Two of Us (Beatles song)
Paul McCartney wrote Two of Us during a 1968 trip to Scotland with his then-girlfriend Linda Eastman. The melody emerged while they walked through the hills near the village of Glencoe. McCartney later described the experience as a moment of clarity before the band began to fracture. He originally titled the song On Our Way Home to reflect their journey together. Ian MacDonald noted that lyrics like you and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead hinted at deeper tensions within the group. As the Beatles broke up, the song took on new meaning as a gesture of affection toward John Lennon. It also served as an ode to the harmonies of the Everly Brothers, one of McCartney's key influences.
The Beatles recorded Two of Us on the 31st of January 1969 at Apple Studios in London. An early version from the 24th of January 1969 featured a guitar-driven rock style that McCartney found too chunky. Unsatisfied with this approach, the band reworked the arrangement around acoustic guitars. This shift transformed the track into a more intimate sound. A finished performance was captured live at Apple Studios and included in both the Let It Be film and album. Between takes on the 24th of January 1969, the group spontaneously played Maggie Mae, a traditional Liverpudlian song lasting 38 seconds. That outtake appeared on the original Let It Be album but was omitted from later versions.
Phil Spector added a spoken introduction to Two of Us when he produced the final mix for the 1970 Let It Be album. The intro featured a remark by John Lennon: I Dig A Pygmy by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf-Aids! Phase one, in which Doris gets her oats. This addition sparked controversy among fans and critics who felt it disrupted the song's emotional core. In 2003, the remix titled Let It Be... Naked removed Spector's spoken segment entirely. However, the original intro remains accessible within the Get Back documentary series. An outtake recorded on the 24th of January 1969 also surfaced on Anthology 3 in 1996.
The Beatles performed Two of Us live at Apple Studios on the 31st of January 1969 during their rooftop concert preparations. Footage of this performance appears in both the Let It Be film and the documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. On the 1st of March 1970, the clip aired on The Ed Sullivan Show as the band's final television appearance on that program. McCartney later produced a version of the song using its title with Mortimer, a New York City trio signed to Apple Records in May 1969. That recording never saw official release but demonstrated the track's adaptability beyond the group itself.
R. Dean Taylor covered Two of Us from his debut studio album I Think Therefore I Am released in 1970. Boney M. included their version on Oceans of Fantasy in 1979. Slovenian martial industrial group Laibach recorded a cover for their 1988 album Let It Be. Aimee Mann and Michael Penn performed the song for the 2001 film soundtrack I Am Sam. Neil Finn and his son Liam Finn also contributed an alternate version to some releases of that same soundtrack. Guster
covered the track on their 2007 EP Satellite while Kenny Loggins featured it on All Join In in 2009. Darren Criss sang with his brother Chuck Criss during his Listen Up Tour in 2013. The April Maze released their rendition on Two in 2012.
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Common questions
Who wrote the Beatles song Two of Us and when was it written?
Paul McCartney wrote the song during a 1968 trip to Scotland with his then-girlfriend Linda Eastman. The melody emerged while they walked through the hills near the village of Glencoe.
When did The Beatles record Two of Us at Apple Studios in London?
The band recorded the track on the 31st of January 1969 at Apple Studios in London. An early version from the 24th of January 1969 featured a guitar-driven rock style that McCartney found too chunky.
What changes did Phil Spector make to Two of Us for the 1970 Let It Be album?
Phil Spector added a spoken introduction featuring John Lennon when he produced the final mix for the 1970 Let It Be album. This addition sparked controversy among fans and critics who felt it disrupted the song's emotional core.
Where can listeners find the original intro to Two of Us today?
The original intro remains accessible within the Get Back documentary series. In 2003, the remix titled Let It Be... Naked removed Spector's spoken segment entirely.
Which artists covered Two of Us after its release by The Beatles?
R. Dean Taylor covered the song from his debut studio album I Think Therefore I Am released in 1970. Boney M. included their version on Oceans of Fantasy in 1979 and Slovenian martial industrial group Laibach recorded a cover for their 1988 album Let It Be.