I Saw Her Standing There

The first track on the first Beatles album (though Love Me Do was the first to be recorded, and the first John/Paul demo was called "In Spite Of All The Danger"), the 1-2-3-4 line was decided to stay as this added to the feeling that it was a live performance by a raw Liverpool beat group.

Originally known as "17", this track tells the time-tested story of boy meets girl (in a local ballroom) and decides to dance with no other, after realising that her looks are "way beyond compare".

Paul started composing this song driving back to his Allerton home in 1962. The idea of writing about a 17 year old girl was no coincidence. It was the age he was at at the time, and was an age when most of the audience could relate. Originally, the first two lines were "she was just 17 | Never been a beauty queen". When played to John, Paul thought it was a useless line.

The lyrics were first written either inside or on the back of a Liverpool Institute exercise book. The bassline was used on this track and taken from Chuck Berry's 1961 track "I'm talking about you". "Even", Paul says, "up to today, when I tell people about it, I find few of them believe me." Ergo... "Therefore," he says, "I maintain that a bass riff doesn't have to be original." Then there's the section about Iris Caldwell, sister of Rory Storm (and the Hurricanes). She was 17 at the time of authoring this piece. She was dancing the twist, in New Brighton's Tower Ballroom. "Paul and I dated for a couple of years, it was never meant to be serious, I went out with lots of people."

This song went on to be part of many live sets in 1962.

You're listening to the beginning of what was clearly to become a revolution, socially, culturally, globally. Ian MacDonald wrote that this song was the “authentic sound of youth”. He gave it credit for kick-starting the “rock and roll rebellion” that had been lying dormant in the early ’60s... in his book "Revolution in the Head".

This was the spark, the genesis of everything they were to become. And it all happens within the first 5 seconds of the song. Listen to it, over and over, just 5 seconds. Hypnotic. There's something MORE there. Something deeper, but much brighter. Almost like religion, weaved into the SOUND itself.

Great vocal performance by Paul!

this song is great. i wouldnt agree with the above statement, i think there were a lot of good ones, but certainly this is one of the best.

i also disagree with CoopFloyd - the Beatles never made shallow bubble-gum pop, they were very special. it is clearly shown in their early work, as they differ a lot from other 'similar' groups at the time.

Paul started writing this song, and he wanted to write about a girl so that their female fans could relate to it. Originally, he just had "she was just seventeen/ never been a beauty queen", but John came up with "and you know what I mean". It may also have been inspired by Iris Caldwell, the sister of Rory Storm (whose band Ringo was in before the Beatles), whom Paul had been dating.

i dissagree with CoopFloyd, the warly stuff is great, especially this one.

I always found it amazing watching Paul sing this. I still have doubts believing such a powerful voice could come from him. Great song.

this is the coolest beatles song in their old days off their first record

A good song... I remember reading somewhere that John was a bit jealous of this song... am I right? Either way, John did play this song with Elton John at one of his concerts... John introduced it by saying (don't hold me to it...) "I'd like to thank Elton and the boys for having me on tonight...we tried to think of a number to finish off with so I can get out of here and be sick...and we thought we'd do a number of an old estranged(not sure on that word) fiance of mine...called Paul...this is one I never sang its an old Beatle number, and we just about know it..." Well they did know it, and they rocked it pretty well... a good song from Paul!