ccxv. BEATLES, THE
She's Leaving Home (1967)
Paul McCartney, vocal
John Lennon, vocal
Erich Gruenberg, violin
Derek Jacobs, violin
Trevor Williams, violin
José Luis Garcia, violin
John Underwood, viola
Stephen Shingles, viola
Dennis Vigay, cello
Alan Dalziel, cello
Gordon Pearce, bass
Sheila Bromberg, harp
Three versions
Take 1/Instrumental
(3:50)
from: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: 50th Anniversary Edition.
Her name was Melanie Coe.
The headline in the February 27, 1967 Daily Mail read: "A-Level girl dumps car and vanishes."
The girl's father stated "I cannot imagine why she should run away, she has everything here."
Paul and John were still running like a well-oiled machine at this time. As soon as Paul started to get the lyrics, he showed it to John -- who immediately added the high notes (small note-heads, lyrics on top in the transcription below) -- the Greek chorus, the parents' point of view!
How a couple of kids in their mid-20's came up with such a devastingly beautiful, mature sad waltz like this is truly incredible.
**
For many years, Paul was unaware that he actually had met Malanie Coe.
In October 1963 -- during an edition of the Ready Steady Go! show -- Paul was asked to judge a miming competition between four girls lip-syncing to Brenda Lee's Uk hit Let's Jump the Broomstick.
He chose Melanie as the winner and awarded her the prize of an album.
Years later, Melanie realized that the song was about her. She said, "the amazing thing was how much it got right about my life ... 'after living alone for so many years' really struck home to me, because I was an only child and I always felt alone."
**
George Martin was pissed.
Once Paul and John had finished the tune, they asked George to provide a score for the accompaniment.
"Sorry boys -- I've got a producer gig with Cilla Black -- I can't get out of it."
Paul was pissed.
He called up Mike Leander whose work Paul knew (he had arranged Yesterday for Marianne Faithfull and a 250-voice choir!). Mike produced the arrangement.
George admitted it was a good chart, and conducted the string players for the sessions you can hear above.
But he was still pissed he had missed out on the opportunity to write the thing.
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