Don't Pass Me By
In August 1962, Ringo Starr joined the Beatles and began playing a song he had written for his new bandmates. He described the process as sitting at home, fiddling with a piano until a melody emerged alongside some words. It was a very exciting time for him to get his first song down on paper. Everyone in the group was helpful during that period. Recording the track featuring a crazy violinist became a thrilling moment for the drummer.
The recording took place across four separate sessions in 1968: the 5th of June, the 6th of June, the 12th of July, and the 22nd of July. On the 5th of June, session tape labels called it "Ringo's Tune (Untitled)" while the 6th of June labels read "This Is Some Friendly." By the 12th of July, the title returned to its final form. George Martin arranged an orchestral interlude as an introduction but rejected it later. That unused music eventually served as an incidental cue for the animated film Yellow Submarine. In 1996, the introduction appeared as the track "A Beginning" on Anthology 3.
The earliest public mention of the track occurred during a BBC chatter session introducing "And I Love Her" on the radio show Top Gear in 1964. Paul McCartney mocked Starr by singing the refrain line "Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue, baby" after being asked if he had written a song. The conversation happened at the 1:10 mark of Complete BBC Sessions, Vol.8, track 5. This early exchange set the stage for how the song would evolve before its official release.
Record Mirror described the song as having a "carnival atmosphere" and a "'gay Paree' sound" with a very appealing vocal from Starr. David Griffiths wrote in January 1969 that the arrangement had quickly palled on him and he tended to jump the needle. Barry Miles called it "Ringo's C&W number" and praised the excellent fiddle player. Nik Cohn noted the beautiful hurdy-gurdy organ and Ringo's sleepwalking vocal style. Ian Fortnam later cited it as one of four songs making the White Album an enduring blueprint for rock.
The Gourds covered the song on their alt-country album while the Georgia Satellites included it on Open All Night in 1988. Punkles added their version to Pistol in 2004. Phish performed the track live as part of their interpretation of The Beatles, releasing it on Live Phish Volume 13 with a bluegrass arrangement. Ringo Starr himself re-recorded the song as a bonus track on his 2017 album Give More Love. These reinterpretations highlighted different musical styles from country to punk to bluegrass.
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Common questions
When did Ringo Starr write the song Don't Pass Me By?
Ringo Starr wrote the song Don't Pass Me By in August 1962 after joining the Beatles. He described sitting at home and fiddling with a piano until a melody emerged alongside some words.
What dates were used to record the track Don't Pass Me By by the Beatles?
The recording took place across four separate sessions on the 5th of June, the 6th of June, the 12th of July, and the 22nd of July in 1968. Session tape labels initially called it Ringos Tune Untitled before settling on the final title by the 12th of July.
How was the song Don't Pass Me By first mentioned publicly?
The earliest public mention occurred during a BBC chatter session introducing And I Love Her on the radio show Top Gear in 1964. Paul McCartney mocked Starr by singing the refrain line Dont pass me by don't make me cry don't make me blue baby.
Why did the single version of Don't Pass Me By peak at number one in Denmark?
The song was released as a single in Scandinavia despite being misattributed to Lennon and McCartney. It peaked at number one in Denmark during April 1969 even though the attribution error persisted throughout the region.
Which artists have covered the song Don't Pass Me By since its release?
The Gourds covered the song on their alt-country album while the Georgia Satellites included it on Open All Night in 1988. Punkles added their version to Pistol in 2004, Phish performed the track live with a bluegrass arrangement, and Ringo Starr re-recorded the song for his 2017 album Give More Love.