If I Fell - The Beatles - John Lennon / Paul McCartney

If I Fell
(The Beatles)

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

Poster The Beatles

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

If I Fell

If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me understand
‘Cause I’ve been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just holding hands

If I give my heart to you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you would love me more than her
If I trust in you oh please

Don’t run and hide
If I love you too oh please
Don’t hurt my pride like her
‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain

So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two
‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain

So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two
If I fell in love with you

Songwriters: John Winston Lennon / Paul James McCartney