Ain't She Sweet by The Beatles

Album: Ain't She Sweet (1964)

Charted: 29 19

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This was written in 1927 by songwriters Milton Ager and Jack Yellen, and it quickly became a standard. Ager wrote the lyrics for his daughter Shana, who later became an actress and political commentator named Shana Alexander.
This song was first recorded in 1927 as a piano tune by Frank Banta. Some of the many artists who recorded this include Frank Sinatra, Harry James, Lawrence Welk and Gene Vincent. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Terry - Willmar, MN
The Beatles recorded this in June 1961 in Hamburg, Germany, where they honed their skills playing clubs in 1960 and 1961. When they hit it big in 1964, their recording of "Ain't She Sweet" was released as a single; it's an anomaly in their discography, placed between their massive self-written hits "Can't Buy Me Love" and "A Hard Day's Night." It's a testament to the power of Beatlemania that a standard the band recorded three years earlier still did well, charting at #19 in the US and #29 in the UK.

The song didn't appear on a Beatles album until 1995 on the Anthology 1 compilation.
John Lennon decided to play this "as a march," whereas the Gene Vincent version is much softer. The Beatles recorded an off-the-cuff version in this softer style in 1969 when they were recording their Abbey Road album. This version surfaced in 1996 on the compilation Anthology 3.
Among Beatles covers, this 1927 standard was an outlier; most songs they covered were '50s R&B hits. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Loretta - Liverpool, England, for above 2
Original Beatles drummer Pete Best played on this track, which earned him some royalties when it was released on the Anthology album. It was one of the few times he benefited from The Beatles' success.
The Beatles didn't release this in the US until 1964, three years after it was recorded.
The Muppets, including Sweetums, performed this with Dom DeLuise on a 1977 episode of The Muppet Show.

Comments: 28

Thomas More from Muenster - Germany"The song didn't appear on an album until 1995 on the Anthology 1 compilation." This is false. The song appeared on the ATCO-Album "Ain't She Sweet - The Beatles & Other Great Group Sounds From England" from 1964, together with 3 Polydor-Recordings with Tony Sheridan plus 8 Cover-Versions by a studio group named The Swallows.
Jennifur Sun from RamonaSomewhere I used to have the 45 to this. Never knew that Ringo didn't drum on the song. Always kinda liked it.
Joe from Grants Pass, OrI TOTALY enjoyed the video with Astrid and Stu.. Need I say more ???
John from New York, NyThe version of this song on Anthology 1 DOES NOT include the verse "I repeat, don't you think that's kind of neat." In fact Lennon sings, "I carry Pete, don't you think that's kind of neat." The reference is to then drummer Pete Best and his apparent inability to keep up with Lennon's rhythm guitar. Of course, usually the drums set the rhythm for the song, thus, in an example of usual Lennon wit, he changes the lyrics. This is confirmed in Lennon interviews also. Go back and listen, I'm telling you.
Bob from Southfield, MiThe fade-out on "Free As a Bird" features a banjo player playing this song.
David from Lawren, MaI Still play my Beatles Aint She Sweet Atco Vinyl 45... Timeless and Priceless Sound My Friends!
Julia from Santa Monica, CaJohn says this was the first rock & roll song he learned to accompany himself with on the guitar. (WNEW interview, 1975.)
Julia from Santa Monica, CaLennon strummed "Ain't She Sweet" after class one day in art school, when just he and Cynthia were left after class. He watched her so intently as he sang, flirting with her, that she fled the room blushing. ;) (From Cynthia's book "John".)
Chomper from Franjkin County, PaWhen the Beatles recorded this song with Tony Sheridan in 1961 , there were five Beatles members : John ( John Lennon ) , Paul ( Paul McCartney ) , George ( George Harrison ) , Stu ( Stuart Sutcliffe ), and Pete ( Pete Best ). Ringo was still a drummer , performing with Rory Storm and the Hurricane at the time ; and didn't join until 1962 ( he replaced Pete Best ). Stuart Sutcliffe died of a brain hemmorage while the other Beatles were performing in Hamburg , Germany.
Nick from London, United KingdomThe Beatles also recorded a couple of songs without Sheridan for Polydor in 1961, Cry For A Shadow, a Lennon/Harrison instrumental in the style of The Shadows and Ain't She Sweet, originally released by Lou Gold & His Melody Men in 1927. Ain't She Sweet appeared on Gene Vincent's first album, Blue Jean Bop in 1956 and it featured in the Beatles live set for a number of years right up to 1962. John would revisit the song in 1974 and the three surviving Beatles did the same while filming together in 1994, both versions are available respectively on the John Lennon Anthology set and the Beatles Anthology DVD. At Abbey Road on July 24th 1969, in between recording Mean Mr. Mustard and Sun King, the Beatles busked through a carbon copy of Gene Vincent's arrangement of Ain't She Sweet (included on Anthology 3) along with versions of Be-Bop-A-Lula and another Vincent song they never played live, Who Slapped John. John: 'Gene Vincent's recording of Ain't She Sweet is very mellow and high-pitched and I used to do it like that but the Germans said 'Harder, harder' so I ended up doing a harder version.'
Nick Duckett
http://www.rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/
Claire from Miller's, MdIf you know me you know that The Beatles are all I talk about.
Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, Cahey this was put out in 1964 in America by Atco to compete with other Beatle singles...even tho the sound is more archaic and recorded a few years earlier, Lennon did a bang up job
on the vocal!I kind of like the sound of the original 45 single!
Linc from Beaumont, TxLago in NO, that "Amazing Beatle's" album was clearly a marketing ploy. Would anyone have bought it even for just $5 if it was titled "English Group Sounds"? (Maybe the same people who bought the Irish Tenors that year)I am guessing since the Beatles didn't actually write this song, it was one of the only songs that could be obtained without a lot of money and/or legal issues. Think of it as listing igrediants on a package, how many trace amounts of high fruitose-corn syrup must a product contain for it to be listed - not much. So while this is misleading - it works from a marketing standpoint :)
Lago from New Orleans, LaI first heard this song on an album called: "The Amazing Beatles & Other English Group Sounds" Does anyone own that old turkey? This was the only song on the record actually sung by the Beatles. (Moreover, it is not a Beatle song) The other English group, there was only one: the Swallows, sang all the other Beatle songs on this LP. The LP originally sold for about 98 cents when other "Beatle Albums" sold for around $5.00. You really thought you were getting a deal until you got it home and found out the truth, i.e. no Beatles except this one. Today, it is my most valuable Beatle LP, very collectable due to its rarity (most people probably tossed it) Aint She Sweet is an okay song I guess but not to a young Beatle fan in the early 1960's
Sara from Traverse City, MiI love this song, it's really good, and very cute.
Winn from Mcminnville, OrThis is one of my favorite songs. I think the Beatles Version is very Sweet. The guitar work on Gene's Version is cool though too. :)
Alan from Liverpool, EnglandIf you listen to She's Electric by Oasis. It has the exact same chord sequences as this song.
Brian from Sydney, CanadaCheck out Harrison playing this on the Anthology DVD set on the uke. He plays it while McCartney sings it as they (along with Ringo) are relaxing by a pond at McCartney's (I think-or was it George's?) home. note the chord changes-very nice.
James from Toronto, Canadaone of my favourite beatles songs
Louis Rodriguez from Lancaster, Cathe beatle's "ain't she sweet" recording along with "cry me shadow" are really what the beatles were about. the later material was really bubble
gum. that all changed with sgt. pepper,abbey road and the famous white album
Lilly from Taylorsville, UtCynthia Powell fell in love with John when she heard him singing ain't she sweet in the courtyard. That is when she realized there was more past his tough bully output.
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI like the anthology 1 version better.
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Schohn's vocals are great on the anthology 1 version.
Barry from New York, NcThe best song to emerge from the infamous Tony Sheridan session in 1961 was CRY FOR A SHADOW, a great instrumental worked out mostly by Harrison (with help from Lennon). It's actually a great little song, and it sounds great loud. Love all the screams!!
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScI've only heard the version on anthology 1.
Don from Rapid City, SdThis song was recorded during the same sessions in
Germany that yielded the song "My Bonnie" (the one that got Brian Epstein interested in the group).
Greg from Little River, ScIts on Anthology 1&3
James Lo Cascio from Mahwah, NjThis song was recorded during the Abbey Road sessions. It is included on both Anthology 1 and 2.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Suck It and SeeArctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys 2011 song "Suck It and See" is titled after a British saying meaning you should try something to see if you like it.

Three Little BirdsBob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley's backup singers, The I Threes, claim they are the "Three Little Birds" in his famous song.

Pink CadillacBruce Springsteen

"Pink Cadillac" was a B-side for Bruce Springsteen in 1984, but after Aretha Franklin sang about pink Cadillacs on "Freeway Of Love" the following year, Natalie Cole covered the song and had a hit with it in 1988.

ToxicBritney Spears

"Toxic" was the most-searched song on Google in 2004 and helped Spears become the most-searched artist that year, a title she held from 1999-2001.

Oh Happy DayThe Edwin Hawkins Singers

"Oh Happy Day" was recorded in a church and sold to raise money for the choir. It's the only genuine gospel song to become a pop hit.

Take My Breath AwayBerlin

"Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun was a huge hit for Berlin, but lead singer Terri Nunn was the only band member to perform on it. This caused friction that broke up the group a year later.