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Let 'Em In Lyrics
Someone knocking at the door
Somebody ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Oh yeah
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Let ‘em in
Sister Suzy, Brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Brother Michael, Auntie Gin
Open the door and let 'em in
Oh yeah
Sister Suzy, Brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Uncle Ernie, Auntie Gin
Open the door and let 'em in
Yeah, yeah
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Oh yeah, yeah, let ‘em in now
Sister Suzy, Brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Uncle Ernie, Uncle Ian
Open the door and let 'em in
Yeah, yeah
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Somebody ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Let ‘em in
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Brother Michael, Auntie Gin
Open the door and let 'em in
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Uncle Ernie, Auntie Gin
Open the door and let 'em in
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Uncle Ernie, Uncle Ian
Open the door and let 'em in
Somebody's ringing the bell
Someone's knocking at the door
Somebody's ringing the bell
Do me a favour
Open the door
And let 'em in
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
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Let ’em in” — hard not to see that song as a metaphor for loving humanity. Even as a kid, hearing the tune on the radio for the first time, it was clear that Paul was singing about letting people into our hearts — dropping our ego mind games and opening our eyes to the holy in others — a pretty radical idea. Also, hard to ignore the song’s offhand allusion to “Martin Luther” a name you might call MLK if you were a friend. So (even if just subconsciously on Paul’s part — he was writing this album quickly after all) this song suggests a plea for agape, for radically loving humanity and for peace in the world. Its a profound message hidden with the casual line “do me a favour and let ’em in.”
Too bad critics were so against Paul in the 1970s that they dismissed this as some house-party ditty (come on in y’all and party with the McCartney’s!). Really the song is even deeper than “Imagine” -- where John sings about the poison of surface things — borders, ideologies, etc. — Paul is going to the root of it all, the human heart.
The Beatle’s were the universe’s gift to humanity, a correction for WW2. Its sad that one of their leaders is still not given the credit he deserves for his depth. Macca’s lightness of touch and distaste for being overstated & heavy gets dismissed as superficiality. Shine on Paul!
@Mikejj43 This is true - when I saw him on the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2024, he played this song and it was accompanied on the video screens by marginalised groups, racial minorities, LGBTIQA+ people, with smiling faces, waiting to be accepted by society, and Paul seemed to be meaning, "Hey, look, these people just want to be allowed in, they just want to come in, don't be mean, just let 'em in" - it was beautiful and moved me to tears. I hadn't thought of this meaning to the song before, and as you say, it's amazing, the hidden...
@Mikejj43 This is true - when I saw him on the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2024, he played this song and it was accompanied on the video screens by marginalised groups, racial minorities, LGBTIQA+ people, with smiling faces, waiting to be accepted by society, and Paul seemed to be meaning, "Hey, look, these people just want to be allowed in, they just want to come in, don't be mean, just let 'em in" - it was beautiful and moved me to tears. I hadn't thought of this meaning to the song before, and as you say, it's amazing, the hidden depths of Macca's writing sometimes.
This track puts me in mind of William Holman Hunt’s painting “The Light of the World” which shows Christ, standing outside in the cold with a lantern, knocking at the door of a cosy house (subtext - your door). “Let me in…” Reproductions of this painting were everywhere in childhood experience during the latter half of the 20th century - your school, your church, whichever youth group you were involved in… it was hanging on the wall… “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” Paul secularises and widens the appeal but retains something of the spirituality - “Let ‘em in…”
I think this is advice on letting a variety of people into your personal thoughts, giving you the chance to form balanced opinions....being open, boosting self confidence and avoiding idiocy.
@wigwamclan Cool! That makes sense. Glad we both felt there was a lot in this song! I heard the Rolling Stone critics at the time went out of their way to ignore any depth to it and treated it as empty lyrics.
@wigwamclan Cool! That makes sense. Glad we both felt there was a lot in this song! I heard the Rolling Stone critics at the time went out of their way to ignore any depth to it and treated it as empty lyrics.
I think this is advice on letting a variety of people into your personal thoughts, giving you the chance to form balanced opinions....being open, boosting self confidence and avoiding idiocy.