Do n't Let Me Down ( Beatles song ) - wikipedia Do n't Let Me Down ( Beatles song ) `` Do n't Let Me Down '' Single by the Beatles with Billy Preston A-side `` Get Back '' Released 11 April 1969 Format 7 '' Recorded 28 January 1969 Genre Blues rock Length 3 : 35 Label Apple Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney The Beatles singles chronology `` Hey Jude '' ( 1968 ) Hey Jude 1968 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' ( 1969 ) Get BackDo n't Let Me Down1969 `` The Ballad of John and Yoko '' ( 1969 ) The Ballad of John and Yoko 1969 Billy Preston singles chronology `` Hey Brother '' ( 1968 ) Hey Brother1968 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' ( 1969 ) Get BackDo n't Let Me Down1969 `` That 's the Way God Planned It '' ( 1969 ) That 's the Way God Planned It 1969 Audio sample file help `` Do n't Let Me Down '' is a song by the Beatles ( with Billy Preston ), recorded in 1969 during the Let It Be sessions. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon -- McCartney. Contents 1 Composition 2 Recording and release 3 Reception 4 Controversy 5 Cover versions 6 Personnel 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Composition Written by Lennon as an anguished love song to Yoko Ono, it was interpreted by Paul McCartney as a `` genuine plea '', with Lennon saying to Ono, `` I 'm really stepping out of line on this one. I 'm really just letting my vulnerability be seen, so you must not let me down. '' The song is in the key of E major and is in 4 / 4 time during the verse, chorus and bridge, but changes to 5 / 4 in the pick - up to the verse. It grew ( like `` Sun King '' ) from the F ♯ m7 - E changes from Fleetwood Mac 's `` Albatross '' ( `` like she does '' ( F ♯ m7 ) `` yes she does '' ( A, Am ) `` yes she does '' ( E ) ) with McCartney arranging instrumental and vocal parts and Harrison adding a descending two - part lead guitar accompaniment to the verse and a countermelody in the bridge. Alan W. Pollack states that `` the counterpoint melody played in octaves during the Alternate Verse by the bass and lead guitars is one of the more novel, unusual instrumental touches you 'll find anywhere in the Beatles catalogue. '' Recording and release Multiple versions of `` Do n't Let Me Down '' were recorded by the Beatles during the tumultuous Get Back ( Let It Be ) recording sessions. The version recorded on 28 January 1969 was released as a B - side to the single `` Get Back '', recorded the same day. `` Get Back '' reached number one and `` Do n't Let Me Down '' reached number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. They performed `` Do n't Let Me Down '' twice during their rooftop concert of 30 January 1969, one of which was included in the Let It Be ( 1970 ) film, directed by Michael Lindsay - Hogg. When the `` Get Back '' project was revisited, Phil Spector dropped `` Do n't Let Me Down '' from the Let It Be ( 1970 ) album. The B - side version of the song was included on the Beatles ' compilations Hey Jude, 1967 - 1970 and Past Masters Volume 2 and Mono Masters. The same recording also appears on the soundtrack to the 1988 documentary, Imagine : John Lennon. In November 2003, an edit of the two rooftop versions was included on Let It Be... Naked. Reception Richie Unterberger of AllMusic called it `` one of the Beatles ' most powerful love songs '', Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as `` heart - wrenching soul '' and Roy Carr and Tony Tyler called it `` a superb sobber from misery - expert J.W.O. Lennon, MBE. And still one of the most highly underrated Beatle underbellies. '' Author Ian MacDonald praised `` Do n't Let Me Down '' and declared that `` this track vies with Come Together for consideration as the best of Lennon 's late - style Beatles records ''. Controversy Rod Stewart 's 1976 song `` The Killing of Georgie ( Part I and II ) '' employs a melody almost identical to the Beatles ' `` Do n't Let Me Down ''. In a 1980 interview, a clearly annoyed John Lennon said, `` the lawyers never noticed ''. Cover versions In 1969, Dillard & Clark covered the song on their album Through the Morning, Through the Night. In 1969, Marcia Griffiths did a reggae version. In 1969, Harry J Allstars covered the song on their album Liquidator In 1970, Ben E. King covered the song on his Rough Edges album. In 1971, Charlotte Dada recorded an afro - rhythm version in Ghana. On her 1977 album It Looks Like Snow, Phoebe Snow covered this song. In 1992, Annie Lennox recorded the song and it was included as the B - side to `` Walking on Broken Glass ''. A live version is also available on the `` Cold '' single. In 1992, Danish band The Sandmen covered the song on their Sleepyhead album. In 1993, Italian pop singer Ryan Paris recorded a high - energy version of the song. In 1996, U.S. rock band The Black Crowes covered the song live a few times and again in 2005. In 1999, Garbage performed a live cover at the opening of the Scottish Parliament. Gene covered the song on their 1999 rarities / B - sides compilation To See The Lights. In 2001, Stereophonics covered this song on the I Am Sam soundtrack. Paul Weller covered the song on his album Fly on the Wall - B Sides and Rarities. Matchbox Twenty turned the song into a duet, with lead singer Rob Thomas on piano and vocals and with guitarist Kyle Cook also singing. In 2004, Greg Brown covered the song on his album In the Hills of California. Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy performed the song in the 2007 film Across the Universe. In 2008, Maroon 5 covered the song for ReAct Now : Music & Relief. The Aggrolites, a California ska - punk / reggae band have played a ska - punk version of the song at their live shows. It has proven to be a hit with their fans despite never being on one of their albums. Munro Chambers has covered this song live as a duet John Mayer and Keith Urban did a cover version at the Crossroads festival as well as during the TV special, The Night That Changed America : A Grammy Salute to The Beatles. Tackhead recorded a dub and R&B version which appeared on the digital release of their 2014 album For the Love of Money. Paolo Nutini covered this song in 2014 while promoting his album Caustic Love. Personnel John Lennon -- lead vocal, rhythm guitars Paul McCartney -- bass guitar, harmony vocal George Harrison -- lead guitar, backing vocal Ringo Starr -- drums Billy Preston -- electric piano Personnel per Ian MacDonald No official producer 's credit was included for the single release owing to `` the confused roles of George Martin and Glyn Johns ''. However the 1967 - 1970 album liner notes credit George Martin as the song 's producer. Notes Jump up ^ Sheff 2000, p. 204. Jump up ^ Miles 1997, pp. 535 -- 536. Jump up ^ Hal Leonard 1993, pp. 220 -- 224. Jump up ^ Walter Everett. The Beatles as Musicians. Revolver through the Anthology. Oxford University Press 1999. pp222 - 223. Jump up ^ Alan W Pollack. Notes on ' Do n't Let Me Down '' http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/dlmd.shtml ( accessed 12 Nov 2013 ) Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 168. Jump up ^ Wallgren 1982, p. 54. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 169. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, pp. 196, 199. Jump up ^ The Beatles Bible. Jump up ^ Unterberger 2007. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Hey Jude at AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Carr & Tyler 1975, p. 78. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005. Jump up ^ English, Timothy ( Oct 12, 2007 ). Sounds Like Teen Spirit. iUniverse. p. 107. Jump up ^ Fontenot, Robert. `` Do n't Let Me Down - History ''. About.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 332 -- 333. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 172. References `` Do n't Let Me Down ''. The Beatles Bible. Retrieved 17 August 2008. Carr, Roy ; Tyler, Tony ( 1975 ). The Beatles : An Illustrated Record. New York : Harmony Books. ISBN 0 - 517 - 52045 - 1. Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, ed. ( 1993 ). The Beatles -- Complete Scores. Milwaukee : Hal Leanord. ISBN 0 - 7935 - 1832 - 6. Lewisohn, Mark ( 1988 ). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York : Harmony Books. ISBN 0 - 517 - 57066 - 1. MacDonald, Ian ( 2005 ). Revolution in the Head : The Beatles ' Records and the Sixties ( Second Revised ed. ). London : Pimlico ( Rand ). ISBN 1 - 84413 - 828 - 3. Miles, Barry ( 1997 ). Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now. New York : Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 5249 - 6. Sheff, David ( 2000 ). All We Are Saying : The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York : St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 0 - 312 - 25464 - 4. `` SPFC.org tour history listing for performances of `` Do n't Let Me Down '' ``. 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008. Unterberger, Richie ( 2007 ). `` Review of ' Do n't Let Me Down ' ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 25 February 2007. Viglione, Joe ( 2010 ). `` Review of It Seems Like Snow ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2 February 2010. Wallgren, Mark ( 1982 ). The Beatles on Record. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0 - 671 - 45682 - 2. External links Alan W. Pollack 's Notes on `` Do n't Let Me Down '' The Beatles singles discography UK and US ( all labels ) 1963 `` Please Please Me '' / `` Ask Me Why '' `` From Me to You '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` She Loves You '' / `` I 'll Get You '' 1964 `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' / `` You Ca n't Do That '' `` I Feel Fine '' / `` She 's a Woman '' 1965 `` Ticket to Ride '' / `` Yes It Is '' `` Help ! '' / `` I 'm Down '' `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' 1966 `` Paperback Writer '' / `` Rain '' `` Yellow Submarine '' / `` Eleanor Rigby '' 1967 `` Penny Lane '' / `` Strawberry Fields Forever '' `` All You Need Is Love '' / `` Baby, You 're a Rich Man '' `` Hello, Goodbye '' / `` I Am the Walrus '' 1968 `` Lady Madonna '' / `` The Inner Light '' `` Hey Jude '' / `` Revolution '' 1969 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' `` The Ballad of John and Yoko '' / `` Old Brown Shoe '' `` Something '' / `` Come Together '' 1970 `` Let It Be '' / `` You Know My Name ( Look Up the Number ) '' 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` A Day in the Life '' 1982 `` The Beatles Movie Medley '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' 1995 `` Free as a Bird '' / `` Christmas Time ( Is Here Again ) '' `` Real Love '' / `` Baby 's in Black '' UK only ( Parlophone, Apple ) 1962 `` My Bonnie '' / `` The Saints '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` This Boy '' 1964 `` Ai n't She Sweet '' / `` If You Love Me, Baby '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` Things We Said Today '' 1976 `` Yesterday '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Twist and Shout '' US only ( Vee - Jay, Swan, Tollie, Capitol, Apple ) 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` I Saw Her Standing There '' 1964 `` Twist and Shout '' / `` There 's a Place '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Sie liebt dich '' / `` I 'll Get You '' `` I 'll Cry Instead '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' `` And I Love Her '' / `` If I Fell '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Matchbox '' / `` Slow Down '' 1965 `` Eight Days a Week '' / `` I Do n't Want to Spoil the Party '' `` Yesterday '' / `` Act Naturally '' 1966 `` Nowhere Man '' / `` What Goes On '' 1970 `` The Long and Winding Road '' / `` For You Blue '' 1976 `` Got to Get You into My Life '' / `` Helter Skelter '' `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` Julia '' Other countries ( Odeon, Parlophone, Apple ) 1963 `` All My Loving '' / `` This Boy '' ( Canada ) 1964 `` Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich '' ( Germany ) 1966 `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' / `` Nowhere Man '' ( Australia ) 1968 `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` While My Guitar Gently Weeps '' ( Europe, Japan, Australia ) `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` I Will '' ( Philippines ) `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Do n't Pass Me By '' ( Sweden ) 1969 `` You 're Going to Lose That Girl '' / `` Tell Me What You See '' ( Japan ) 1970 `` Oh ! Darling '' / `` Here Comes the Sun '' ( Japan ) 1972 `` All Together Now '' / `` Hey Bulldog '' ( Europe ) 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` Within You Without You '' ( Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don%27t_Let_Me_Down_(Beatles_song)&oldid=800567182 '' Categories : The Beatles songs 1969 singles Songs written by Lennon -- McCartney Annie Lennox songs Apple Records singles Song recordings produced by Glyn Johns Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs published by Northern Songs 1969 songs Hidden categories : Use British English from April 2012 Use dmy dates from April 2012 Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Русский Suomi Svenska Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 14 September 2017, at 10 : 04. 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Question: who played keyboard on don't let me down
Answer: McCartney