Recorded during the late stages of work on the White Album, ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was a spontaneous recording by Paul McCartney with assistance from Ringo Starr.
The song was recorded while John Lennon and George Harrison were working on other songs. Lennon later described McCartney’s decision as hurtful, explaining that it represented the fragmented way in which the group’s members had taken to recording songs in 1968.
That’s Paul. He even recorded it by himself in another room. That’s how it was getting in those days. We came in and he’d made the whole record. Him drumming. Him playing the piano. Him singing. But he couldn’t – he couldn’t – maybe he couldn’t make the break from The Beatles. I don’t know what it was, you know. I enjoyed the track. Still, I can’t speak for George, but I was always hurt when Paul would knock something off without involving us. But that’s just the way it was then.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
McCartney later defended himself, pointing out that Lennon had worked alone on ‘Revolution 9’ and ‘Julia’ either side of ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’.
It wasn’t a deliberate thing. John and George were tied up finishing something and me and Ringo were free, just hanging around, so I said to Ringo, ‘Let’s go and do this’…Anyway, he did the same with ‘Revolution 9’. He went off and made that without me. No one ever says that. John is the nice guy and I’m the b*****d. It gets repeated all the time.
The Beatles: The Illustrated And Updated Edition, Hunter Davies
Ringo Starr later pointed out that ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ was recorded without him and Harrison.
‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was just Paul and me, and it went out as a Beatle track too. We had no problems with that.
Anthology
The song was inspired by an incident observed by McCartney in Rishikesh, India.
I was up on the flat roof meditating and I’d seen a troupe of monkeys walking along in the jungle and a male just hopped on to the back of this female and gave her one, as they say in the vernacular. Within two or three seconds he hopped off again, and looked around as if to say, ‘It wasn’t me,’ and she looked around as if there had been some mild disturbance but thought, Huh, I must have imagined it, and she wandered off. And I thought, bloody hell, that puts it all into a cocked hat, that’s how simple the act of procreation is, this bloody monkey just hopping on and hopping off. There is an urge, they do it, and it’s done with. And it’s that simple. We have horrendous problems with it, and yet animals don’t. So that was basically it. ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ could have applied to either f*****g or s******g, to put it roughly. Why don’t we do either of them in the road? Well, the answer is we’re civilised and we don’t. But the song was just to pose that question. ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was a primitive statement to do with sex or to do with freedom really. I like it, it’d just so outrageous that I like it.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
In the studio
‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was recorded over two days, on the first of which Paul McCartney worked alone apart from tape operator Ken Townsend.
On 9 October 1968 McCartney recorded five takes of the song, which began with just acoustic guitar and lead vocals. Onto the fifth take – the first to feature raucous vocals throughout – he then overdubbed a piano part.
Take four, which saw McCartney alternating between gentle and strident vocals with each verse, can be heard on Anthology 3.
The next day, while John Lennon and George Harrison were supervising the string overdubs for ‘Piggies’ and ‘Glass Onion’, McCartney added more vocals, handclaps, lead guitar and bass to the song. Ringo Starr also recorded a drum part and handclaps.
We were mixing in Studio Two, which was really the dedicated Beatles studio at Abbey Road, and I was getting a bit fed up sitting around. Everyone had gone home, but we were still there at ten o’clock, eleven o’clock, midnight. There was no one else around except for a security sergeant, maybe somebody on the door. So I slipped into Studio Three with Ringo, just him and me. I wanted to do a let-it-all-hang-out song based on little more than a mantra.
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present
This song is so damn awesome. “Raunchy Paul” at his best. Simplistic, rockin’ genius.
The origin story also enhances it. One of my White Album favourites, but then I’m weird like that.
This should have been the opening song on the album, so we would all know what was to come!
Another good song but too short.
I guarantee it took longer to record than to write! Nice vocal but I really don’t think is very good at all. Still, I guess you could make a claim that it looked ahead to those Lennon exercises in minimalism “I Want You” (She’s So Heavy)” and “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number”).
“You know my name (look up the number”) was originally recorded over a year before “Why don’t we do it in the road?”
The vocals (Tthe parts where the minimalism would matter) were recorded in 1969, after Why don’t we do it in the road.
Vocals were recorded in May 1967. Additional vocals were recorded April 1969.
Not true. The 1967 sessions were for the backing track only. All the vocals were recorded on 30 April 1969.
I must be reading your description of the story behind the recording of this particular song all wrong.
Fair point. The YKMN article was written before I’d fully researched the recording sessions. I’ve amended it now. But can we please keep this page for discussions abut Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?
Anyways, I had release dates in mind when I said “looking ahead”; I wasn’t implying any creative influence.
I think that is becaue it is unfinished. The song is basiacally a chorus with no verses. Seven out of ten Paul. Try harder next time.
This has got to be one of Paul’s edgiest numbers, along with “Big Boys Bickering”. Paul stereotype is laid-back ballads, styirring love songs, and relaying happy-go-lucky stories of beautiful everyday people—a la “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”, “Lovely Rita”, “Paperback Writer” . John once complained about this writing technique of his; and yet the “White Album” showcased “Helter Skelter”, “Wild Honey Pie”, and this number, not-so-innocent tracks. I was entranced by the song’s raunchy style and composition with its array simple instrumentation. However, it was soon inquired if I knew what the song’s incantation meant.
I agree, Jack. Too short. I think this is one of those that John wished that Paul would have let him sing.
I can’t hear the acoustic guitar. If it was present in the first take(s), I guess it was not in the last one.
Errrr……what does Paul want to ”Do in the road”???
Have you read the article on this page? If you still don’t get it, read it again.
Ohhhhhhh. :L Didnt see that before…
Back to the Point, I wish John had sung it.
Agreed. This and Oh Darling were McCartney songs John felt he could have done better. It would have been great if they had done that more – allowing the other to take the lead vocal even if it wasn’t the lead singer’s song. Still, would John have let Paul take lead on one of his songs had Paul made such a request?
Agreed on Oh Darling, couldn’t disagree more on this one.
The thing that’s the coolest to me about Paul McCartney the musician is that he could do just about anything, which is opposed to John who could still do an awful lot, but he had more of a “wheelhouse” than Paul did, meaning that he was really good at doing specific things. Oh Darling and maybe this song (although I really think Paul is quite good on this one) could have been times where John would just rip an incredible take like Twist and Shout or Instant Karma or something like that. But they were different musicians, John was more in the moment and Paul liked to assemble the parts much more methodically, which is generally why Paul’s stuff has less emotion than John’s.
Paul’s music and voice had just as much emotion as John’s, perhaps even more so. But my opinion is purely subjective – just like yours. Twist and Shout? Emotion? A bad head cold and a sore throat for John but it sure helped make the song sound good.
It’s just a blues format retread. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s certainly not a genius piece of work. Paul’s vocal is what makes this work – therein lies the genius.
Funny how the word `genius’ gets tossed around so carelessly. I really like this track — it’s a lot of fun — but `genius’? Let’s not get carried away. How about if we reserve that term for his numerous other songs which truly deserve that title.
I wouldn’t even call this one of Paul’s better songs. Sounds like an underdeveloped throwaway to me.
Is there a slide guitar being played on the record? I wonder how he got that sound.
There is an awesome cover of this track by Lowell Fulson. He expanded it somewhat; adding other locations for doin’ it (the car; the house – “once the door is closed nobody knows what it’s all about” priceless!). I couldn’t believe this track got covered when I heard it 🙂 But then again so did rocky raccoon, which is even more ridiculous.
Throw away song or not, still an entertaining song regardless.
I used to listen to this song when I was a kid in the 80’s, then my mom heard it and took my White Album away. I was crushed. The drums are great, the vocals great, the recording is great. Excellent quick song, cheers to Paul and Ringo!
If John & George had also played on this track, it would really have been an Amazing song.
Neither John nor George were able to contribute, because they were occupied with other things, and as Paul told Hunter Davies, he never purposely excluded either of them from WDWDIITR. Ringo was available, so he and Paul worked closely on finishing the track with Ringo playing drums and Paul doing the rest himself, bass included.
Probably one of Paul’s best vocal performances. A favorite for sure
Paul was so involved with “Julia” You can hear him critiquing John thru the talkback mic on the Anthology. “One or two discrepancies”
i agree with ryanhall. That bluesy “yell” at the beginning of the last verse must be Paul’s greatest note vocal line ever.
Of course Julia was record by itself just like Blackbird. Both were acoustic guitar finger style songs with amazing lyrics and vocals. So don’t bring Julia which is the only song with Lennon alone.
this song is pure McCartney. I love it.
I read somewhere that when Paul recorded this he was slightly picking fun at the Stones by keeping the drums, bass,and piano pretty simple.To me his vocal performance slightly resembles Jagger.Just my opinion.not fact.
A truly simple, short and silly song, but quite effective and powerful. If the recording techniques and equipment of those days had had a better quality, Ringo’s drumming would have sounded in an equal raunchy way as Paul’s voice. The bassline in the last verse is the best part of the song.
This is the exemplar of Paul McCartney’s singing, for me. O! Darling! is another one, and for so long I thought the seventh he finishes on in that one was a missed note, but really these are the two that exhibit his vocals (and Maybe I’m Amazed from Wings). The capacity to switch from sweetness to roughness to falsetto is shown seamlessly and the falsetto takes you by surprise but then is clearly the only bit that goes there (and IMO is what takes this song from just them having fun to greatness. John Lennon, while probably a more significant artist (certainly, he broke more ground after the Beatles than the others, though they were still seriously important musicians, with the exception of Ringo, who did his best work in the Beatles – and it was transcendental work, whatever people who need there to have been one duff Beatle might tell you), didn’t have this versatility – he had his voice, which is incredible, but (as far as I remember right now) doesn’t do acrobatics like this.
Before I read this thread, I didn’t know John wanted to do O! Darling! I am so interested in what he might have done with it, since in Paul’s eminently capable hands, it is _the_ blues love song. I’m interested just ’cause – I think Paul did a better job with it than John could’ve done – apart from the early days of John singing love song pop, Paul is the guy who becomes the architect of simple love songs – “Here, there and everywhere”, “Honeypie” and then you have the complexity/veiled menace of John with “Glass Onion” and “The continuing story of Bungalow Bill” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun”.
I guess I am saying that the impression I have from all of the Beatles and Wings and Lennon solo is that Paul is one of the best musicians and songwriters of our age and produced music you can just listen to, but John had a dark part of himself that propelled him to genius status, but he is not _safe_ – if you actually listen to his lyrics, he might challenge you. And you might not like him.
Also, you only have to read Wikipedia to find out how fragmented they were at this point, though the album is absolutely f_cking genius. And Rocky Raccoon shoved in as filler – that’s got to be one of the most covered songs from it.
Soz, comment got long. I guess I nearly said everything.
Anybody else ever hear those Twickingham sessions from January 1969, where John Lennon suddenly sings out: “Why don’t you put it on the toast!” followed by brief heavy guitar strumming. Classic!
Did the Beatles even need George Martin anymore by this time?
Over two years later, I’ll answer on the off-chance you still come to this site. In a word, yes, they still needed Martin, if for nothing other than his magnificent string and horn arrangements.
Did Paul and Ringo ever perform this live? Seems like a good choice for them.
I found this clip of Paul with Neil Young: https://youtu.be/t1gngakVRNw
I used to like this more . I remember an interview from ’64 or thereabouts where Paul and John were talking about writing a song with only one word. Well this is pretty close. And the White Album is the great album it is because of songs like this and Rev.9, Warm Gun etc. At this point The Beatles could do anything, record anything, and not care. This is an example of that kind of mentality. Great vocal. Great sound. But really pretty much a throwaway along the lines of Lennon’s Dig It. I like the other posters idea of putting it at the start of the album. What a shocker that would have been!
Dreadful song. Should have stayed on the floor.
LOL, sorry Sheldon that you don’t like it.
But it’s among Paul’s greatest vocal performances ever, one of his coolest songs ever, I can’t get enough of that bass, especially in the last chorus, and even John loved it and was pissed that Paul didn’t ask him to contribute.
It’s songs like this that make the WA so special and unique.