"If I Fell" is a song by English rock bandthe Beatles which first appeared in 1964 on the albumA Hard Day's Night in the United Kingdom and United States, and on the North American album Something New. Written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. "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. Paul McCartney stated that he contributed to the song: "We wrote 'If I Fell' together."
Structure
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 has a slightly different ending which creates a seamless transition between the two. The demo version. The rest of the composition uses mainly open chords, including an unusual D ninth.
Recording and performance
Lennon and McCartney shared a single microphone "for their Everly Brothers-like close harmonies." Like much of the Beatles' early work, the song was released in two different mixes for mono and stereo. Lennon's opening vocal is single-tracked in mono but double-tracked in the stereo mix. "If I Fell" was a part of the Beatles repertoire during their US and Canadian tour in 1964. The group typically performed the song faster than the studio version, and Lennon and McCartney often sang it with barely suppressed laughter. On more than one occasion it was introduced as "If I Fell Over".
Single releases
"If I Fell" was released as the B-side of the US single "And I Love Her" on Capitol 5235. As the B-side, it reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached number 28 in Canada. The song was also released as a single in Norway, where it hit number one. In the UK, it was released on 4 December 1964 as the A-side of a single on Parlophone DP 562. The single was intended for export, but some retailers sold it in the UK anyway. It did not chart there and is generally not considered an "official" UK single.
Adrian Belew performed an acoustic version on his 1993 album The Acoustic Adrian Belew.
Peters and Lee performed a cover of this song on their album Favourites.
R&B guitarist Jonathan Butler covered the song from his 1994 album Head to Head.
Cilla Black performed the song, accompanied by Dudley Moore on a 1966 episode of Not Only... But Also. Moore provides backing vocals, which prompts Black to burst out
