I'll Be Back

I´ll Be Back is a strong closer for the second side of the UK release of A Hard Day's Night. It was written to fill out the album, and George Martin chose it for the important final slot. John took the popular 1961 hit Runaway (Del Shannon), which used a characteristic "Flamenco" chord sequence (Am, G, F, E) and inserted a C after the Am. The guitar work of the group reinforced the Spanish flavor of the sound. Originally written in 6/8 time, I'll Be Back was reworked in 4/4 time because Lennon found it too hard to sing otherwise. The shift to acoustic instruments is a hint at what would later be called the Beatles' "middle period" sound. This song is unique in that its structure is not intuitive, like most of the Beatles' work. There are two verses, followed by a half verse. The song has two bridges, but no solo section.