| "Wait" | |
|---|---|
_sheet_music_cover.jpg) Sheet music cover | |
| Song bythe Beatles | |
| from the albumRubber Soul | |
| Released | 3 December 1965 (1965-12-03) |
| Recorded | 17 June, 11 November 1965 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 2:13 |
| Label | Parlophone (UK),Capitol (US) |
| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer | George Martin |
"Wait" is a song by the Englishrock bandthe Beatles from their 1965 albumRubber Soul. The song is credited to theLennon–McCartney partnership. In the 1997 bookMany Years from Now,Paul McCartney recalls it as entirely his work. In a 1970 interview withRay Connolly,John Lennon could not remember writing it, saying, "That must be one of Paul's."[1]
The song was originally recorded forHelp! in June 1965, but was rejected for inclusion on the album.[2] WhenRubber Soul fell one song short for a Christmas release, the Beatles revisited "Wait". Overdubs were added to the initial recording so it would blend in better with the more recent songs onRubber Soul.[2]
In the view of authors Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin, the lyrics "probably reflected his [McCartney's] complex relationship withJane Asher: 'I am often away, but if you really love me, wait for me'".[2] The vocals on the verse are shared between Lennon and McCartney, and McCartney sings the twomiddle eight sections.[2] For his guitar part,George Harrison uses a volume pedal, which he earlier employed on "I Need You" and "Yes It Is".[2]
Richie Unterberger ofAllMusic writes that the song, while not one of the best onRubber Soul, still fits in with the album comfortably enough.[3] He compliments the song's "sorrowful melodies", calling them one of the most sorrowful of the Lennon–McCartney library, and notes that it's one of the few Beatles songs to be in a minor key.[3] In his review for the 50th anniversary ofRubber Soul, Jacob Albano ofClassic Rock Review writes: "'Wait' features great choruses and a decent bridge by McCartney along with a creative percussive ensemble and pedal-effected guitars", but concludes by calling it an otherwise weak song for its parent album.[4][self-published source?]
According to Ian MacDonald:[5]
