight, country & western-flavoured entry in The Beatles catalogue. Unterberger praises George Harrison's guitar work, which "again marks him as the finest disciple of Carl Perkins,"[1] and the guitar work is indeed similar to "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", a Perkins cover version released on Beatles for Sale.
The original version of the song was written by John Lennon in the Quarrymen days[2] and considered as a follow-up to "Please Please Me" in early 1963,[3] The song was not used until 1965 as Ringo Starr's vocal piece for Rubber Soul. According to Lennon, "it was resurrected with a middle eight thrown in, probably with Paul's help" for Rubber Soul.[2] Barry Miles also claimed that McCartney and Starr combined for the middle eight.[4] There is no formal middle eight in the song, though one chorus and one verse are extended; Ian MacDonald believes those longer sections were written by McCartney.[5] Starr contributed to the lyrics, his first-ever composing credit on a Beatles song. However, when asked what his contribution was to the song, Starr jokingly stated, "About five words, and I haven't done a thing since."[4] To his chagrin, the first pressing of the single accidentally omitted "Starkey" in the song-writing credit.
As mentioned above, an early version was considered as a follow-up to "Please Please Me", and The Beatles hoped to record it on 5 March 1963, but there was only time for the other songs recorded that night: "From Me to You", "Thank You Girl", and an early version of "One After 909".[3]
The Rubber Soul version was recorded in one take, with overdubs, on 4 November 1965. In the verse before the lead break after Starr sings "tell me why," Lennon can be heard saying "We already told you why!" in reference to the Beatles' "Tell Me Why" from the previous year. During this session the Beatles recorded a long (6:36) instrumental tune called "12-Bar Original" for lack of a better name.[6] "12-Bar Original" was not included on Rubber Soul, and was not commercially available until 1996 when an edited version of take 2 of this song was included on the Anthology 2 album.
What Goes On
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind?
The other day I saw you
As I walked along the road
I could feel my future fold
It's so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
I met you in the morning
Waiting for the tides of time
But now the tide is turning
I can see that I was blind
It's so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
I used to think of no on else
But you were just the same
You didn't even think of me
As someone with a name
Did you mean to break my heart and watch me die
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind?
The lyrics to The Beatles' song "What Goes On" are about a guy who is confused and hurt by a girl's behavior towards him. He's torn up inside, wondering what's going on in her mind and heart as she treats him so unkindly. He's been blindsided by her lies and feels betrayed by her actions, which have caused him a lot of pain and heartache. The song is an emotional cry to figure out why someone he loves can be so cruel and indifferent to him.
The lyrics are simple yet powerful, beautifully capturing the feelings of someone who feels helpless and lost in love. The melody is catchy and upbeat, but the tone of the song is more melancholic, creating a sense of sadness and yearning. Paul McCartney and John Lennon shared the writing credit for the song, with input from Ringo Starr. It was featured on their seventh studio album, "Rubber Soul" released in December 1965.
Line by Line Meaning
What goes on in your heart?
The first question asked by the singer where he wonders about the true emotions dwelling in the heart of his lover
What goes on in your mind?
The second question asked by the singer where he inquires about the thoughts occupying the mind of his lover
You are tearing me apart
The singer feels like his lover's actions are breaking him into pieces
When you treat me so unkind
The artist feels like he is not being treated properly by his lover and is being hurt by her actions
The other day I saw you
The artist describes seeing his lover the other day while he was on a walk
As I walked along the road
The singer was walking along the road when he saw his lover
But when I saw him with you
The singer noticed his lover with another guy, causing him to feel upset and disappointed
I could feel my future fold
After seeing his lover with someone else, the artist's hopes for his future with her started to diminish
It's so easy for a girl like you to lie
The artist's distrust for his lover is highlighted in these words, insinuating that it's easy for her to deceive him
Tell me why
The artist wants his lover to explain why she behaves the way she does towards him
I met you in the morning
The singer met his lover in the morning, earlier in their relationship
Waiting for the tides of time
The artist was eagerly waiting for the future, and anticipating the changes in their relationship that time might bring
But now the tide is turning
The singer realizes that the direction of their relationship is changing for the worse
I can see that I was blind
The singer admits that he misjudged his lover and his perception of their relationship was clouded before
I used to think of no on else
The singer was solely focused on his lover and didn't divert his attention elsewhere
But you were just the same
The artist discovers that his lover was not investing in their relationship the same way he was, causing hurt and disappointment
You didn't even think of me
The artist feels like he doesn't matter to his lover, and his thoughts and feelings are not given importance
As someone with a name
The singer feels like he is not being acknowledged as a person, but just as a nameless entity
Did you mean to break my heart and watch me die
The singer accuses his lover of intentionally breaking his heart and watching him suffer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Richard Starkey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.