Album: released as a single (1962)

Charted: 68

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• Anna,
  You come and ask me, girl,
  To set you free, girl,
  You say he loves you more than me,
  So I will set you free,
  Go with him.
  Go with him.
  
  [Chorus]
  Anna,
  Girl, before you go now,
  I want you to know, now,
  That I still love you so,
  But if he loves you mo',
  Go with him.
  
  All of my life,
  I've been searchin' for a girl
  To love me like I love you.
  Oh, now, but every girl I've ever had,
  Breaks my heart and leaves me sad.
  What am I, what am I supposed to do.
  
  Anna,
  Just one more thing, girl.
  You give back your ring to me, and I will set you free,
  Go with him.
  
  [Chorus]
  
  All of my life,
  I've been searchin' for a girl
  To love me like I love you.
  Oh, now, but every girl I've ever had,
  Breaks my heart and leaves me sad.
  What am I, what am I supposed to do. Writer/s: Arthur Alexander
  Publisher: Shapiro Bernstein & Co Inc
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 48

• Indie from AusI love this song sm
• Jennifur SunStefanie from Rock Hill have heard Soldier Of Love like the song a lot. The Beatles also covered Bad Boy , by the same singer(if I remember right)
• Dj from MelbourneGreat somg
• Jennifur Sun from RamonaHave heard the original and the Beatles version-like theirs best because I love the guitar part played by George where the piano in the original is.
• Rick Margin from Brick,njThey recorded it 2/25/63 in 3 live takes, meaning they all played/sang at the same time (vs. separate tracks). The final chosen take was released without any editing.
• John Bagdonas from New YorkI know this may not be important in the big scheme of things, but since this song has been so thoroughly dissected, has anyone else noticed that in the 3 syllable pronunciation of the title Anna AA sings: "aN-a-ha" while JL sings: "a-ha-Na". Just wondering.
• Kelly from Jozi, South AfricaI love The Beatles version of this song, in fact I love the entire Please Please me album, one of the reasons being that it was recorded in one long session, it was practically a live album recorded in the studio. People have mentioned about Lennon having a cold, this is true, this is also the reason why Twist and Shout (also an amazing version) was left to the very end because it would have ripped his throat to shreds.
• Zero from Nowhere, NjI'm pretty sure the person that said it was about Anna Nicole was joking. And Barry from New York that's interesting I love AIC and I hate to be nitpicky but it technically was the early 90's (mid to late 1990) when they came out with "Man In The Box" and paved the way for Nirvana to bring grunge to the mainstream.
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI can't remember if this song is part of the Beatles song list here on songfacts, and I'm too lazy/tired to look it up, but theBeatles also recorded an Arthur Alexander song called "Soldier of Love." How many of you have heard it either version?
• Megan from Stevenson, AlTell me why I was driving down the road listening to this and singing it to the top of mu lungs! lol Dang!!! Love The Beatles! Couldn't live without them! <3
• D. R. from Okc, OkI wondered if that was even John singing the song - it sounded different...now I know - he had a cold!
• Bailey from Orlando, FlI can remember this song being popular in my high schools days and I graduated in 1963 ! The first version of the song was written and recorded by Arthur Alexander. The Beatles covered it a little later.. So how in the heck could it be about Anna Nicole Smith? She wasn't even born then
• Bailey from Orlando, FlJust wanted to agree that this song was DEFINITELY NOT about Anna Nicole Smith.Arthur Alexander wrote this song in '62 or ' 63. Anna Nicole Smith wasn't even born then..Sounds good in theory but sorry no biscuit.. And no it's not a Beatles original
  
• Cody from ??????, OnThis is a reply to Peter from Birmingham:
  
  If you listen to the original Arthur Alexander version, you'll hear that it is sung as "go with him" there as well.
  
  
• Breanna from Henderson, NvYou know this is a very good song. The vocals on it is so well done it's very interesting.
• Anna from Gettysburg, PaWhen I first got into The Beatles, I was really surprised to find this song. :)
• German from Costa Mesa, CaWhat a great song...killer harmonies by George and Paul. Though the best part of the song for me has to be when John sings/screams "All of my life.." his voice is perfect! Thank god he had a cold on that day of recording. Ha!
• Barry from New York, NcFor years and years, I've looked at my copy of THE EARLY BEATLES (US) and noticed that there are two songs right next to each other called ANNA and CHAINS. Somehow my young mind kept repeating a phrase "Anna in Chains" "Anna in Chains..." I thought it would make a good name for a rock band. Several years later in the late 80s a band called ALICE IN CHAINS hit it big. I always wondered if that name was inspired by the Beatles!!!!! (might be a stretch, but you never know!)
• Peter from Birmingham, United KingdomI would imagine that the original disc had been labeled with the word "To" in the title and then afterwards before the actual recording he felt that the word "With" flowed more freely from the tongue, so he changed it. It makes no sense otherwise to have a word in the title that he never sings.
• Matthew from Bromley, United KingdomChuck Berry and arthur alexander did have songs covered by the beatles, the stones and dylan. Elvis also covered songs by both song writers. Alexander did have a track covered by the Who, not sure about chuck on this one
• Kayla from Nashville, TnI absolutely love this song! John Lennon sounds different in this one but its still great. I like the part "Anna,just one more thing girl, you give back your ring to me and i will set you free go with him". i also like the back up singing.
• Rosario from Naples, FlLove this song! Please Please Me is such a fun album.
• Anna from New Bern, NcI was named after this song! I'm getting married in July and this is the theme for the wedding. I think it's a great song and I truely wish someone would remake it and bring it to younger people!
• Randy from Colerain Twp., Oh Um, Maxwell- this song was recorded BEFORE Anna Nicole Smith was even born. It appears that you know your music trivia about as much as George W. Bush knows what is going on in Iraq. The 'Married ...With Children' episode, which this song appears was a funny one, I might add- the trouble that Al Bundy had to go through to find this record at a music store.
• Bianca Sanchez from Alburquerque, NmWhen I sing this to my best freind Anna, who Loves The Beatles, She gets all pissed off cos of what Anna does in the song.
• Nora from _____, NyJohn Lennon had a head cold while singing this song. I discovered this off some site when I was so curious as to why this song sounded nothing like John, who's voice is incredibly distinctive. Silly stuff, but yeh =]
• Krissy from Boston, MaMichael, I haven't had the exprince because my best friend's name is Anna. She is nice, emo, and she loves The Beatles. Love it!
• Michael from Oxford, EnglandHaving myself recently been treated harshly by a girl named Anna, I like this song but find it quite difficult to handle. Has anyone else had this or a similar experience?
• Krissy from Boston, MaNo this song is not about Anna Nicole Smith. I don't think she was born yet. It is a really good song. It is one of my favorties by The Beatles.
• Maxwell from Houston, TxThis song is about Anna Nicole Smith committing suicide so she could join her son.
• Paul from Adelaide, AustraliaJust classic Lennon on vocals.
  Paul, Adelaide Australia
• Tony from Devon, EnglandTo Rick of San Juan: unless Arthur Alexander wrote under the pseudonym of Terry Thompson, he didn't write 'Shot of Rhythm and Blues'. Arthur's version was first released on Dot as the flip of 'You Better Move On', another song covered by an English group
• Jonathan from Johnstown, PaThere are only 4 known copies of "Anna"/"Ask Me Why.
• Johnny from Los Angeles, CaBarry, i think that is just a coincidence. Rick, I noticed that too... I think something was lost in translation for the title. Its a bit too early for the Beatles to be tricking us with fake messages...
• Michelle from Antigonish, CanadaI really want to hear this song, because my best friend is very jealous of me and the fact that I have a song named after me "Michelle" and I want to find one thats at least close to hers "Anne"..*sigh* I bet it's beautiful
  
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScEven though they are in different keys, it just sounds like the melody of "In my Life" was inspired by "Anna." I'm not sure how well I'm explaining the similarity. Probably not very well...
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScSilvia. The similarity is kind of hard to put out. Let me think about and I'll try to explain it to you some other time. It's just that the beats of both songs sound very similar, but "Anna" is a little bit slower than "In my Life". That's part of it.
• Sylvia from London, England I like the song, in fact I have a good friend named Anna. But I don't hear the similarity between this and "In My Life"...
• Lee from Clearwater, Fl Now that you mention it Stef, there is a similarity between the two songs. I never noticed it before. The words set them apart, and the beat slower with anna than with my life, but they are twinned to each other in some ways. I don't think it is a rip off either, I think that sometimes when so many songs are written, similariites take place when they are written by the same writer.
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScStrangely enough... this song sounds very similar to "In My Life." The beats are very similar. I don't it was a rip off, but it's sort of an odd coincidence. Has anyone elese noticed that, or am I really that crazy?
• Lee from Clearwater, FlYou only have to hear this song once to know what album it belonged on. It, and most of the other songs on the album, has such a clean sound. It has a relaxing melody. It is hard not to hum it when you turn of the sound. It is a good early Beatles tune. Hey complex is great, but we still need the simple songs.
• Rick from San Juan, United StatesIt's strange how the phrase "go WITH him" is repeated 8 times in The Beatles version and 7 times in the Arthur Alexander version, and the "go TO him" in the song's title is never mentioned.
• Rick from San Juan, United StatesThe Beatles were great admirers of Arthur Alexander. His compositions "Soldier Of Love", "A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues" and "Anna (Go To Him) were part of their repertoire in the 1963 BBC "From Us To You" broadcasts.
• Barry from New York, NcThis song was released on the same album as the song CHAINS. If you put ANNA and CHAINS together, you get "ANNA IN CHAINS." I've always wondered if the band Alice In Chains actually got their name as a variation of these Beatles cover songs!!
• Paul from Flagstaff, Azhey this is a hell of a song. i love playing it on guitar. its my favorite song on the please please my album, which more people should own.
• Mauricio from Hanford, CaI think it's sad, but a rational sacrafice.
• Ed from Perth, AustraliaArthur Alexander is not the only person to write songs that were recorded by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. That honour will have to be shared with Chuck Berry! Bob Dylan recorded "Nadine", the Stones' first single in the UK was "Come On" and the Beatles recorded "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Rock and Roll Music". In fact, Chuck Berry can claim to have the most songs recorded by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Wait a minute; what about Buddy Holly.......?
• Dierk from Hamburg, GermanyIn one episode of *Married ... With Children* Al searches for a song he only news the first three notes of. It's actually this song, although in its original incarnation by Arthur Alexander.

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