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We Can Work It Out

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“We Can Work It Out”
“We Can Work It Out” cover
Single by The Beatles
A-side "Day Tripper"
Released 3 December 1965 (UK)
6 December 1965 (US)
Format 7"
Recorded Abbey Road Studios: 20 October 1965
Genre Rock
Length 2:15
Label Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (US)
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Help!"
(1965)
"We Can Work It Out"
(1965)
"Paperback Writer"
(UK-1966) / "Nowhere Man"
(US-1965)
Paul did the first half, I did the middle-eight. But you've got Paul writing, 'We can work it out/ We can work it out' real optimistic, you know. And me, impatient, 'Life is very short and there's no time/ for fussing and fighting, my friend.

—John Lennon, 1980

I wrote it as more of an up-tempo thing, country and western. I had the basic idea, the title, had a couple of verses... then I took it to John to finish it off and we wrote the middle together, which is nice-- 'Life is very short/ And there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend.' Then it was George Harrison's idea to put the middle into waltz time, like a german waltz... The lyrics might have been personal. It is often a good way to talk to someone or to work your thoughts out. It saves you going to a psychiatrist, you allow yourself to say what you might not say in person.

—Paul McCartney, 1994


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