Day Tripper

Album: Yesterday... And Today (1965)
Charted: 1 5
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Songfacts®:

  • John Lennon's lyrics were his first overt reference to LSD in a Beatles song. The song can be seen as Lennon teasing Paul McCartney about not taking acid.
  • In 2004, Paul McCartney did an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper where he explained that drugs influenced many of The Beatles' songs. He singled this one out as being about acid (LSD), but also said that people often overestimate the influence of drugs on their music.
  • The Beatles had some fun with the line, "She's a big teaser," which they jokingly worked up as "she's a prick teaser." In context with the next line, "She took me half the way there," it's pretty clear what's going on. The group managed to slip in subtle sexual innuendo in a few of their songs, including "I'm Down" and "Please Please Me."
  • Lennon: "Day Trippers are people who go on a day trip, right? Usually on a ferryboat or something. But the song was kind of - you're just a weekend hippie. Get it?"
  • A short promotional film of The Beatles lip-synching to this song was made for the TV special The Music Of Lennon and McCartney, which first aired December 17, 1965 in the UK. It was one of the first music videos. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2
  • Lennon wrote this after their record company demanded a new single. The Beatles were not that happy with the way this song turned out because they had been forced to come up with a new single. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Adrian - Wilmington, DE
  • Jimi Hendrix sometimes covered this at his concerts.
  • This was released as a double-A-sided single with "We Can Work It Out." It went to the #1 position in the UK but only went to #5 in the US. In fact, "We Can Work It Out" got more airplay in the US. In America, the single was released on the same day as the Rubber Soul album, although neither song was on that album. The Beatles were popular enough to support the output.
  • James Taylor did a cover version on his album Flag. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jake - New Rochelle, NY
  • With a packed schedule and feverish demand for TV appearances, The Beatles made music videos for five on their songs, including this one, at a one-day shoot at Twickenham Film Studios in London on November 23, 1965. They did three different versions of "Day Tripper," lip-synching the song while having fun with the set pieces.

Comments: 114

  • Tommyp54 from Floridayoutube.com/watch?v=uOR03EBP2XU To the Nay Sayers, here is Hendrix playing Day Tripper. Oh and here he is again - youtube.com/watch?v=IurYvVv1zkE
  • Lh from The Third Stone From The Sun"Jimi Hendrix sometimes covered this at his concerts." -- No, there's no evidence suggesting he did. Of all dozens of audience recordings and official recordings that exist, none contain the song. There is the BBC sessions version, but it is typical to choose songs that the band doesn't usually play for the BBC sessions. Indeed, on the BBC sessions recordings, there are other songs that they didn't really play in their concerts like Hound Dog, Love or Confusion, Wait Until Tomorrow, I Was Made to Love Her, and Little Miss Lover.
  • Pereni from SpainELO cover, too...love it!!
  • Don Connelly from Garland, TexasThat Song Came Out when I Was 17 Years Old.
    Now I'm 72 years Old And I Still Think It's Still One
    Of The Greatest Written By The Fabulous Foursome.
  • Barry from New York, NyDay Tripper is actually a Lennon/McCartney collaboration. The original idea from Lennon, with contributions on the verses from McCartney.
  • Fernando Gonzalez from Coconut Creek, FloridaThis is one of my favorite Beatles songs ever... Such an incredible song... composed allegedly because of pressure from their record label EMI/Parlophone... Lets just ponder about the brilliancy and incredible talent here The Beatles (John Lennon in this case) had...to whip up such an incredible classic just to respond to a demand for a single by a record company... That is absolutely incredible to me... Absolute unique talent they had. God bless their music.
  • Trebor from TexasJohan-It is a gigantic conspiracy between the record company, publishing houses, biographers, fans, and Martians that robs John Lennon of his rightful place as the greatest singer, guitarist, song writer and father of all time. The forces are, indeed, strong. But you can rectify this by alerting the F.B.I. and demanding that they do a proper investigation. Perhaps you and Yoko can file a formal complaint with the United Nations. I'll bet that you can even get the equally great Donald Trump involved and he can tweet the daylights out of this dilemma for you.
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaLoved Paul's bass on this song.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 28th 1966, Vontastics covered version of "Day Tripper" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a one week stay at position #100...
    And on October 23rd, 1966 it peaked at #7 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    Besides the Beatles'* original version {#5 in 1966} two other covered versions made the Top 100; in 1967 Ramsey Lewis took his instrumental version to #74 in 1967 and Anne Murray's version peaked at #59 in 1975 {#29 in her native Canada}...
    * The week that the Vontastics' "Dry Tripper" was on the Top 100, the Beatles were at #5 with "Yellow Submarine".
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 3rd 1966, a taped performance of the Beatles performing "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" was aired on the NBC-TV program 'Hullabaloo'...
    At the time "We Can Work It Out" was in its first of three weeks* at #1 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and "Day Tripper was at #10, and thirteen days later it would peak at #5 {for 1 week}...
    The'mop-top' quartet had eighteen records make the Top 100 were both sides charted; their biggest double-sided record was "Come Together", which peaked at #1, while the flip-side, "Something", reached #3...
    R.I.P. John and George...
    * The three weeks at #1 were not consecutive.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 18th 1966, "Day Tripper" by Ramsey Jones entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a four week stay, peaking at #74.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 6th, 1965, the Beatles' album 'Rubber Soul' was released in the U.S.A. (three days earlier on Dec. 3rd it was released in their native U.K.)...
    The album contained 14 tracks, but none of them were released as a single...
    "We Can Work It Out" peaked at #1 for 3 weeks and "Day Tripper" reached #5...
    R.I.P. John and George.
  • Michael from New York, NyJohn, in in a few interviews, said he came up with the riff- and that he (John) is playing the solo- not George- When the key change hits, (middle part) it sounds like another guitar-
    When I play this at home, I've tried it on a Tennessean (george's) and a Casino (John's) the Tennessean seems to nail the sound more than the Epi Casino- oddly. However, the solo sounds like another guitar altogether - maybe a fender stratocaster. They were both playing strats around that time. So, who knows? Maybe only Paul, Ringo, George Martin, some engineers? If they remember- It's all great anyway!!
  • Johan from Stockholm, SwedenEMI Records (UK) released 1982 "20 Greatest Hits The Beatles". It is not complete.

    Lennon's Do You Want to Know a Secret was a number one hit in Us 1981.

    Why does the English EMI Records release hit singles just from US ?

    Lennon's Please Please Me was number one in UK February 1963 (UK lacked at that time a standard chart, but it made number one in Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Disc, and on the BBC's Pick of the Pops).

    Lennon's Day Tripper was number one in UK December 1965.

    Always there's some kind of carelessness at publishing-houses, press people, biographers and so on, about what Lennon composed, and much more care about what McCartney did. Lennon did a lot of hits, never on the lists, not only these mentioned above. One never forget one single song that McCartney did. Because of that the History about the Beatles will not be correct. What are the forces behind?
    See even Matthew, New York, below.
  • Claire from Colorado Springs, CoWant all your fave beatle tunes? There's an app for that.


    seriously, there is
  • Valentin from Beijing, ChinaBooker T. and the MGs's version is awesome...one of the best Beatles cover
  • Joe from Cleveland, OhTo answer Rand's question about the "hidden" guitar part during the break---that ascending sequence of notes is played by George. He is using the volume knob on his guitar to fade each note in (hence the slightly behind-the-beat sound of each note). This part was played by George during the initial instrumental track recording of the song. Later, he overdubbed his more prominent lead guitar break, and Paul, John, and George orverdubbed their vocals, including the "Ahhhs" that are heard in this section. Ringo also overdubbed tambourine. A second guitar was also added playing the foundation guitar riff (the one that opens the song).
    This is all evident by listening to the various takes of the song available on several bootlegs out there. Listening to these tracks makes it clear how ingenious the Beatles were in crafting this incredible sounding song.
  • Brian from Boston, MaIt shoud not come as a surprise to anyone that the Beatles smoked pot. They smoked it on a regular basis.They did not have jobs like you and me they were musicians. Creativity is a major part of songwriting marijuana feeds that creativity. That is not to say that anyone who smokes pot can write such songs.They had a lifestyle that none of us can even Imagine. Marijuana use among musicians is much more common then most people realize.I would venture to guess that very few songs are written by "sober" songwriters. Rock and psychedelic music are not alone Disco Folk and Jazz music has been written under the influence of marijuana for many years as well. It's 2010 people like it or not people smoke pot. Marijuana has helped write some of the best songs ever written,some of the best films ever made and has had countless influences on best selling authors.
  • Harry from Tomahawk, WiThe Beatles music will continue to hold sway for many generations They tapped the vein of the greatest composers in history.Do a mild hallucinegin and listen to the beatles and you will find the essence of the mind opening that was so dangerous to the powers that be/were LSD opened minds and people shunned conformity.The loving 60s brought escalation to the war against expanding conciousness today LSD and its cousins bring huge sentences when you get caught,10 years to life for posession of one dose!A close minded,ignorant,brainwashed populace is what the right depends on. Smoke tobacco drink alcohol eat s--tty food thats the American way.Work your life away and when you retire f--king DIE! Never realising how you've been betrayed,oppressed and sacrificed.
  • K from Nowhere, OnI think they underestimated themselves! They say that they didn't like the way it turned out, or they didn't like the point of the song, but the songs that they hate are the ones that we love!
  • Karl from Havana, Cubathe universal meaning of songs is non existent, or can you deny that a song can have infinite meanings, depending on the point of view, and experiences, so one meaning doesn't cancel the others
    the intention of the artist is defined to him, from his point of view, as much as to any of the audience
    is its own personal meaning.

    saying this, what everyone discusses in every song, is about the artist intention.

    somehow yet, an more universal, general and flexible meaning can be reached, something like a sense, a feel on the song that somehow most people can get and translate into their personal meaning
  • Tod from Las Vegas, NvDay Tripper illustrates just how concise and efficient John and Paul were with lyrics and notes. Today's music lacks this skill, and has devolved into emotive muck.
  • Linc from Beaumont, TxI love how everyone likes to claim their own interpretation of Beatle's songs as facts, even when the songs facts are literally inches from their entries. It's down right hilarious! I think the best I have seen so far is the Beatles in the Bible parody - oops, I mean parable. God love ya!
  • Sam from Hipsville, CaDan,NJ------Perhaps a sugarcube for your coffee sir? I'd like one too, thank you.
  • Chloe from St. Louis, Mohahahaha, i love how some people thought they were "clean"...hahaha....
  • Mick from Liverpool, United Kingdomday tripper was written about johns relationship with his mother,and about her death.day tripper meaning she would always promise to take him with her or stay with him ,which she never did.shes a big teaser ,allways making promises she never kept.tried to please her she only made one night stands,john blaming himself .sunday driver,thats the off duty policeman(who was drink driving)that knocked down and killed julia.it took me so long to find out,julia was on her way to meet johnwhen she was killed,a fact john never knew util later on in his life.
  • Lucy from Rhinebeck, NyThe riff of the guitar in this song is very intriguing and catchy.
  • G from Potomac, MdThe Beatles first drug of choice was amphetamine which they used in Germany as early as 1960.
  • Matt from Ny, NyPaul having the lead in the verses and John in the chorus was a great idea. But Paul and John singing together (which happens a lot on this track) creates that totally unique Beatles sound.

    Ringo's drums are outstanding here also. The beat is a precursor to the Sargent Pepper rhythm, with Ringo striking the bass drum on the 1 and the 3-and of the measures.

    This was also when they first started to use compression on the bass, which brought the sound out front and made it much clearer. This technique was further developed for the bass sounds on Paperback Writer and Rain and was used on many other tracks too.

  • Barry from New York, NcThis song is a good example of a Lennon/McCartney colloboration. Lennon had the idea and most of the lyrics. However McCartney added contributions to the verses. McCartney also was given a dominant lead vocal, which made many think that he was the main writer. Most likely Lennon couldn't hit the notes so deferred it to McCartney.
  • Martin from London, EnglandThere is NOT a version of this song featuring Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles or Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon! The version that has been much-touted as such is a live performance by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from a 1967 Radio 1 [UK] show. The lead vocals are by Hendrix and bassist Noel Redding (who sounds NOTHING like John Lennon[!] so it is puzzling as to why this myth has existed for so long. It's amazing how so much cr*p is spouted as being a "songfact" when it's anything but fact!
  • Eddy from Miami, Fli didn't know this song was about lsd, but now i know. i thought it was a hitchhiker or a hippie having a bummer day by going across roads and just truckin, and at the end of it all they had a strange journey or trip. not an lsd trip, but a normal kind of trip.. well the song is really groovy..
  • Daniel from New York, NyWhen the songfacts state that the BEatles were "Squeaky clean" i'm pretty sure it means their songs, which is pretty much true up until rubber soul, maybe Help!, their songs were poppy and love songs. In terms of their actual lives, of course they weren't sqeaky clean, they were rock muscians who had been performing live for a while, when they lost their virginities is so incredibly irrelevant.
  • Eric from Buffalo, NyOne of the great riff driven songs of all-time. The Beatles were definitely not squeaky clean. Maybe before 1962 they were. Never after. I've always wondered why Paul sang lead on this song.
  • 0110010 from El Paso, TxHaving taken acid and tripped many times and recently deciding not to do any drugs or alcohol anymore, I must say this song being about acid makes complete sense to a person repaing the benefits of acid,or any drug really,but due to the time frame and profound awakening which this drug induces opposed to other drugs,with the exception of weed, it being about a prostitute is just absurd.
  • Joel from Columbia, ScThe song is not about a hooker even if someone has claimed Paul McFartney (intentional) said it was on a video. It is about drugs and weekend
    hippies.
  • Susan from Toronto, CanadaFor the record (adding to the comment below,) yes, Paul told Hunter Davies he lost his virginity at 15. John wrote in his book SKYWRITING BY WORD OF MOUTH that he lost his at 15. Ringo said on the "Howard Stern Show" that he lost his virginity at 16 in a public park. George said in the ANTHOLOGY book that he lost his at 17 in Hamburg.
  • Bianca Sanchez from Alburquerque, NmPaul admitted on an interview that this is about Mari. REALLY! I don't believe that story about paul drawin' nude ladies though. Or do I? Hm....
  • Lucyinthesky from Philadelphia, PaI meant smoked pot,I made a typing mistake. And the cleaned up Beatles image was a totally fake image created by their manager Brian Epstein and John hated and resented this the most!
  • Lucyinthesky from Philadelphia, PaTo correct what was written in the description of this song,The Beatles were *NEVER* squeaky clean,thats a big joke! Paul McCartney says in the only authorized biography of The Beatles called The Beatles by Hunter Davies that came out in 1968,that he had sex at age 15 with a woman who was a lot older than him,and he used to sneak in to see strip shows and was the only boy in his class to draw nude women! John was also sexually involved with women at a young age,and he used to get into a lot of fist fights,and would steel cigarettes and shop lift other things and get drunk a lot! The Beatles also played 8 hours a night for 2 years in sleazy strip clubs of Hamburg Germany taking speed pills to stay awake and they were going to bed with many young women groupies! And before they spoked pot and took LSD they drank plenty of liquor,they loved scotch and coke.
  • Rand from Eureka, CaDay Tripper was the first lead riff I ever learned on guitar when I started playing in 1966.

    I saw them do it on Ed Sullivan and I fell in love with it.

    I sure learned a lot reading everything above. Some are facts and some are conjecture, but that's not why I'm here.

    I wanna discuss the "hidden guitar" track just barely audible underneath the lead guitar solo in B.

    Who is playing that?

    It also has a very unique phrasing in that the notes are all waiting thru' a rest on the downbeat and the guitar is picked on the upbeat/2 beat if you prefer.

    The part doesn't start until the ahhhs! and the actual notation is:

    C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, F#

    I have always thought it was played by John.

    So much attention was given to the solo which was played by George I think, that the other guitar part never gets mentioned. It's pretty damn subtle but it's there for a reason and it "makes the song" for me.

    I love this tune. It was also covered by ELO on their rare The Night The Lights Went Out In Long Beach. They do a killer version and add some chordal enhancements in the chorus.
  • John from Manila, OtherThis is the first Beatle song I've learned. This was taught to me by me dad.
  • Shane from Des Moines, IaMaybe the song has all sorts of different references? It obviously does because it's written to sound like it's about a person but is actually about drugs. Right there, you have two references. People - don't be so adamant that your version is right. A song can be referencing many things and can have many different meanings and interpretations on purpose. I'm sure the Beatles were capable of doing that. And, I will add that I think the song is actually about pot, but references acid. Pot is the "big teaser" that took him "half the way there." Pot is a "Sunday driver". Not like acid where you REALLY go on a trip, but a enough to give you an idea of the possibilites. Pot takes you on small, little trips, etc. ACID takes you on REAL trips. And, it took Paul so long to find out, because he resisted trying acid for so long. Now that he's tried it, he realizes that pot is just a little day trip, a small trip, not a real trip....
  • Krissy from Boston, MaDon, you can't believe everything u read. It is about a prostitue. Because in a interveiwer with them were asked about the song and said another magazine said it was about a prostitue and ask if it was about a prostitue and Paul said yes it is. I know it's true cause I found that interview of youtube.com. So ofcourse it has to be the truth if Paul said it himself. It's on video then it's true. But if it's just on the internet typed then anyone could make it up. But since it's a video and Paul is saying it nobody can make it up. Ok?
  • Don from Rapid City, Sdp.s. who the hell came up with the prostitute theory??? who in their right mind would call someone who has sex for money a pr*ck TEASER?? c'mon now--
    geesh!!!
  • Don from Rapid City, Sdallright, pay attention please

    a)"Day Tripper" definitely has some drug references but

    b)in their native England, which is a pretty small country landwise, people often went on weekend vacations of only 1 day (People also hopped on a bus and took a "mystery tour".)

    c) people who can't really drive and get in the way of others are often called "sunday drivers"

    d)John Winston Ono Lennon himself said in his lst major interview with Playboy said that this song was about "weekend hippies".

    therefore, one could conclude that the song is about people in the 60's that acted like they were hip and cool in order to seem to belong to the in group -- today we would call them "posers"

    and

    lennon, being lennon, threw in the drug references for a giggle

    oh yeah, for the seriously misinformed

    The Beatles' second UK single "Please Please Me" was inspired by Roy Orbison and was originally recorded more in his style. "Love Me Do" doesn't even bear a passing resemblance to anything ever recorded by Roy and the only similarities between "Pretty Woman" and "Day Tripper" is that they both have kick ass riffs.
  • Poop from Poopville, Mothis was also one of the first recordings ever to have a guitar riff.
  • Krissy from Boston, MaI really like this song. Event though it's about a prostitue.
  • George from Belleville, NjThis is one of the catchiest riffs ever recorded in music,and a classic pop rock song that showed why the Beatles were one step ahead of the competition.It has an irrestistable sound and rhythm to it.
  • John from Isle Of Wight, EnglandThe Steve Gibbons Band used to do a great live version of this and it was also on their 'Caught In The Act' Album.
  • Tiffany from San Diego, CaPaul convinced Ringo to play that offbeat rhythm on this track. He does it perfectly on the record, but not only live performances. He felt he couldn't hear himself play, especially when he tried to do his fills or his kicks and stuff.
    I don't blame him there. The sound equipment sucked in the sixties, you know.
  • Chelsea from Sydney, CanadaMann!!! Does anyone else LOVE this song as much as I do?? I think that all the Beatles work is classic, and it will never die. I constantly try to turn people on to Beatles stuff so that there will always be people listening to it... It's interesting that a song can be written when folks are ON drugs but it can not be ABOUT drugs (not this one, this is LSD all the way) kind of like Lucy in the Sky... Just an opinion I guess...

    Chelsea
  • Mike from St.catharines, CanadaHardcore/Reggae Punk band Bad Brains also do a Cover of this song (First way I heard it) on their "Youth Are Getting Restless Live at Amsterdam" CD. They mix it in with "She's A Rainbow" and do an awesome Dub style of it.
  • Ivan from Dallas, TxJohn's son Julian performed a live version of this in his 1985 US concert tour after the Valotte album was released.
  • Carly from Chicago, IlOtis Redding also covered this song on a few of his records.
  • Bram from Zoetermeer, NetherlandsThis is one of the only songs that was written by the one, and sang lead by the other. John wrote this and Paul sang lead, on the verses. John sang lead on the chorus. But this is a good song, and the guitar-intro is very well made up by John.
  • Pascal from Dallas, Txto the guy who said acid isnt a liquid...
    you obviously havnt seen it..
    How do you think they put it on blotter paper?
    They can make a powder too...
    Im not saying anymore...
    but... your mistaken...
    Google that
  • John from Woburn, MaMy favorite song ever! The flawless guitar work (aside from the dropout) and the sharp, menacing, yet perfectly harmonized vocals during the chorus make it a classic
  • Richard from Lansing, MiJim from PA:
    I listened to Mayall's version and you're right it is the Day Tripper riff. However, my research shows the Bluesbreaker's version was recorded in 1966. Ray Charles' version was I believe the late 50's but it didn't have the Day Tripper riff.
  • Richard from Lansing, MiThis song is a classic, I don't know where John came up with the riff, but the song is 2:47 worth of pure heaven. Genius I tell you.. I've see a video of the song, and Paul sings lead. It seems that George is having a bit of a problem with the solo. But I love this song, I wish I had written it.
  • Mel from Paris, FranceJimi Hendrix recorded a version with The Beatles...I'm Absolutly sure because I have it on my MP3 player...lol.
  • Brian from Sydney, CanadaThe song was released as a single (double A side with "We Can Work It Out")in Europe and the UK,and not included on any album as was the norm in England. It was on an album in the US since the friggin' Americans took it upon themselves to do as they wish-NOT as The Beatles intended. They screwed up the album structures (Rubber Soul, Revolver-what the hell is Beatles '65!!) all the time-brutal!
  • Danny from Upstate, Ny"Squeaky clean" excluding the speed, alcohol, other various drugs from Hamburg (they'd actually tried marijuana once before), and of course, the gonorrhea.
  • Jerry from Portland, OrIn his famous Rolling Stone Mag interview, John claimed to have written it start to finish. But he also said they always had their fingers in each other's pies, so to speak. Paul's voice was higher and he sometimes sang parts of songs that John couldn't comfortably reach, e.g. the bridge of "Hard Day's Night".
  • Jenn from San Jose, Caday trippers are people who drop acid at the begingin of the day, when they wake up, and spend the next 12 acid triiping out. hence the name, day tripping
  • James from Vidalia, GaWhen I first arrived at this oldies station this song was marked out with a big black magic perminant marker. Heh! I just now played it. It is 11 years later...why not?!!
  • Greg from Brantford, Canadarobb, i maybe you hear him sing some parts because he is in the band and him and john were the singers
  • Robb from Hamburg, NyJohn and George took acid first, then Ringo. They pressured Paul into taking it for over a year. John wrote this, so why does it sound like Paul is signing lead in some spots?
  • Dan from Tampa, Idan early version of david coverdale and whitesnake recorded a version of day tripper just want to pass this info on
  • Mateus from Columbus, OhLSD, Acid, Lysergic Diethylamide Acid, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds... Whatever you want to call it. It's all the same. There are different forms of the drug that you are able to intake. The liquid is usually more pure than the blotter. Blotter being small and thin pieces of paper which was dipped in the liquid. It makes it easier to carry large dosages around in a book, instead of the liquid in vials. That's about it. It's all the same. There is no special name for the liquid form. You just call it liquid.
  • Sylvia from London, EnglandHeehee! I am learning to play this on electric guitar. Fun fun fun! I love the song, too, the singing, the guitar, the whole shebang.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScBen I think Paul took acid, but later than the other Beatles. I'm not sure though.
  • Barry from New York, NyThe Grateful Dead played this song a few times in 1985, for example 8/24/85 Boreal Ridge, Donner Summit.
  • Nathan from Defiance, OhMight sound crazy, but I heard this song was actualy about prostitutes. When the group visited some country in Europe, they learned of one-day passes distibuted to whores so they could ride the bus or something. When I think of Day Tripper it kind of reminds me one-night stands.
  • Bowabode from London, EnglandFans may want to check out the cover version by Daniel Ash (ex Love & Rockets) on his 1990 album Coming Down - he clearly uses the real lyric "she's a pr*ck teaser", which is a nice change from the other cover versions.
  • Wes from Orlando, FlDash is right! I had this song on a cassette back in '81 (since lost) and I've been trying to find it for years.The recording starts with what sounds like John saying" allright, lets hear what it sounds like..."and the the riff starts. The Beatles are singing and playing and you hear Jimi's guitar with them and he does a vocal response to their "Da-ay Tripper" and then to "one way ticket , yeah" with "It was a one way ticket" in a total Hendrix voice. Then the guitar solo rips! After the last note of the song Jimi ends with "Baby, you just go to my head". Love to find this again.
  • Mike from Emmaus, PaAbout the Bob Costas/Paul McCartney interview: McCartney was handed a list of songs rather fast and he just didn't elaborate that "Day Tripper" was John's song. In his book he does state that it was mainly John's song but they both worked on it.
  • Jeff from Edmonton, Alacid isnt a liquid, acid and LSD are both short for lysergic diethylamide acid, and there is about as much difference between them as pot and reefer
  • Jim from Macungie, PaI discovered the riff to day tripper on the song "What'd I Say" by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. So I did some research and found out "What'd I Say" was recorded in 1964 while "Day Tripper" was recorded in 1965. The riff in "What'd I Say" comes right after the drum solo. Give it a listen and say what you think.
  • Barry from New York, NcAlthough the main idea of the song was by Lennon, McCartney contributed some lyrics.
  • Nathan from Defiance, OhHow could the Beatles be considered a squeaky clean band compared to the Rolling Stones when they wrote songs about drug use, sex, and suicide?
  • Vincent from St. Davids, EnglandThis song is cool!
  • Sophia from Mesquite, TxOh they were so not clean.
    They were on drugs in Hamburg.
    LSD came later, but they were in pot really young.

    Day Tripper, I think is an awesome song.
    I listen to it over, and over, and over again. .. like I do with every single Beatles song out there.
  • Maya from San Francisco-ish, Ca"She only played one night stands" -- I always, always thought that said "she only played when I sang." Hehe. I rather liked that imagery too... oh well.

    I wouldn't have guessed this song was about drugs ever, despite "tripper." I always thought it was about one of their girlfriends... eh, whatever. Interesting.

    Anyway, one of the catchiest Beatles songs (if it's even possible to say "catchiest" about a Beatles song... almost all of them are incredibly catchy). I really enjoy this one.
  • Dustin from Black Mountain, Nci think some of this song is about suicide like the line "i have a good reason for taking the easy way out"
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScLove the song, and i agree that the rif is one of the most recognizable in rock n roll. I can see why it was about LSD, but some of the lyrics sound like describing a girlfriend that one of them had had.they're
  • Nessie from Sapporo, JapanIt's a ripoff of lots of songs. That's what happens when you write a song based on a tired riff. The refrain is another matter. Good stuff.
  • Rob from Santa Monica, CaThe "Pretty Woman" riff that inspired this song is also the basis for such classic riffs as "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith and "The One I Love" by REM.
  • Marcus from Merced, CaLove Me Do was the Roy Orbison song, not this one. Actually Day Tripper shares the same basic structure of Twist and Shout, right down to the shouted ascending harmonies followed by a break in the music. Paperback Writer has similarities.
  • Lane Presson from Jackson, WyDay tripper is a weekend hippie
  • William from Phoenix, Azdid anyone hear paul mccartney tell bob costas straight faced without batting a fibbing eyelash that HE (paul) wrote this song on his own? no help from lennon? I heard him say it. to sportsboy himself. ol bob costas. anyone see that interview??
  • William from Phoenix, Az<- Dash, New York, NY>> wrong wrong wrong...nope.
    it was only John lennon and they both sounded (john and jimi) like the drug of choice that day was firewater lol.... not acid :)
  • Jow from Sasketoon, CanadaThis is a good good song the purcussians are amasing i am amased what they could do in such a short time.
  • Dan from Morristown, NjYes, acid and LSD are the same thing. Acid is a liquid form of LSD most commonly in dosages of 100 - 200 micrograms, as opposed to the normal LSD dosages of 25 - 50 micrograms. Acid is stronger, and because of its liquid form tends to work faster, and go down easier.
  • Jude from Los Angeles, Cahmm.. I want to see about that one with jimi and the beatles! I love this song!
  • Sarah from Santa Rosa, Caeric i didn't say it was a cover, it was live and the beatles were there.
  • Alan from New Baltimore, MiDay Tripper was on Yesterday and Today (the one with the original "butcher" label). The song that should've beem included, which had only been a single and never on an album, was "Rain", which is a great tune.
  • Eric from Ottawa, OhThere is not a cover by Jimi Hendrix with the beatles on it. That voice you hear would be one Noel Redding doing a fine impression.
  • Madeline from Yakima, WaGreat song, even if it is about drugs! I love the opening riff. Madeline
  • Mike from Berkeley, CaThis song is a knockoff of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". It was so successful, they did it twice more with "Ticket To Ride" and a faster version: "Paperback Writer".
  • Dominic from Pittsburgh, PaThis is on the album "Yesterday... And Today".
  • Sarah from Santa Rosa, CaI like the way it sounds! I don't care what it originally was! I especially like the one where at a concert Hendrix played it with all four Beatles in '67!!!
  • Mia from Elk River, MnHmmm, a p*ick teaser, eh? Wonder who this girl is? Must've bothered him badly enough that she didn't put out to have to mention it in a song.
  • Yu from Demarest, Pathis is a classic because so many songs borrowed this idea of composing a song evolving around one riff. "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin is surely one of them.
  • Shirley from Ocean, NjWho cares if they weren't squeaky clean. They changed music for the better. They are, and just not my opinion, are the greatest rock and roll band ever to live. No one will ever top the Beatles. Forty years later their songs are still as popular. They rank up there with Mozart and Beethoven. Maybe better.
  • James Lo Cascio from Mahwah, NjMatthew you're wrong, It was available on Past Masters Volume II which was a set of singles not released on acutal LP's; it was released in 1988
  • Mike from Mountlake Terrace, WaProbably THE most famous guitar riffs in all of rock n roll. Just about every elecitric guitar player learns and plays this most popular riff.
  • Tavers from Mesa, AzI agree with Patrick
  • Mike from Anaheim, CaThis song was infact released on June 20th, 1966 on the album - Yesterday and Today, on Capitol records. The album was only released here in the U.S. and not in the UK. That was 4 years before they broke up and 22 years before Past Masters Vol. 2.
  • Charles from Charlotte, NcWhile not released on an album during the years The Beatles were together, Day Tripper did make it onto the CD "Past Masters" along with other singles that had not appeared on any album.
  • Dash from New York, NyThere is a version of this song that the Beatles performed with Jimi Hendrix
  • Matthew from New York, NyAmazing fact about Day Tripper: Until they released the album "1", this song was not available on any Beatles album! When the Beatles made the singles compilation "Hey Jude" (Now out of print), they decided at the last minute not to include "Day Tripper." Instead, the put on "Money Can't Buy Me Love," which was already on "A Hard Day's Night."
  • Bill from Montgomery, Ny"squeaky clean" four young men,four young musicians learning their craft,playing upwards to 6 hours a night,{in a bar} how do you supposed they stayed awake, oh and lets not forget the working girls who kept them company.
  • Marvin from East Brady, PaThey weren't squeaky clean. Lennon had a drinking problem before they made it big and they popped pills in Hamburg.
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