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[nimrod]

"She's Leaving Home" is a Lennon–McCartney song, released in 1967 on the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. McCartney wrote and sang the verse and Lennon the chorus. The song was performed entirely by a small string orchestra arranged by Mike Leander, and was one of only a handful of Beatles songs in which the members did not play any instruments on the recording.

Paul McCartney:

John and I wrote 'She's Leaving Home' together. It was my inspiration. We'd seen a story in the newspaper about a young girl who'd left home and not been found, there were a lot of those at the time, and that was enough to give us a story line. So I started to get the lyrics: she slips out and leaves a note and then the parents wake up ... It was rather poignant. I like it as a song, and when I showed it to John, he added the long sustained notes, and one of the nice things about the structure of the song is that it stays on those chords endlessly. Before that period in our song-writing we would have changed chords but it stays on the C chord. It really holds you. It's a really nice little trick and I think it worked very well.

While I was showing that to John, he was doing the Greek chorus, the parents' view: 'We gave her most of our lives, we gave her everything money could buy.' I think that may have been in the runaway story, it might have been a quote from the parents. Then there's the famous little line about a man from the motor trade; people have since said that was Terry Doran, who was a friend who worked in a car showroom, but it was just fiction, like the sea captain in "Yellow Submarine", they weren't real people.

The day before McCartney wanted to work on the song's score, he learned that George Martin, who usually handled the Beatles' string arrangements, was not available. He contacted Mike Leander, who did it in Martin's place. It was the first time a Beatles song was not arranged by Martin (and the only time it was done with the Beatles' consent: Phil Spector's orchestration of Let It Be was done without McCartney's knowledge). Martin was hurt by McCartney's actions, but he produced the song and conducted the string section. The harp was played by Sheila Bromberg,

When discussing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, composer Ned Rorem described "She's Leaving Home" as "equal to any song that Schubert ever wrote."
In April 1967, McCartney visited Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys in L.A. to preview Sgt. Pepper, playing "She's Leaving Home" on the piano for him and his wife. "We both just cried," Wilson said. "It was beautiful."

Writers, Lennon and McCartney received the 1967 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.


Personnel

Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocals
John Lennon - double-tracked lead vocals
Mike Leander - string arrangement
George Martin - conductor, producer
Erich Gruenberg - violin
Derek Jacobs - violin
Trevor Williams - violin
José Luis García - violin
John Underwood - viola
Stephen Shingles - viola
Dennis Vigay - cello
Alan Dalziel - cello
Gordon Pearce - double bass
Sheila Bromberg - harp

Personnel per Ian MacDonald

[Klang]

It's a real quality piece, isn't it? A great example, too, of how well Paul and John could work together. Classic.

I saw a video some time back of the harpist being interviewed on a talk show. She explained how they got the unique sound of it. Some double-tracking or echo effect or something. It was interesting. I think Ringo was on the same show. That clip must be around somewhere.

 

[nimrod]

Ive always thought it was a perfect song in every way, musically, lyrically just perfect, masterful writing.

One of my favourites of Pepper

[Normandie]

Ive always thought it was a perfect song in every way, musically, lyrically just perfect, masterful writing.

Agreed. This is a truly beautiful song. I don't listen to it that often, though, because the lyrics remind me of my own mother, who would turn everything back on to herself ("How could she treat us so thoughtlessly? How could she do this to me?"). I always feel a bit sorry for the girl. No wonder she left!

I genuinely do love this song, though. The harp is gorgeous and, as you said, Kevin, the writing is masterful.

[Moogmodule]

It's a gorgeous song. I think a couple of the lyrics jar with me a little. "Fun is the one thing that money can't buy" for instance. I might be being too literal but you can definitely buy fun. Paul should  know better than anyone it's love you can't buy.

But overall it tells the story well.

And I'd liked to have heard what George Martin would have done with the backing. There's nothing particularly wrong with the Leander scoring but it seems more conventional than GM would have tried.

[nimrod]

It's a gorgeous song. I think a couple of the lyrics jar with me a little. "Fun is the one thing that money can't buy" for instance. I might be being too literal but you can definitely buy fun. Paul should  know better than anyone it's love you can't buy.

But overall it tells the story well.

And I'd liked to have heard what George Martin would have done with the backing. There's nothing particularly wrong with the Leander scoring but it seems more conventional than GM would have tried.

In the context of the song though...

the words go;

"She is having....fun"

"fun is the one thing that money cant buy"

I always took it to mean she never had fun at home, even though "We gave here everything money could buy"   it didnt buy her any fun, and now she is having...........fun. 

[Moogmodule]

In the context of the song though...

the words go;

"She is having....fun"

"fun is the one thing that money cant buy"

I always took it to mean she never had fun at home, even though "We gave here everything money could buy"   it didnt buy her any fun, and now she is having...........fun. 

Yep I think the overall meaning works well. Her parents pampered but cloistered her. All she wanted was a bit of .....fun. 

Just one of those lines that jumps out at me I guess.

I recall reading an interpretation once that the "man in the motor trade" was slang for an abortionist. Didn't sound too convincing. And didn't really work in the overall story. Interested if anyone had heard that or could shed light on it.

[nimrod]

Yep I think the overall meaning works well. Her parents pampered but cloistered her. All she wanted was a bit of .....fun. 

Just one of those lines that jumps out at me I guess.

I recall reading an interpretation once that the "man in the motor trade" was slang for an abortionist. Didn't sound too convincing. And didn't really work in the overall story. Interested if anyone had heard that or could shed light on it.

I cant believe that is true

what fun would she be having with an abortionist ? 

[tkitna]

Love the song.  Really dig Paul's voice (falsetto is awesome) and Johns singing of the parents point of view.  Fantastic song.

[Moogmodule]

I cant believe that is true

what fun would she be having with an abortionist ?

Yes. That's more a post-fun thing.

[oldbrownshoe]

Not one of my faves.

I just can't seem to get into 'Sgt. Pepper's' any more, I much prefer the more ragged early stuff.
I listened to 'Abbey Road' yesterday and rather wished I had been listening to 'With The Beatles' or 'A Hard Day's Night' instead.

The abortionist angle is interesting and was very much a factor in mid-60s Britain (see the films 'Alfie' and 'Up The Junction', both with harrowing depictions of back-street abortionists) but the notion of being 'in the motor trade' was more likely to be an updated example of 'in service'.

In the case of this song I think it's meant to denote that the daughter was having an affair and/or marrying someone beneath her social class.
The phrase suggests a spivy/not to be trusted character (think Joe Walker in 'Dad's Army'), probably a womaniser, and certainly not the kind of man that the parents would have envisaged their daughter associating with.

In the 1983 Beatles Monthly poll, 'She's Leaving Home' got 203 votes and stood level at no. 60 with 'Dear Prudence'.

[Moogmodule]

Not one of my faves.



In the case of this song I think it's meant to denote that the daughter was having an affair and/or marrying someone beneath her social class.
The phrase suggests a spivy/not to be trusted character (think Joe Walker in 'Dad's Army'), probably a womaniser, and certainly not the kind of man that the parents would have envisaged their daughter associating with.
.

I think that's a better interpretation. I think the abortionist thing was someone trying on a bit of a grittier interpretation but with nothing really to back it up.

[blmeanie]

Terrific song that magnifies their different voices they could write into the same song.  Love it.  Love story telling songs that aren't "me" written (Eleanor Rigby for one of many).

[Normandie]

It's a gorgeous song. I think a couple of the lyrics jar with me a little. "Fun is the one thing that money can't buy" for instance. I might be being too literal but you can definitely buy fun.

Reminds me of a quote from Gone With the Wind when Rhett Butler said something to the effect of "Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy some amazing substitutes." Or something like that. I may be mangling that quote.

[nimrod]

I think Paul was a bit unfair to George Martin on this

Expecting him to drop his other commitments (with Cilla)

He shouldve waited a day

A bit of a power play seems like

[Mr Mustard]

Did they ever write a sadder song?

A beautiful number featuring one of Paul's most breathtakingly impressive vocals, I have one major gripe against it. It feels completely out of context in its location.... shattering as it does the gorgeous, multi-coloured trance that is Sgt Pepper with its giant flowers, rocking horse people and waltzing fairgrounds. The lush harp acts as a dream curtain through which we step into....

A humdrum, drizzly workday morning with scribbled departure notes, snoring dads and sobbing mothers. Their baby has grown up and gone forever. Talk about a rude awakening.

Would have made a superb B Side (I don't think it's strong enough to carry a single) or part of that giant jigsaw that was The White Album, but will forever be the jarring fly in Pepper's ointment for me. Achingly poignant song.... in the wrong place.

Just my opinion, obviously - I realise to some people it's the highlight.

[tkitna]

I agree that its out of place within Peppers, but not so much as 'When I'm 64'.  That's the glaring scar of the record in my opinion.

[nimrod]

I agree that its out of place within Peppers, but not so much as 'When I'm 64'.  That's the glaring scar of the record in my opinion.

For me its Georges that is the glaring scar 

[Moogmodule]

For me its Georges that is the glaring scar 

I said on a sgt pepper thread that I think the mix of styles actually helps the concept. Like some sort of old variety show with Pepper as the house band. George's  Indian stuff was like the local Indian society taking part. When I'm 64 was the old crooner. Etc. I think if these had been substituted with more psychedelic stuff it would have been a very different album.

[Hello Goodbye]

Did they ever write a sadder song?

For No One comes close.

The MONO version is sped up a bit...

The Beatles - She's Leaving Home (2009 Mono Remaster)

The Beatles - She's Leaving Home (2009 Stereo Remaster)