Here, There and Everywhere
Paul McCartney sat by the pool at John Lennon's house in Weybridge during early June 1966. He waited for his friend to wake up while strumming a guitar on one of the sun chairs. The song began as he played chords in the key of E major. By the time Lennon emerged from sleep, McCartney had already composed most of the melody and harmony. They moved indoors together to finish writing the lyrics and structure. This moment marked the birth of a track that would later define an era of pop music.
The verse opens with a G chord while the melody also holds a G note. It moves through a sequence shifting from I to ii to iii to IV. That progression translates to G followed by Am then Bm and finally C. A sudden change occurs after four bars when the song shifts down six semitones. An F minor chord appears alongside a non-G scale C note. The bass line then lands on a B7 chord adding a D note outside the original key. These modulations take the listener toward E minor before returning to G major. Music critic Kenneth Womack describes this movement as fully experiencing the conscious moment.
Recording sessions took place at Abbey Road Studios over three specific dates: the 14th of June, the 16th of June, and the 17th of June 1966. Engineers taped thirteen takes before capturing a satisfactory basic track for the band. Paul McCartney multi-tracked his lead vocal to create a layered sound. John Lennon and George Harrison spent hours perfecting backing vocals during those days. The production team used a Leslie speaker effect on Harrison's guitar part. This technique gave the instrument a mandolin-like tone that later shifted to a horn-like timbre. McCartney aimed for a Beach Boys style of harmony throughout the arrangement.
Mojo magazine ranked the song fourth in its list of greatest songs released in 2000. Rolling Stone placed it twenty-fifth among one hundred Beatles tracks in April 2004. Tim Riley called the composition the most perfect song McCartney had written up to that point. Richie Unterberger described the recording as having exquisite delicacy with tangible desire. Ian MacDonald criticized the soft-focus charm as chintzy and cloying despite its musical ingenuity. James Perone noted the track could fit into a senior prom set list. Art Garfunkel called the performance intoxicating and supreme compared to other singles he heard.
The Fourmost recorded an early cover version in August 1966 while managed by Brian Epstein. Emmylou Harris reached number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976 with her rendition. Her version also peaked at number thirteen on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. Frank Ocean interpolated lyrics from the original into his 2016 song White Ferrari. Lennon's son Sean and Elvis Costello performed the tune together in 2022 for McCartney's eightieth birthday celebration. Pat Metheny released a solo guitar interpretation on his 2024 album MoonDial. Bruce Welch of The Shadows claimed McCartney offered the melody to Hank Marvin before the band recorded it.
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Common questions
When and where was the song Here There and Everywhere written?
Paul McCartney wrote the melody and harmony for Here There and Everywhere during early June 1966 at John Lennon's house in Weybridge. The final lyrics and structure were completed indoors after McCartney waited for Lennon to wake up.
What musical key and chord progression does Here There and Everywhere use?
Here There and Everywhere begins in the key of E major with a verse that opens on a G chord holding a G note. The progression shifts from I to ii to iii to IV, translating to G followed by Am then Bm and finally C before modulating down six semitones.
On which dates did recording sessions for Here There and Everywhere take place?
Recording sessions for Here There and Everywhere occurred over three specific dates: the 14th of June, the 16th of June, and the 17th of June 1966. Engineers recorded thirteen takes at Abbey Road Studios before capturing a satisfactory basic track for the band.
How have critics and publications ranked the song Here There and Everywhere?
Mojo magazine ranked Here There and Everywhere fourth in its list of greatest songs released in 2000 while Rolling Stone placed it twenty-fifth among one hundred Beatles tracks in April 2004. Tim Riley called the composition the most perfect song McCartney had written up to that point.
Which artists have covered or interpolated the song Here There and Everywhere since 1966?
The Fourmost recorded an early cover version in August 1966 while Emmylou Harris reached number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976 with her rendition. Frank Ocean interpolated lyrics from the original into his 2016 song White Ferrari and Pat Metheny released a solo guitar interpretation on his 2024 album MoonDial.