You Can't Do That

Written in February of 1964 during the Beatles' US tour (Miami), this Lennon composition was the pioneer of a song feature that became closely identified with most of the Beatles' later music: the two-bar guitar intro. The guitar riff would kick off the song, and then everyone would jump in on measure 3. As the song proceeded, the riff would reappear as a sort of motif for the number. Lennon plays lead guitar, something of a switch for the group. Paul is heard playing the cowbell in You Can't Do That. George featured his newly-acquired electric 12-string Rickenbacker. Structurally, this song is a 12-bar blues, with a verse-verse-bridge format, followed by a repeat of the bridge-verse towards a conclusion. A guitar solo introduces the bridge. Another innovation in this song is the somewhat heavier performance of the vocalists, a characteristic not heard previously, but which would be identified with their subsequent recordings. You Can't Do That was released as tbe B-side of the Beatles' hit single, >em>Can't Buy Me Love.