Play Along: Guitar, Piano, Vocals
1. Speed 50%
2. Speed 75%
3. Speed 100%
Eight Days A Week Lyrics
1. Verse
[D] Ooh I need your [E] love, babe, [G] guess you know it’s [D] true.
[D] Hope you need my [E] love babe, [G] just like I need [D] you.
2. Chorus
[Bm] Hold me, [G6] love me.
[Bm] Hold me, [E] love me.
[D] I ain’t got nothin’ but [E] love babe, [G] eight days a [D] week.
3. Verse
[D] Love you every [E] day girl, [G] always on my [D] mind.
[D] One thing I can [E] say girl, [G] love you all the [D] time.
4. Chorus
5. Bridge
[A(no3rd)] Eight days a week, [Bm] I love you.
[E] Eight days a week, is [G6] not enough to [A] show I care.
6. Verse (repeat step 1)
7. Chorus
8. Bridge
9. Verse (repeat step 3)
10. Chorus
11. Outro
[G] Eight days a [D] week, [G] Eight days a [D] week.
Eight Days A Week Chords
1. D Major [D]
2. E Major [E]
3. G Major [G]
4. B Minor [Bm]
5. G 6 [G6]
6. A no 3rd [A(no3rd)]
7. A Major [A]
Song
“Eight Days A Week” is about a guy saying he loves a girl “all the time”. “Eight Days A Week” is a brilliant play on words that serves as the hook used throughout the song. Just hear “Eight Days A Week” instantly captures our attention because we are so familiar with hearing the phrase “seven days a week”. “The Beatles” wisely took the hook “Eight Days A Week” and created a captivating love song.
Eight Days A Week Significance
“Eight Days a Week” was the very first song “The Beatles” completed in the studio – something that would later become common practice for “The Beatles”. In October of 1964 “The Beatles” came into the studio with the basic outline and structure for “Eight Days A Week” and then completed the song during a series of recording session. The main recording session on October 6, 1964 was devoted entirely to “Eight Days A Week” and lasted over 7 hours. “The Beatles” recorded several different variations for the intro and outro before settling on the final versions. The intro to the song incorporates a fade-in which is very uncommon in pop/rock music and the first time “The Beatles” had every used this technic. “Eight Days A Week” uses a standard set of instrumentation for “The Beatles” which includes electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, and drums.
“The Beatles” never performed “Eight Days A Week” live in front of an audience or in any of their radio sessions for the BBC. John Lennon was never happy with the song even though it was a huge success in America.
Inspiration
During an interview with Playboy Magazine in 1984 Paul McCartney credited the title of “Eight Days A Week” to Ringo Starr (who is also credited with the song titles for “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”). Paul said, “Yeah, he (Ring Starr) said it as though he were an overworked chauffeur. ‘Eight Days A Week’ – when we heard it, we said, ‘Really? Bing! Got It!’”
Paul McCartney has also credited a chauffeur who drove him to Lennon’s house with the title for the song “Eight Days A Week.” Paul McCartney said, “I usually drove myself there (John Lennon’s house), but the chauffeur drove me out that day and I said, ‘How’ve you been? – ‘Oh working hard – working eight days a week,’ he said.”
Paul McCartney said in his anthology, ”I remember writing that (‘Eight Days A Week’) with John at his place in Weybridge, from something said by the chauffeur who drove me out there. John had moved out of London, to the suburbs. I usually drove myself there, but the chauffeur drove me out that day and I said, ‘How’ve you been?’ – ‘Oh, working hard,’ he said, ‘working eight days a week.’ I had never heard anyone use that expression, so when I arrived at John’s house I said, ‘Hey, this fella just said, “eight days a week”.’ John said, ‘Right – “Ooh I need your love, babe…” and we wrote it. We were always quick to write. We would write on the spot. I would show up, looking for some sort of inspiration; I’d either get it there, with John, or I’d hear someone say something. John and I were always looking for titles. Once you’ve got a good title, if someone says, ‘What’s your new song?’ and you have a title that interests people, you are halfway there. Of course, the song has to be good. If you’ve called it ‘I Am On My Way To A Party With You, Babe’, they might say, ‘OK…’ But if you’ve called it “Eight Days A Week”, they say, ‘Oh yes, that’s good!’”
Writing
“The Beatles Eight Days A Week” is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon based on a phrase Ringo Starr used to say to the band about being overworked.
“Eight Day’s A Week” was written by “The Beatles” for the movie “Help!”. Paul McCartney wrote most of the song including the verse and chorus, John Lennon added the middle eight (bridge), and Ringo Starr is credited with the title. Typically John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang lead vocals on the songs they wrote, however “Eight Days A Week” is an exception where Paul McCartney wrote most of the song, but “John Lennon” sang lead.
Release
“Eight Days A Week” was originally released in December of 1964 on the album titled “Beatles for Sale”. “Eight Days A Week” spent 2 weeks at #1 in March of 1965.
“Eight Days A Week” was released as a single in the United States on February 15, 1965 and set an all-time record by becoming “The Beatles” seventh number-one hit during a one year time period. The other number-one songs released by “The Beatles” during this time period were “I Wan’t to Hold Your Hand”, “She Loves You”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “Love Me Do”, “A Hard Day’s Night”, and “I Feel Fine”. “Eight Days A Week” was also the second of six “Hot 100” #1 chart toppers in a row by one act (a record at that time) which also included “I Feel Fine”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help!”, “Yesterday” and “We Can Work It Out”.
“Eight Days A Week” was re-released in 2000 as part of “The Beatles” compilation box set.
Covers
“The Beatles Eight Days A Week” has been covered by other professional musicians including The Dandy Warhols, Billy Preston, Procol Harum, Lorrie Morgan, and The Persuasions. “Eight Days A Week” and “You Won’t See Me” take the chord sequence from “The Four Tops’” song titled “It’s the Same Old Song”. Paul McCartney later admitted “We (‘The Beatles’) were the biggest nickers in town.”