The Beatles You Can't Do That lyrics
This site covers the original British Beatles Albums plus analyses of the lyrics of non-album tracks.
Information on how the Beatles wrote the A Hard Days Night album lyrics can be navigated from below.
Find out how the lyrics to the Beatles song songs You Can't Do That came about.
Beatles Album: A Hard Day’s Night: Track 12
Year: 1964
Lyrics: Lennon and McCartney
Length: 2.33
The lyrics of you can’t do that reflect a change in attitude by John Lennon, normally he begs and pleads for a girl to love him, but this time he tries to threat the girl into loving him. Basically he has been cheated on before, and there is no way that he is going to let it happen again, if the girl cheats then he is out of there!
Musically you can’t do that is influenced by Wilson Pickett, of Mustang Sally and in the midnight hour fame. Pickett himself went onto successfully do a cover version of ‘hey Jude’.
This was the first time that John Lennon got to play lead on his Rickenbacker and George got to play his 12 string guitar. The song does not really have a rhythm guitar style. Ringo bangs on a cow bell. You can’t do that had been previously available as the b side to can’t buy me love.
Beatles role in the making of You Can't Do That
John Lennon: Lead vocals, rhythm guitar.
Paul McCartney: Harmony vocals, Bass guitar.
George Harrison: Lead Guitar
Ringo Starr: Drums