You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Notes:  © 1965 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

“You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney, and first appeared on the album Help! in August 1965. The song also appeared on side three of the 1973 compilation 1962–1966.

Performance in the film

In the film, at the opening of the song, the head of the cult, Clang (Leo McKern), appears from underneath a manhole cover in the middle of Ailsa Avenue, London, where parts of the film were shot. He stays there for the whole song, which the Beatles play in John Lennon's fourth of the Beatles' shared flat. They are watched by Ahme (Eleanor Bron), and at the end of the song, George passes out after Ahme produces a giant needle for Ringo, who is wearing the ring the cult is seeking.

Influence of Bob Dylan

At the time of the release of Help!, Lennon was infatuated with the American singer Bob Dylan. Dylan's 1964 song "I Don't Believe You [She Acts Like We Have Never Met]" opens in strikingly similar fashion: "I can't understand, she let go of my hand, and left me here facing the wall". Lennon seems to mimic Dylan's gruff vocal style, and uses a Dylanesque, all-acoustic accompaniment with very little percussion. The song "is just basically John doing Dylan", McCartney later said.

Other song information

The song, according to musician/singer Tom Robinson, is a reference to Brian Epstein, the group's manager, who was homosexual (homosexuality was a criminal offence in Britain at the time).
 
When Lennon made a mistake during the recording (he sang "two foot small" instead of "two foot tall"), he is reported to have said: "Let's leave that in, actually. All those pseuds will really love it."

Other studio tracks

There is an alternative take included on Anthology II. Before the song proper begins, a montage of chatter associated with several other takes is presented. In this sequence, Lennon counts off the song, then stops to readjust his guitar pickup. Then, a glass shatters, followed by Lennon saying, "Paul's broken a glass, broken a glass, Paul's broken a glass, a glass, a glass he's broke today."

Credits

    * John Lennon — lead vocal, Twelve string guitar
    * Paul McCartney — Acoustic guitar
    * George Harrison — acoustic guitar
    * Ringo Starr — tambourine, maracas
    * John Scott — flutes
 

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