If I Fell
by The Beatles
(John Lennon / Paul McCartney)

“ If I Fell ” is a song by English rock band the Beatles which first appeared in 1964 on the album A Hard Day’s Night in the United Kingdom and United States, and on the North American album Something New. It was credited to Lennon–McCartney, but John Lennon often stated that he wrote it. “That’s my first attempt at a ballad proper. … It shows that I wrote sentimental love ballads way back when”, Lennon stated in his 1980 Playboy interview. However, Paul McCartney stated that he contributed to the song: “We wrote ‘If I Fell” together.” The song opens with an unrepeated introductory section sung by Lennon, followed by a standard “Tin Pan Alley” AABA form. Each verse preceding the B section (or middle-eight) has a slightly different ending which creates a seamless transition between the two. The demo version (just John alone on acoustic guitar) from early 1964, does include the introduction, as well as an alternative ending. The remainder of the song features a two-part harmony, with Lennon singing the lower harmony while McCartney sings the higher one. It also features Lennon’s intricate chord changes. The key changes from E flat minor to D major between the introduction (a series of descending barre chords) and the main song, which uses mainly open chords, including an unusual D ninth.

Lyrics