Originally the debut single in 1961 by Motown group The Marvelettes, ‘Please Mister Postman’ was recorded two years later by The Beatles for their second album With The Beatles.
The second album was slightly better than the first, inasmuch as we spent more time on it, and there were more original songs. We did ‘Money’ for that album, and other cover versions: ‘Please Mister Postman’, ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’ and ‘Devil In Her Heart’, an obscure American song by The Donays.
In the studio
‘Please Mister Postman’ had been a part of The Beatles’ set since 1962, but during the recording it took some time to get right.
It took nine takes to perfect, and was completed in the morning of 30 July 1963, the same day that they recorded ‘It Won’t Be Long’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, and ‘All My Loving’, plus edit pieces for ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’.
John Lennon took lead vocals on ‘Please Mister Postman’, double tracking his performance for added weight. Paul McCartney and George Harrison provided backing vocals, resulting in one of the more effective cover versions on With The Beatles.
BBC recordings
The Beatles also recorded ‘Please Mister Postman’ three times for BBC radio. The first was on their debut radio session, for Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go.
The show was recorded on 7 March 1962, and broadcast the following day. ‘Please Mister Postman’ was the last of three songs recorded, the others being ‘Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream?)’, and ‘Memphis, Tennessee’.
The band’s second BBC recording was for Pop Go The Beatles. It was recorded on 10 July 1963, and broadcast on 30 July.
The songs recorded were ‘Memphis, Tennessee’, ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘Matchbox’, ‘Please Mister Postman’, and ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’. These versions of ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’, ‘Till There Was You’, and ‘Please Mister Postman’ were all included on 2013’s On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2.
The third and final BBC recording was the only version of the song recorded after the release of With The Beatles. It was for the show From Us To You, recorded on 28 February 1964 and broadcast on 30 March.
The songs performed by The Beatles were ‘You Can’t Do That’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Please Mister Postman’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘This Boy’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.
Lyrics
Wait!
Oh yes, wait just a minute mister postman
Wait!
Wait mister postman
(Mister postman look and see) oh yeah
(If there’s a letter in the bag for me)
Please, please mister postman
(I’ve been waiting a long long time) oh, yeah
(Since I heard from that girl of mine)
There must be some word today
From my girlfriend so far away
Please mister postman look and see
If there’s a letter, a letter for me
I’ve been standing here waiting Mister Postman
So patiently
For just a card or just a letter
Saying she’s returning home to me
Please Mister Postman
(Mister postman look and see) oh yeah
(If there’s a letter in the bag for me)
Please mister postman
(I’ve been waiting a long long time) oh, yeah
(Since I heard from that girl of mine)
So many days you past me by
See the tears standing in my eye
You didn’t stop to make me feel better
By leaving me a card or letter
Mister Postman, look and see
Is there a letter, yeah, for me
I’ve been waiting such a long long time
Since I heard from that girlfriend of mine
You gotta, wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
Wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
(You gotta) check and see one more time for me
You gotta, wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
Mister Postman, oh yeah
Deliver the letter, the sooner the better
You gotta, wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
Wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
you gotta, wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
you gotta, wait a minute wait a minute oh yeah
There are handclaps in the intro and coda.
I always liked this very much as a kid. I didn’t know though it was originally written for a Motown group. But since I also like most Motown this makes kind of sense.
One of my favourite covers by the band. I love Ringo’s drum fill in the middle of the song.
I was 7 years old when this came out, and I remember so distinctly imagining that it was OUR postman that John was singing to. Even now, 49 years on, the postman from my boyhood comes to mind every time I hear this song!
And I’ve always loved “Deliver de letter, de sooner de better!”
Yup, John’s delivery of that last line has always been a favorite of mine too!
Good cover. In fact all of the covers on WTB are, IMO, quite good. In contrast, on PPM the covers seem pretty limp, except of course for Twist and Shout.
Is there actually a lead guitar part on Please Mr Postman, as I can only seem to hear John’s rhythm part ?.
Suprised there’s not more love for this song! John’s lead vocal is incredible and the harmonies a fantastic. Not to mention, its just an awesomely crafted pop song underneath it all.
Agreed. Lennon does a great job on this. Their cover of it is fabulous. Always one I go back to
The same goes for me. This song is one of my all-time favourites, and can only compare its awesomeness to e.g. ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. I especially love the way George, and Paul are singing the simple backing vocals. And despite they did not compose it, they could perfectly play it in my opinion. Personally, I like it much more better than for instance ‘A Day In The Life’ or songs like that, but maybe I am too young for that stuff.
Does anyone suspect that John possibly sung this to Cynthia? Seeing as he wrote a lot of letters during this time and the lyrics?
That’s what came to my mind as well. On one envelope to Cynthia, it was even written by John “Postman Postman, don’t be slow! I’m in love with Cyn so go man go!”
Although it didn’t spoil the song, John actually fluffs a line, the one about ‘ . . .some word today’. He seems to sing, although it’s not totally clear really, ‘some day’ instead of ‘today’, and he seems to sing a plural which doesn’t even exist, ‘somedays’. Have a listen, closely.
The phrase “deliver de letter de sooner de better” was actually a phrase used by girls going back to the 1950s and thrown in by the (writers of the) Marvelettes original song.
The person who wrote this song also worked for the Post Office in Detroit.
Good cover, John’s vocals are great for that kind of song.
When I was a kid . It was these early songs that grabbed me. This was definitely one of them . Great vocal. Much better than the original.
This cover is absolutely Perfect. Everything about it is Perfect. There is nothing more to say, because it is Perfect.
The Carpenters did a cover of “Please Mr. Postman” in 1974 and when it was released as a single, it went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Top 200.
Here’s a bit of trivia about The Marvelettes’ original version: Marvin Gaye is playing the drums and this was in his early years doing session work at Motown before he was famous.
Johns vocals are fantastic on this version.
What a great song i recall playing (bass) when I was in high school in the Canal Zone in Panama from 1966-1968. So it was even popular then. I love it!
One of my favorite Beatles covers. I really enjoy the overall sound. The vocals – lead and backing – are great!
A little note to the Personnel section: handclaps should be added and credited to each Beatle. As Dave Rybaczewski describes it on his website: ” (…) “Take seven” was then determined to be the best take, onto which overdubs were performed to double-track John Lennon’s lead vocals and add handclaps from ALL FOUR Beatles, this becoming “take nine.”(…)”
Already in 2009, the first comment referred to this matter.