Wait

Wait was written and recorded for Help! but left out of the final cut. It was enhanced with an overdub to make it sound a bit more like the other songs on Rubber Soul and then released on that album. Paul and John collaborated on the music and lyrics. The theme is a familiar one: the singer (guy) is worried about his girlfriend and their relationship while he is away from her. Consistent with the premise in the lyrics, the song expresses impatience or concern. It starts without an intro, launching right into the verse, and the verse-refrain structure is clipped to half-verse-half-refrains, lending a feeling of hurry to the performance. The syncopated rhythm and the disjoint harmonies further add to the creation of an emotional charge in which the singer is clearly under some sort of pressure. The instrumentation is light, which puts more of a spotlight on the vocals. John and Paul sing the verses in tight harmony, and then Paul takes the solo, double-tracked.