I Want to Hold Your Hand

The Beatles

About I Want to Hold Your Hand

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded on October 17, 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment. With advance orders exceeding one million copies in the United Kingdom, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" would have gone straight to the top of the British record charts on its day of release (29 November 1963) had it not been blocked by the group's first million-seller "She Loves You", their previous UK single, which was having a resurgence of popularity following intense media coverage of the group. Taking two weeks to dislodge its predecessor, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" stayed at number 1 for five weeks and remained in the UK top 50 for 21 weeks in total. It was also the group's first American number 1 hit, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 18 January 1964 at number 45 and starting the British Invasion of the American music industry. By 1 February it topped the Hot 100, and stayed there for seven weeks before being replaced by "She Loves You". It remained on the Billboard chart for 15 weeks. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" became the Beatles' best-selling single worldwide selling more than 12 million copies. In 2018, Billboard magazine named it the 48th biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100. 


Year:
2014
53 
#2

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Oh yeah I tell you somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

Oh please say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now, let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I feel that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. Their best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions. more »

57 fans

Written by: John Winston Lennon, Paul James McCartney

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Song Release
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" was released by The Beatles in November 1963 in the UK and 26th December in the USA.
Song Composition
John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song together. It's one of their many joint compositions.
Notable Achievement
This song was The Beatles' first number one hit in the United States, kickstarting the British Invasion.
Recording Process
The song was recorded in just 17 takes on 17 October 1963.
Cultural Impact
When "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was playing on the radio, Times magazine reported that the song was "a major event in American show business".
Noteworthy Recognition
Rolling Stone magazine ranked "I Want to Hold Your Hand" as 16 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.
Sales Achievement
It went straight to No.1 in the US charts staying there for seven weeks and remained in the US charts for a staggering 15 weeks. By the end of 1964, the single had sold nearly five million copies in the United States.
Iconic Lyrics
The lyrics "I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide..." was improvised by Lennon during the recording session.
Recording Technique
The song was notably one of the first to be recorded on a four-track machine. This allowed different parts of the song to be recorded separately and then mixed together.
Repertoire Expansion
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" was part of the album "Meet The Beatles!" which was their first album released in the US.
Unique Songwriting
In the BBC program "The Beatles Anthology," Paul McCartney said that the idea of the song was to write something that was positive and warm. They wanted to convey the feeling of holding a loved one’s hand in a single, simple song.
Record Breaking
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" jumped from no.45 to no.1 in the US Billboard charts within a week, which was a record for the fastest move to the top.

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    I Want to Hold Your Hand

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1964

    Billboard #1


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