You Never Give Me Your Money

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“You Never Give Me Your Money”
Song by The Beatles
Album Abbey Road
Released 26 September 1969
Recorded Abbey Road: 6 May, 1 July,
11 July, 15 July, 6 August 1969
Genre Rock
Length 4:02
Label Apple Records
Writer Lennon/McCartney
Producer George Martin
Abbey Road track listing
Side one
  1. "Come Together"
  2. "Something"
  3. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
  4. "Oh! Darling"
  5. "Octopus's Garden"
  6. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
Side two
  1. "Here Comes the Sun"
  2. "Because"
  3. "You Never Give Me Your Money"
  4. "Sun King"
  5. "Mean Mr. Mustard"
  6. "Polythene Pam"
  7. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"
  8. "Golden Slumbers"
  9. "Carry That Weight"
  10. "The End"
  11. "Her Majesty"

"You Never Give Me Your Money" is a song by The Beatles that opens the climactic medley on side two of the album Abbey Road. It was mainly written by Paul McCartney (though attributed to Lennon/McCartney).

The song begins with two verses sung by McCartney in a large-sound, almost classical style. This is followed by a section played in a double time swing feel with McCartney switching to a more nasal vocal style, using a mock-baritone voice which contrasts the song's somewhat poignant lyrics. Next comes an instrumental interlude with George Harrison's aggressive blues rock-style and a concluding unisono line between guitar and bass. The song fades out with a chant reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, set to a Harrison guitar riff similar to a previous album track, "Here Comes the Sun" (in turn based on a previous Harrison/Eric Clapton composition, "Badge"). The riff will return later in the medley's track "Carry That Weight". The song's production is notable for prominent use of leslie-amplified, arpeggiated guitar parts, which would become synonymous with the late-era Beatles sound.

It segues into "Sun King".

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Covers and references

In 1976, Will Malone & Lou Reizner covered the song for the transitory musical documentary All This and World War II.

Sufjan Stevens alludes to this song in "Dear Mr. Supercomputer" on his 2006 album The Avalanche. The original line is "One two three four five six seven / All good children go to heaven." Stevens' line is "One two three four five six seven / All computers go to heaven".

Tenacious D regularly includes this song in their live performances as a "Beatles Medley".