Music Features
The Beatles A-Z: All I've Got To Do
"That's me trying to do Smokey Robinson again" said John Lennon in a 1980 interview with Playboy about the song "All I've Got To Do." The song, which was included on the Beatles' 2nd album, Meet The Beatles, was one of the three songs Lennon wrote solo for the album, along with "It Won't Be Long" and "Not a Second Time.
Musically, it reflects Lennon's interest in American Rock n' Roll, and has been compared to the Shirelles' "Baby, It's You" and early songs by the Drifters, another Doo-wop group.
The song contributed to Meet the Beatles' massive success in the United States. Beatlemania, poised to erupt in America as the album was released on January 20th, 1964, led to sales of 750,000 in its first week alone. By the middle of March less than two months later, the album had sold over three and a half million copies.
Lennon also claimed to have written the tune for Americans in particular. With such lyrics as "Whenever I want you around, yeah/All I gotta do/Is call you on the phone/And you'll come running home," the late musical legend embodied American youth. From his perspective, it was unheard of for young British men to call a girl on the phone in the early '60s.
A similar Lennon song, "No Reply," shared similar subject matter. Lennon once remarked, "I had the image of walking down the street and seeing her silhouetted in the window and not answering the 'phone, although I have never called a girl on the 'phone in my life! Because 'phones weren't part of the English child's life."
Additionally, music writer Dennis Alstrand wrote that "All I've Got To Do" marked the first time in rock music that the bassist played chords as part of the song. And while that may be up for debate, it does go to show how McCartney often contributed key parts to Lennon's works, and vice versa. Such nuances are likely the reason why most songs written primarily by one or the other of the famous songwriters are credited to McCartney and Lennon equally.
Watch "All I've Got To Do" below:
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