Paul McCartney had the idea to write a children’s song about different coloured submarines whilst lying in bed one night. This developed into the story of an old man telling tall tales to a young boy about his time aboard a yellow submarine.

The Beatles were enjoying a new found freedom as song writers following their decision to stop recording, and this enabled them to be braver in the sort of songs that they were prepared to make. The lyrics to the recent single rain/paperback writer were their first ones that that were not about love, and this follow up, a sing a long song was much removed from anything that they had previously recorded.

Paul wrote the song so that most of the words were short and easy for children to remember and sing to; he also envisioned the song being sang around a camp fire. With this in mind he went around to the folk singer Donovan’s house, and asked for contributions to the lyrics. Donovan came up with the line ‘sky of blue and sea of Green ’. McCartney loved this and so added it to the yellow submarine.

This yellow submarine song became the traditional Ringo Starr slot on the Beatles Album; the other three Beatles all had a role in the backing vocals. They had a lot of fun with sound effects, John Lennon blew bubbles through a straw into a bucket of water, and George Harrison swirled another bucket of water around. For the final chorus everyone who was in the studio at the time got to join in for a sing-a-long.

Individual Beatles role on Yellow Submarine

John Lennon: Backing vocals, Acoustic guitar

Paul McCartney: Backing vocals, Acoustic guitar

George Harrison: Backing vocals, Tambourine

Ringo Starr: Lead Vocals, Drums

Others: Brass band; Chorus

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