John wrote the lyrics to the song do you want to know a secret whilst living Cynthia Lennon at 36 Faulkner Street in a flat given to the newly married couple by Brian Epstein following Cynthia falling pregnant. The song is basically about John declaring how much in love with the girl that he is.

The inspiration for the lyrics of this Beatles song came from a song that his mother Julia used to play for him when he was young from the Walt Disney film ‘Snow white and the seven dwarfs’ In this film Snow white sings the song I’m wishing to the birds, the song contains the lyrics “wanna know a secret? Promise not to tell?”

The musical inspiration for the do you want to know a secret song came from the Stereos song “I really love you” which was a big hit in 1961. Although it was Johns heart felt song George was the one who got to sing the lyrics on the recording of do you want to know a secret; John feeling that the simplistically of the song would suit George’s limited singing ability as it only had three notes. The recording itself is very poorly mixed, and George’s lead guitar is lost down the right channel and the harmonies sung by John and Paul having far too much echo.

The song was given to Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas who performed it during their time playing the circuit in Germany . Though Billy was not the biggest fan of the song, the staff at EMI liked it enough to offer him a recording contract and he recorded the song. Do you want to know a secret reached number two in the British charts and in doing so became the first song written by the Beatles for someone else that charted.

Beatles role on Do you want to know a secret?

John Lennon: Backing vocals, rhythm guitar.

Paul McCartney: Backing vocals, Bass guitar.

George Harrison: Lead vocals, Lead Guitar

Ringo Starr: Drums

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