Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30 January 1969
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Glyn Johns
Released: 11 April 1969 (UK), 5 May 1969 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass
George Harrison: harmony vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
Billy Preston: electric piano
Available on:
Past Masters
Let It Be... Naked
Although just one new song (Dig A Pony) by John Lennon made it onto the Let It Be album, he did compose this love song to Yoko Ono, which was recorded during the same sessions and released as the b-side to Get Back.
As with Abbey Road's I Want You (She's So Heavy), Don't Let Me Down was a lyrically simple and direct song inspired by his infatuation with Ono.
When it gets down to it, when you're drowning, you don't say, "I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me," you just scream.
Rolling Stone, 1970
Although Lennon was revealing his feelings and fears in song as far back as 1964's If I Fell and I'm A Loser, Don't Let Me Down was one of the first examples of the raw soul-baring that would reach a peak on Cold Turkey and the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.
It was a very tense period: John was with Yoko and had escalated to heroin and all the accompanying paranoias and he was putting himself out on a limb. I think that as much as it excited and amused him, and the same time it secretly terrified him. So Don't Let Me Down was a genuine plea... It was saying to Yoko, 'I'm really stepping out of line on this one. I'm really letting my vulnerability be seen, so you must not let me down.' I think it was a genuine cry for help. It was a good song.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Don't Let Me Down was released as the flip-side of Get Back in the UK in April 1969, and in the US in May. Like its a-side, the song was credited to The Beatles with Billy Preston.
By the way, Rod Stewart turned Don't Let Me Down into [sings] 'Maggie don't go-o-o.' That's one that the publishers never noticed. Why didn't he just sing Don't Let Me Down? The same reason I don't sing other people's stuff, either: because you don't get paid.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
In the studio
The Beatles' first studio recording of Don't Let Me Down was taped on 21 January 1969 at Apple, although rehearsals of the song had been filmed earlier in the month at Twickenham Film Studios.
A version from the following day was selected for inclusion in the unreleased Get Back album, along with a snippet of speech in which Lennon asked Starr to hit the cymbals hard after the intro, to "give me the courage to come screaming in."
On 28 January The Beatles and Preston recorded the version which ended up on the Get Back single. They taped it twice again two days later on the roof of Apple, the first of which was included in the Let It Be film.
We recorded it in the basement of Apple for Let It Be and later did it up on the roof for the film. We went through it quite a lot for this one. I sang harmony on it, which makes me wonder if I helped with a couple of words, but I don't think so. It was John's song.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
An edit of the two rooftop performances was included on 2003's Let It Be... Naked, in place of Dig It and Maggie Mae.
One of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I can really sympathize with the sentiment in this song.
There were 3 part harmonies on this song.
I’m partial to the Rooftop version with the lyric,
“And only reese we got the blootchy-koo
Ooh she does
Yes she does”
ME TOO!! My preference would have been for them to leave that in for the Naked version. I had a VHS copy of the film, and played that bit over & over. I still do that when watching Anthology.
Phil Spector totally ruined the Let It Be album, and one of his massive blunders was not including this song. It’s absolutely fantastic, one of my five favorite John songs. Spector also butcherd “Across the Universe” and “The Long and Winding Road” with his overproduction. Fortunatley, he’s in jail now.
“Let It Be” is not even a Beatles album. Phil Spector produce for his own pleasure. Let It Be is just a Phil Spector album (soloist).
Yes, screw up a few Beatles songs, and it may take forty years, but they will catch up with you!!!
Yep: in jail for murder. But not for murdering the “Let it Be” LP.
Well, actually it was John Lennon himself who asked Phil Spector to re-producere the Get Back album, which was transformed into the May 1970 Let it Be-release. Quite ironical. Spectors work isnt at all perfect, but the Naked-version is even more boring, isnt it? (though its an important historical document). As Lennon later replied the critics, the tapes Spector got to to work which was actually shit (at least his own contributions?) ! According to Ian McDonald, Spectors obstruction of The Long and Winding Road was encouraged by a harmful John Lennon, AND the main reason why McCartney announced the breakup – within 24 hours after figuring out how Spector (and Lennon?) had destroyed hos song…. McCartney kept the band going on 1968-69 and didnt deserve this.
No, “…Naked” is not boring. It is far more enjoyable and listenable to the Spector album.
I quit listening to LIB in the mid- ’70s, but I give “…Naked” a thorough listen now and then.
At the very least, it sounds like the Beatles. LIB doesn’t, really.
Personally, I’m delighted that McCartney retrieved the original tapes and released Naked. The simplicity and intricacies of the musicianship is, in my mind, mesmerising. I think Lennon gave the tapes to Spector to annoy McCartney.
Spector didn’t destroy The Long and Wining Road. I love that arragment And so does Paul because that is how he plays it in his concerts. He got angry for another reason he decided not to tell. I have never listened to Let it be Naked to give my opinion. But as Let it Be is not boring at all and you said it is, then probably the naked version is not boring either.
David: It’s interesting to note that Lennon disagreed with you, as do I, particularly about “Across The Universe.”
Also, I don’t think Spector’s “over-production” of music has any bearing on why he’s been imprisoned…better examples would be the ill-treament he inflicted on his wife, and the rather insane behaviour he showed during the sessions for what would become Lennon’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
Plus he killed someone.
He murdered a young starlet. That is why he is in prison.
It had nothing to do with his murdering of the “Let it Be” LP.
Your sarcasm meters are broken.
I read quite heavy irony in the posting about being in jail for his mis-treatment of LIB. One of the things I love about the album is that John appears to be experimenting with a slightly distorted rhythm guitar; possibly a Dave Davies trick with his speaker slashing or just a louder volume. Does anybody know? Anyhow, this adds a completely new dimension to the album. Being able to discern the various instruments is delightful for a Beatles nut like me!
Does anyone know why Don’t Let Me Down was not included on Let It Be? Any discussion amongst the band or Spector about why it was omitted?
I know Paul put it on Let It Be Naked – but why was it kept of in the first place?
Don’t Let Me Down was released on the Hey Jude (or The Beatles Again album) which was released just prior to LIB (if memory serves me right).
I guess that was the reason.
I was very disappointed with the omission because LIB cost a lot of money back then. LIB originally was released in a black box with a beautiful colour book (at least in the USA and Canada).
That must have been an import; the US version was just the album. As far as I know the box set was a UK-only release, issued by Apple and distributed by EMI.
LIB was a UK & Canada boxset only.
I believe the box-set did have a limited US distribution because I remember when LIB came out, stores had the two versions side by side – the box set being much more expensive I bought the album – my friend bought the box – and so of course I now hate him very much.
He bought the box at a standard dept store – not a record store – at that time we never really had heard of imports.
Yes, my Mom actually found the LIB booklet from the boxed set at a rummage sale back in the ’70s, probably for a buck.
Trust me, I’ll never sell it.
I found copy of the “Get Back” (aka “Let it Be”) book from the box set in the movie theater where I’d gone to see the film.
Whoever left it lacked the courtesy to also include the box, LP, and whatever else might have been in the box.
I bought the box set here in Canada and there was stacks of them in the largest record store in Canada at the time.
I also saw the box set in New York City about a month or so after the release of LIB.
I have never met any information about mixing the single and ‘Past Masters’ version and I wonder why. It seems to be pretty interesting because while the record is ‘live’ there are two Lennon voices on it. Was the second overdubbed later by John himself or was it taken from any other take?
In the final version there are two takes and some elements (like voices, screams) from other takes.
Ringo’s drumming in this song is awesome.
There’s a lot of slowing down and speeding up on this track, but the whole band is together.
This is actually the first time Ive heard that the track was actually a compilation of two tracks edited together; this makes a lot of sense to me, with the drastic shifts in tempo.
I think the Paul’s bass line on this song is simply genius and instrumental skill.
my favorite element of this song is George’s guitar lines during the verse (ie right after the line “I guess nobody every really loved me”) – the cascading notes George plays have a Japanese tonality to them which is very cool since of course it’s about Yoko.
Which goes to show that even though George was not “enthralled” with Yoko – he still was able to incorporate her culture into his guitar lines in the song about her.
And that’s why they were the Beatles. Even at each others’ throats they could rally and do this, each one contributing magic. Especially Paul, putting his heart not just into his bass playing but into the harmony, matching John’s passion singing a primal love song to his own nemesis.
After all the exhausting years, and the “Get Back”/”Let it Be” debacle, they pulled it together one last time and pulled off the jaw-dropping “Abbey Road”.
If you search on YouTube, somebody recently posted a version of this song with the electric piano almost completely isolated. It’s incredible! You can really hear all the passion and soul Billy put into this song. One of many things that struck me while listening to it is the stucatto quarter note pattern he plays for the bridge…. It emulates a heart beating, I think: “I’m in love for the first(THUMP!) time (Thump!), (Thump!)….” Also-you can’t really hear it on the single version-but Billy pretty much exactly doubles George’s descending guitar riff on the verses (starting right when John sings DOES). I went back and checked it out on the NAKED version and discovered it’s mixed on there too! But I had to listen closely, as Billy doubles George’s part so closely.
Can you post the link?
I guess John didn’t care anymore by this point, but I can’t believe he let Phil Spector get away with not including this song on LIB, leaving him only with 2 full songs and 2 snippets he gets on there. Though I love Dig It.
This song is a favorite for a lot of Beatle fans, sounds like a fusion between Plastic Ono Band sound and The Beatles. Maybe what some of John’s Plastic Ono Band songs would have sounded like had John recorded them with The Beatles
On LIB there are Dig A Pony, Across The Universe and One After 909 and half of I’ve Got A Feeling. That adds up to three and a half Lennon songs (not counting Dig It)
I guess the inclusion of Don’t Let Me Down on the Beatles Again (Hey Jude) album was enough for John and it was another reason the album was such a big seller.
Great post, yeah. And then John resented Let It Be being Paul dominated, but he let this great songs be let out of it. By the producer he hired.
George and Ringo also resented Paul’s bossiness. And especially Ringo, when Paul recorded his own drumming over Ringo’s.
I agree with John that Paul is an inspired bassist. But he could be nasty and underhanded.
Great all the way around. In my book the most free-flowing, natural sounding groove in the entire Beatles canon. Listen for Ringo’s snare bit at the very end.
Here’s one for ya:
Listen as closely as possible to “Let Me Roll it,” on Paul’s “Band on the Run”.
Is that John singing a John song? Or is it McCartney doing an amazing impression of John — both in song and singing?
Compare it with, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy”),” and, “Don’t Let Me Down”.
Hello: Does anyone know how to play George’s lead part on Don’y Let Me Down ? I can’t seem to get it right, please post
It’s written out on p.220 of “The Beatles Complete Scores”
Great singing, great harmonies, great bass, great piano, great guitar, great drumming, emotions, one of my favourite parts of any Beatles song (“I’m in love for the first time…”) – what more can you ask for?!
Mind-blowing.
Impossible to reproduce.
I sing and play this one with my band,I love and scream it!
I prefer the naked version because it sounds fuller to me though I like the single version too. In the rooftop recording (naked) George sings definitely during the chorus (we can see it in the film), I don’t know if he does that during the single version too, but we can hear him at least in the naked verson. If george sings only in the naked version, that is probably one of the reasons why I think the naked recording sounds fuller.
In the movie George is shown singing on the “don’t let me down” chorus on the rooftop version.
It seems likely that he sings on single as well version . Should he be listed doing vocals? Just wondering
Not without proof that he’s singing on the single.
Joe – I am going to (respectfully) implore you one more time to include George on background vocals – literally every film take – and out take – from the Get Back sessions of the song show him singing on the chorus. The evidence is overwhelming that he sang on it. He is shown singing during Twickenham, in the basement at Saville Row and on the roof top. I will of course bow to your decision.
OK, you present a convincing case!
you are the man!
Except that he (George) is clearly not singing on the single. It’s only John and Paul. As pointed out a few posts above, the LIB…Naked version (rooftop) is fuller because the three of them are singing the choruses.
IMO Paul’s best bass work ever.
I like Ringo’s drumming in this song. Overall, Ringo did an excellent job on the whole Let It Be album.
Say what you like about Yoko, she inspired some great songs.
George’s guitar riff in this song was so far ahead of his time… He was incredible. I wish more people would see that.
I love George. But its a Hendrix riff if I ever heard one!
Yes Luke, their breakup might have inspired some brilliant songs. But I don’t want to sound like a hater. George’s ex inspired some great ones, too. And not all from George- Layla, Wonderful Tonight, etc.
It’s funny John commented on Rod Stewart stealing his tune. After all it’s quite obvious John, intentionally or unintentionally, took the inspiration for the verse of Don’t let me Down from I’d rather go blind, released the previous year. Both the chords and melody from both songs are pretty similar.
not sure i see the similarities, but i’d rather go blind in fact reminds me of a change is gonna come
lovely song with a true and basic meaning i think the words don’t let me down where to Yoko to tell him that he himself had really stepped out of line in this song and that his vulnerability was really showing and so yoko must not let him down i think it was a cry for help….
“Don’t let me down” was John’s greatest offer for the “Get Back/Let it Be” project..strange that Phil Spector (hired by Lennon) choose to leave it off the album!
There are a couple of words spoken in dont let me down by some body, any body know what is said and by whom.
You mean the part where Lennon sings. “it’s a love that had no past.” and a voice in the background can be faintly heard saying, “any past”
If you listen to the ’69 rehearsals, you can clearly see how Paul really loved this song, and had George doing backup vocals, which almost made it sound like one of Paul’s. It seemed as though Paul thought John was butchering his own song with the screaming. By the end, he had John singing nice. I wanted to hear Paul do his own version on lead vocals.
Listen to Paul’s “Let Me Roll It” on “Band on the Run”?
Is that actually John singing a John song? Or is it Paul doing John as well as John. (I think the give-away is the high falsetto note, which marks it as being Paul.)
The conflict over whether George sings on the single version is understandable. If he’s there, he’s almost inaudible, but I believe he can be heard very faintly at certain points. This is probably most prominent in the second chorus, where his harmony seems perceptible especially for the first three ‘Don’t let me downs’, though not so much for the fourth. Trying to hear George’s unmistakable tone and accent won’t do much good – it’s way too low in the mix. Identifying it is easier if one knows the melody they’re looking for, which can be heard in virtually any other version of the song, as far as I’m aware. It’s E, E, E, C# … E , E, E, B.
The bass playing from Macca was beautiful and brilliant. He just plays that Hoffner perfectly
Great John Lennon heart felt plea to Yoko.I love The Beatles singing this on the rooftop in the “Let It Be” film.Lennon’s vocal is amazing and despite all the differences between he and Paul McCartney you can still see all the magic working between them. It is right there on the screen in front of you. Being on the roof top seemed to liberate the band at this tense,( and that’s a understatement), time.
Off topic, but to answer J Nagarya, The opening riff of “let me roll it” is almost a copy and paste of the opening riff of “Cold turckey”, but it was a case of Paul doing John!
this song is beautiful and it shows that John really loved Yoko, if he dedicated a song for her.
One version, I love the third verse part where John sings “I guess nobody ever really done me good”, Paul joins him in that verse and says “nobody” at the same time, the harmony is so perfect with the two of them…
I never really enjoyed this song that much until the Naked Album. The version in this one is a bit faster. The sound is quite clear and clean and you can actually listen to every single instrument playing their part to make this simple song into a Great one.
The four first notes in the chorus “Don´t let me down…” are exact the same as the four first notes in “all we are saying…” in Give Peace a Chance. Harrison´s guitar playing in the B-sektion “nobody ever loved me like she does…” is absolut marvellous. It´s even wonderful when Harrison complete, with a guitar melody, the singing melody in the C-sektion “I´m in love for the first time…”. The C-section melody has similarities with the middle part melody in Lennon´s No Reply.
Don´t Let Me Downis another masterpiece by Lennon. So deep and bluesy.
You forgot to mention McCartney’s melodically grooving bass and high spirited harmonizing.
Oh wait…
Johan acknowledge Paul’s massive musical talent? You might as well ask for the moon and the stars.
Not one of Lennon’s best, in my opinion, and I don’t listen to it much. The ’68 and ’69 years weren’t his best. A few gems surrounded by many melody-less chants. On the latter, Paul, Ringo, and George make them interesting (i.e. “Come Together”).
I think it was a bit high handed and hypocritical for John to have a go at Rod Stewart when it’s rather bleedin’ obvious that this song is essentially a rewrite of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” in feel and sentiment….
– I’d quite like Joe’s opinion as to whether he agrees…
I’m not sure my opinion counts for much, but for what it’s worth I’d agree on sentiment but disagree on feel. The two songs sound nothing like one another – the chords, melody, lyrics and structure are all quite different. The only thing they seem to have in common is the subject/theme, but I’m not sure that makes Lennon a hypocrite.
I realize that Don’t let me down was written with Yoko in mind or whatever, but I can’t help but consider the call and response that runs between John and Paul’s songs, always feeding off of each other, and wonder if it also has something to do with Paul too.
John always thinks Paul’s songs are about him anyway, i.e., Get Back and Hey Jude. And then there’s the idea that Jealous Guy might originally have been referencing Paul. Of course Too Many People and How Do You Sleep, Imagine is kind of Yesterday-y, Penny Lane as a response to Strawberry Fields Forever…. “Don’t let me down,” “Oh, Darlin’ I’ll never let you down,”…….
Strange that two McCartney songs were released as singles from this album before it’s release – Let It Be and Get Back and the didn’t include DLMD on it.
John says “By the way, Rod Stewart turned Don’t Let Me Down into [sings] ‘Maggie don’t go-o-o.’ That’s one that the publishers never noticed.”
But in fact it’s another Rod song The Killing of Georgie (part 2) which borrowed the melody of Don’t Let Me Down. The chorus “Oh Georgie stay, don’t go away” was note for note “Don’t Let Me Down, Don’t Let Me Down”