S Poddar
The John Lennon-Paul McCartney songwriting partnership drove the creation of hundreds of Beatles hits. Their process, often fruitful, wasn’t always smooth. They described their early collaborations as “eyeball to eyeball,” working in tandem, bouncing ideas off each other at Paul’s childhood home or later at Jane Asher’s residence. John remembered their collaborative style in a 1980 Playboy interview where he explained how the chord progression of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” came alive in Asher’s basement that magic moment of shared inspiration that cemented the foundations of the song.
However, it was far from easy to reach the opening track of their 1965 album Rubber Soul, “Drive My Car.” The song was largely Paul’s creation, but John also contributed to the lyrics. The story revolves around a woman with Hollywood ambitions who offers a man the chance to be her driver-a thinly veiled reference to sexual intimacy.
Paul openly admitted struggles with the song’s early stages. He described the original lyrics as “disastrous,” confessing that he knew they were simply not working. The lyrics he initially presented revolved around “golden rings,” a theme he recognized as cliché and uninspired. He even admitted the intrinsic flaw with the use of “rings” in writing, as that is bound to rhyme with “things.” He offered the tune, feeling he had a very good melody going on, but said the lyrics were a great barrier.
Writing “Drive My Car” would be one of the most frustrating for the Lennon-McCartney partnership. Paul remembered a near “dry session,” in which neither of them could come up with an appropriate direction for the song. They couldn’t come up with anything; they even decided to drop it. But John didn’t want to drop it. He said to take a break, have a cigarette or cup of tea and maybe something will come up.
This was the break. Returning to the song with renewed focus, the “golden rings” concept was rejected and replaced with the phrase “drive my car.” That simple change in wording changed the direction of the song. It added a playful, tongue-in-cheek element, which created a fascinating female character and a developing story. The story now had a “sting in the tail,” much like “Norwegian Wood,” where the meaning is finally revealed at the end. In this, the offer the woman makes by being a chauffeur is actually undermined by a twist that brings humor to her song when it is revealed she does not actually own a car.
John also shared Paul’s disdain for the initial lyrics, reportedly dismissing them as “c**p.” The eventual success of “Drive My Car” highlights their ability to overcome creative obstacles, turning what seemed like a lost cause into a memorable hit.
Paul further explained how the song had evolved, “Drive my car” is a blues euphemism for sex, subtext that would later become a narrative in the song. He compared it to how it seemed to write itself once the core idea was in place; songwriting often did not go as planned, he stated.
Similarly, recording also had challenges of its own. The session started at 7 am on October 13th and went into the wee hours of the morning as Paul and George Harrison spent hours perfecting the rhythm track. George remembered his role in the arrangement: “I usually played bass on tracks where Paul had already mapped out all the parts.”. However, on “Drive My Car,” a guitar line by George, based on Otis Redding’s “Respect,” became an important part of the basic track of the song. He and Paul did it together, with George playing the riff through his guitar and Paul accompanying him on bass. The lead guitar part was laid down later.
Curious, “Drive My Car” is not included on the US release of Rubber Soul. Nevertheless, it was included in the Yesterday and Today compilation, a testament to the different track listings and album configurations in varied regions. The journey of this song from near-disaster to being celebrated speaks volumes about how creative work may fall under the unpredictable arms of fate and how perseverance can be powerful. It’s a reminder that even the most talented songwriters face creative blocks, but with collaboration, determination, and a bit of luck, even the most challenging projects can yield remarkable results.
