Little Child

Lennon and McCartney collaborated on Little Child to give a vocal spot to Ringo, particularly after his great popularity with young American female audiences. (Ringo, however, did not want to sing it, and so, in the recording sessions, Lennon took the lead. Starr moved to I Wanna Be Your Man, which the Rolling Stones also turned into a hit.) The song was written hurriedly (McCartney recalls "in two hours"), in early September of 1963. The need was to fill all the tracks for the second album. Paul plays piano for the first time on this track. The drums are lighter than usual, with a slight Latin feel, causing the song to appeal to a broader audience. The guitars are almost indiscernible, as the piano and harmonica tones carry the tune. Though Little Child was originally written for a lesser role on the album (that is, not as a palpable "hit song"), the musical performace of the group is accomplished, and the emotional charge and energy level are high.