I Saw Her Again

The Mamas & the Papas

About I Saw Her Again

"I Saw Her Again" is a pop song recorded by the U. S. vocal group The Mamas & the Papas in 1966. Co-written by band members John Phillips and Denny Doherty, it was released as a single in June 1966 (WLS played it most of that month) and peaked at number one on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and number five on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart the week of July 30, 1966. It appeared on their eponymous second album in September 1966. One of three songs co-written by the two male members of the group (the others being "Got a Feelin'" and "For the Love of Ivy"), "I Saw Her Again" was inspired by Doherty's brief affair with Michelle Phillips, then married to John Phillips, which, combined with an affair between Michelle Phillips and Gene Clark of The Byrds, resulted in the brief expulsion of Michelle from the group. While mixing the record, engineer Bones Howe punched in the coda vocals too early, inadvertently including Denny's false start on the third chorus ("I saw her..."). Despite attempting to correct the error, the miscued vocal could still be heard on playback. Producer Lou Adler liked the effect and told Howe to leave it in the final mix. Lou Adler has said that this song was specifically done to try and capture the flavor of what the Beatles had been doing, and that it was intentionally written to be a single. 


3:15

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I saw her again last night
And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't
But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me

I'm in way over my head
Now she thinks that I love her
Because that's what I said
Though I never think of her
But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me

Every time I see that girl
You know I want to lay down and die
But I really need that girl
Don't know why I'm livin' a lie
It makes me want to cry

I saw her again last night
And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't
But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me

But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me

Every time I see that girl
You know I want to lay down and die
But I really need that girl
Don't know why I'm livin' a lie
It makes me want to cry

I saw her again last night
And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't

I'm in way over my head
Now she thinks that I love her
Because that's what I said

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The Mamas & the Papas

The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover and sometimes shortened to Mamas & Papas) were an American/Canadian vocal group (Denny Doherty was from Canada) who came to prominence in the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing six albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide. more »

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Written by: DENNIS DOHERTY, JOHN EDMUND ANDREW PHILLIPS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Genre Label
"I Saw Her Again" is a pop song that falls under the genre of sunshine pop and psychedelic pop.
Band Formation
The song was performed by The Mamas & the Papas, a band consisting of four members: Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips. They formed the band in 1965 in New York City.
Co-writers
The song was co-written by Denny Doherty and John Phillips, who were both members of The Mamas & the Papas.
Song Release
"I Saw Her Again" was released in 1966 as part of the group’s album “The Mamas & the Papas.”
Chart Success
The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
Content Controversy
The song is rumored to be about the affair Denny Doherty had with Michelle Phillips, who at the time was married to John Phillips. This triangular relationship allegedly caused a lot of tension within the band.
Recording Error
During the recording of "I Saw Her Again," an error was made during the mixing of the song. The vocals came in too early on the third verse. Instead of correcting the error, it was decided to leave it as is.
Album Cover
On the album cover for "The Mamas & the Papas," the band members are shown in a bathtub, with Doherty appearing to be apart from the rest, hinting at the tension in the band at that time.
Song Recognition
The song was later ranked number 113 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Impact on Pop Culture
"I Saw Her Again" has been covered by several artists since its release and has been featured in a number of television programs and films.

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    "I Saw Her Again Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/36648926/The+Mamas+%26+the+Papas/I+Saw+Her+Again>.

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    I Saw Her Again

    2.6M
    13,868     400

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1966

    Billboard #5


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