The Beatles - When I'm Sixty Four (Official Video)

"When I'm Sixty-Four" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released on their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. McCartney wrote the song when he was about 14, probably in April or May 1956, and it was one of the first songs he ever wrote. The song was recorded in a key different from the final recording; it was sped up at the request of McCartney to make his voice sound younger. It prominently features a trio of clarinets (two regular clarinets and one bass clarinet) throughout.

Recording:
The Beatles recorded two takes of the song on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed album that became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Martin produced, supported by engineers Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald. McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal onto take two without the other Beatles present on 8 December. On 20 December, McCartney, Lennon and George Harrison overdubbed backing vocals and Ringo Starr added the sound of bells.

Martin made two reduction mixes (takes three and four) with the latter best. On 21 December, session musicians Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie and Frank Reidy overdubbed two clarinets and a bass clarinet onto take four. Emerick later explained, "The clarinets on that track became a very personal sound for me; I recorded them so far forward that they became one of the main focal points." Martin recalled, "I remember recording it in the cavernous Number One studio at Abbey Road and thinking how the three clarinet players looked as lost as a referee and two linesmen alone in the middle of Wembley Stadium." On the same day, Martin remixed the song for mono three times, although this was only a demo version. He made four new mono mixes on 29 December.

On 30 December, unsatisfied with all of these attempts, McCartney suggested speeding up the track to raise it by around a semitone from its original key of C major to D♭ major. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change to make his voice sound younger. McCartney says, "I wanted to appear younger, but that was just to make it more rooty-tooty; just lift the key because it was starting to sound turgid." Martin, Emerick and Richard Lush made the sped-up remix from take four on 17 April 1967. Musicologist Michael Hannan comments on the completed track: "The rich timbres of the clarinets give the mix a fuller, fatter sound than many of the other tracks on the album."

Release:
The song was nearly released on a single as the B-side of either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane". It was instead held over to be included as an album track for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Everett comments that the protagonist of "When I'm Sixty-Four" is sometimes associated with the Lonely Hearts Club Band concept, but in his opinion the song is thematically unconnected to others on the album.

According to author George Case, all of the songs on Sgt. Pepper were perceived by contemporary listeners as being drug-inspired, with 1967 marking the pinnacle of LSD's influence on pop music. Some fans viewed the lyric "digging the weeds" from "When I'm Sixty-Four" as a possible drug allusion. In August 1967, The Beatles Book published an article discussing whether the album was "too advanced for the average pop fan". One reader complained that all the songs except "Sgt. Pepper" and "When I'm Sixty-Four" were "over our heads", adding, "The Beatles ought to stop being so clever and give us tunes we can enjoy."

"When I'm Sixty-Four" was included in the Beatles' 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine. It was also used over the opening credits of the 1982 film The World According to Garp.

Giles Martin remixed the song for inclusion on the album's 50th anniversary release in 2017. Martin mixed the song from the original tapes rather than their subsequent mixdowns. Take 2 of the song was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition.

#TheBeatles #WhenImSixtyFour #OfficialVideo

[PsychoPyro]

Today would have been my dad's 64th birthday had he not lost his battle with cancer 8 years ago. Happy birthday, dad. Miss you every day.

[todkozeluh]

It's official. I'm 64 today and this was the first song that came to mind. When I first heard it as kid, I could never have imagined actually being this old. Now, it doesn't seem so old ...

[shady_m]

The fact George couldn't get this old and John even more...

[danquinnell]

Crap.. just realized….I’M 64!!! God bless my wife! She still feeds me. We very much love and need each other.

[electricmaster]

The fact he was 14 when he wrote this just drives home what a genius he was/is.

[FatherMcKenzie]

“Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m sixty-four”
These words hits hard

[harrisfrankou]

I was 64 yesterday!!
Happy 64 to whoever comes here in the future!

[happysunnyday]

i am 16 years old, i will forever be thankful to my grandfather for introducing the beatles to me when i was much younger

[robertlewis]

This song still brings tears to my eyes , loved it for many years , and now I'm 65 !!!

[painteddeer]

I’ve waited 64 years for this song to have profound meaning.

[Fjkll]

Amazing song written in 1956 when Paul was only 14 yrs old 😊

[Bunnidove]

27 right now. Let's come back to this when I'm 64. If this is still here.

[victoriachapman]

I wait anxiously for people to turn 64 so that I can sing this to them. My neighbor did today, and I just sang it to him. Those chances to sing it are much more frquent these days....I'm 63.

[thunderverna]

Was my 64th birthday yesterday.. I remember listening to this song when my dad first brought the album home and thinking " oh my God that's SOOO old"!!
I'm glad the Beatles wrote a happy sounding song about it🎉 and wish my dad was here to listen with me❤❤

[thomasantao]

The Beatles were so far ahead musically, than most other bands. Their musical progression was achieved by their various talents.

[gailobrien]

I’m 64 today, and still feeling pretty young!🌟🌟🌟

[prathameshbhambure]

To those who have turned 64 : You're super young and adorable! And although I don't know you personally, I love you so much!
*Note* : I'm able and willing to spread love this way because of The Beatles. Grateful to them.

[davidfessler]

As of today, I’m now 64!
I don’t feel any different! ❤

[StevenTorrey]

64 seemed so long away when this song first came out in 1967, then aged 22. Now at age 78, 64 was fourteen years ago and so long ago.

[danhobson]

This is a good song the four members made about being 64. It’s a shame that John and George didn’t make it to that age.