Published Northern Songs Genre Folk rock Label Parlophone | Released 3 December 1965 Length 2:16 | |
Recorded 17 June, and 11 November 1965,
EMI Studios, London | ||
"Wait" is a song released by the Beatles, on their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The songwriting credit is Lennon–McCartney, and the song is usually said to be a joint effort between the two, although in the 1997 book, Many Years from Now, McCartney recalls it as entirely his. This is supported by a 1970 interview with John Lennon by Ray Connolly. John could not remember writing it. "That must be one of Paul's," he said.
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Origin and recording
The song was originally recorded for Help! in June 1965 but was rejected for inclusion on the album. When Rubber Soul fell one song short for a Christmas release, "Wait" was brought back. Overdubs were added to the initial recording so it would blend in better with the other, more recent songs on Rubber Soul.
The lyrics, describing the singer's anxieties about his relationship with his girlfriend while he is away, are thematically similar to several other Lennon–McCartney songs, such as "When I Get Home" and "Things We Said Today," written during the period of 1964 and 1965. The vocals on the verse are shared between Lennon and McCartney, and McCartney sings the two middle eight sections. Instrumentally, the most memorable feature of "Wait" is George Harrison's tone pedal guitar.