When I Get Home

When I Get Home is a blues-like song, firmly in the Beatles' style, written by Lennon with lyrics that express his frustrations with trying to lead a "normal" life in the wake of the group's sudden, world-wide popularity. It was probably written in Tahiti in May of 1964, when he was on vacation with Cynthia, his wife. This song is also another one of John's "girls-group" homages. Critics have not been kind to When I Get Home, even though it displays many of the ingredients that led to the Beatles' immense success. It is the first of three songs of similar vintage that call for a cowbell, probably inspired by Motown's Wilson Pickett. The music is complex, using unusual chord sequences, and employing a minor key for the chorus -- something the Beatles explored often in the Hard Day's Night album. Perhaps the combination of minor key and "girls-group" sound was a bit too avant-garde for the fans.