Comments on: Do You Want To Know A Secret

By: MikeP

MikeP — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 20:00:06 +0000

Yes, once again the broken record. EVERYTHING Lennon did was a “masterpiece”, Paul was always in his shadow…..smh.
This is hardly anything approaching a masterpiece. A likeable song – nothing more.
You need to get out now and then, Johan.

By: Lemmoth

Lemmoth — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 14:17:55 +0000

George was not new to singing in 1963. According to Mark Lewisohn’s book the pre-recording Beatles of 1960 – 62 featured all three as vocalists – with George getting almost as many shots as John and Paul in singing the mostly covers they were doing then.

I think John in 1980 was still pissed off at George’s book.

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 19:00:24 +0000

Yes, Walrus, I’ve always heard it. And considering that there are no other comments regarding it, I’d say, “Nobody knows, just we two.”

By: Doug Marshall

Doug Marshall — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 11:51:20 +0000

There is some truth in this. John was offended that when George wrote his book I, Me , Mine, he gave acknowledgement to alt of artistes who inspired him, but never came right out and included John. So he was a bit angry with George, and had unflattering things to say about him in that 1980 inrerview. George was really disturbed to learn this, and so worte his song, ‘All Those Years Ago”. Which he gave to Ringo Starr to record, at first. And then when John was killed, he took the track, wiped Ringo’s vocal, added his own, and sent that to Monserat, where Paul and Ringo were recording what became Tug Of War (?), and that track appeared on George’s Somewhere In England LP.

By: The Walrus

The Walrus — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 03:28:48 +0000

If you listen closely, you will hear the line that should have gone “I’ve known the secret for a week or two” George actually says “ I’ve known a secret for the week or two”. Just something i’ve Noticed.

By: hobbayne

hobbayne — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 22:21:53 +0000

I am sure I can hear an organ on this song in the background. I cant see an organ mentioned in the credits. Maybe its just me going mad. 🙂

By: SaxonMothersSon

SaxonMothersSon — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 03:24:20 +0000

George’s scouse never left him. That’s the charm of this song to me. Scenerio: Young scouser, given a song, tries to sing all proper, and producer says, no, no, your speaking voice is great. Go from there. GH even made fun of it speaking of Let it Down. “Yeah…let yer hur hang all around me.”

By: john yuma

john yuma — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 06:04:10 +0000

I’ve always loved this song. it inspires.

By: Johan cavalli

Johan cavalli — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 18:17:26 +0000

One of the reasons why Do You Want To Know A Secret is so beautiful is the wonderful tierce interval in “…not TO TELL…”. The same interval that makes If I Fell so beautiful “…if I give MY HEART…” In fact it is exact the same interval in the very beginning of the bird common redstart´s song. Some scholars even claim that human´s music from the beginning was inspired by the birds singing. The birds are able to sing in major scale, in minor scale and in chromatic scale.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 21:15:26 +0000

If you look in the back of the Nicholas Schaffner book “The Beatles Forever” (published in 1977), there’s a list of the “five least favorite Beatles songs.” This was based on a 1972 poll in the Village Voice. Curiously, ‘Do You Want To Know a Secret’ was among the five! I can’t recall which position it held, though. Its company in the ‘five least favorite’ was “Revolution 9”, “Helter Skelter”, “Mr. Moonlight” and “You Know My Name, Look Up The Number”

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 02:13:40 +0000

Are you out of your mind? Have you ever heard paperback writer? Or in my life?

By: Nico Polo

Nico Polo — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 23:07:57 +0000

If you listen closely, you hear that ALL THREE of them sing the melody !!

George starts it out with “Listen, do you want …” and ends with “Closer, ”

Then Paul picks it up with “Let me whisper in your ear” and ends with “…I long to hear.”.

John finishes it up with “I’m in love with You, Ooo ooo ooo ooo …”.

Now, back to George who starts the next refrain …

There ARE three different voices there !! Check it out !!!

( A Beatles SECRET !!! )

By: OldFartBassPlayer Walt

OldFartBassPlayer Walt — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 18:57:53 +0000

I have give George some perks for his early harmony work.
I believe adding a harmony on top of a melody is relatively easy
if you have the vocal skill. Comparatively, much harder is adding
a third part in between the high and low vocal part.
Listen to the live versions of “This Boy”, and tell me all three didn’t
nail it!
(and of course, when John or Paul sang a harmony BELOW the
melody line, it was heavenly. … or Everly … )

By: Perry Tweed

Perry Tweed — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 05:11:44 +0000

I always thought that bad note at 1:50 was George but now that I think about it it was definitely bass. I have heard an alternate version with that ‘boink’ sound edited out and a cold ending. Should have used that take IMO. Remember that they cut 10 tracks that day (Feb 11) in 1963….TEN tracks in ONE day. Ridiculous really. For an album made on the cheap with indecent haste it is remarkable how good it is.

By: Graham Paterson

Graham Paterson — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 02:05:41 +0000

As someone else said a sweet and simple song. It is a lovely tune. Nice story how John Lennon’s inspiration came from memories of his mothers singing.Obviously he gave it to George to sing.Fits in well to the “Please Please Me” album.

By: Rockcityboy X

Rockcityboy X — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 04:23:17 +0000

Their guitar ability weren’t comparable neither. Harrison by a life…

By: manteau

manteau — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 10:59:10 +0000

i agree with you, Johan, paul was clearly influenced by “Do you want to now a secret” when he started composing “yesterday”

By: Johan cavalli

Johan cavalli — Wed, 06 May 2015 18:19:11 +0000

Lennon´s melody in Do You Want to Know a Secret from 1962 is a masterpiece. Lennon underated it. He never realised how wonderful it is. A bittersweet melody that starts and starts, and suddenly it´s away…Many people hear the similarity with Yesterday. The same short start, and then the same upclimbing melody. McCartney composed Yesterday 1964 or 1965. He could unconsciously been influenced by Lennon´s song.

By: Julian

Julian — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 14:43:54 +0000

I can confirm that he didn’t. 😉

By: Frank the Knife

Frank the Knife — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:18:28 +0000

John is full of shit when he says George was a poor vocalist— on the Decca sessions, John sounds tight and scream-y without being musical, and Paul sounds like a terrible Elvis impersonator. George is just himself and does the best lead vocals on “Three cool cats,” “Sheik of araby” and the rest – he just sounds like he’s having fun.