We Can Work It Out - wikipedia We Can Work It Out For other uses of `` We Can Work It Out '', see We Can Work It Out ( disambiguation ). `` We Can Work It Out '' US picture sleeve Single by the Beatles A-side `` Day Tripper '' ( double A-side ) Released 3 December 1965 Format 7 '' Recorded 20 and 29 October 1965 EMI Studios, London Genre Folk rock Length 2 : 15 Label Parlophone ( UK ), Capitol ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) George Martin The Beatles UK singles chronology `` Help ! '' ( 1965 ) `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' ( 1965 ) `` Paperback Writer '' ( 1966 ) The Beatles US singles chronology `` Yesterday '' ( 1965 ) Yesterday 1965 `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' ( 1965 ) We Can Work It Out Day Tripper 1965 `` Nowhere Man '' ( 1966 ) Nowhere Man 1966 Music video `` We Can Work It Out '' on YouTube Audio sample file help `` We Can Work It Out '' is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a double A-side single with `` Day Tripper '' in December 1965. The release marked the first time in Britain that both tracks on an artist 's single were promoted as joint A-sides. The song was recorded during the sessions for the band 's Rubber Soul album. The single was number 1 in Britain ( where it won the Ivor Novello Award for the top - selling A-side of 1965 ), America, Australia, Canada and Ireland. `` We Can Work It Out '' is a comparatively rare example of a Lennon -- McCartney collaboration from this period in the Beatles ' career, in that it recalls the level of collaboration the two songwriters had shared when writing the group 's hit singles of 1963. This song, `` A Day in the Life '', `` Baby, You 're a Rich Man '' and `` I 've Got a Feeling '', are among the notable exceptions. Contents 1 Composition 2 Recording 3 Promotional films 4 Release 5 Cover versions 5.1 Deep Purple 5.2 Stevie Wonder 5.3 Other artists 6 In popular culture 7 Personnel 8 Charts and certifications 8.1 Beatles version 8.2 Stevie Wonder version 9 Notes 10 References 11 Sources 12 External links Composition McCartney wrote the words and music to the verses and the chorus, with lyrics that `` might have been personal '', probably a reference to his relationship with Jane Asher. McCartney then took the song to Lennon : I took it to John to finish it off, and we wrote the middle together. Which is nice : ' Life is very short. There 's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend. ' Then it was George Harrison 's idea to put the middle into 3 / 4 time, like a German waltz. That came on the session, it was one of the cases of the arrangement being done on the session. As with several of his songs over 1965 -- 66, McCartney drew inspiration for `` We Can Work It Out '' from his relationship with actress Jane Asher ( pictured performing during the Bristol Old Vic 's 1967 US repertory tour ). With its intimations of mortality, Lennon 's contribution to the twelve - bar bridge contrasts typically with what Lennon saw as McCartney 's cajoling optimism, a contrast also seen in other collaborations by the pair, such as `` Getting Better '' and `` I 've Got a Feeling ''. As Lennon told Playboy in 1980 : In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you 've got Paul writing, ' We can work it out / We can work it out ' -- real optimistic, y'know, and me, impatient : ' Life is very short, and there 's no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend. ' In author Ian MacDonald 's view, some critics have overemphasised the extent of McCartney 's optimism in the song and neglect the toughness in passages written by McCartney, such as `` Do I have to keep on talking until I ca n't go on ? '' Lennon 's middle shifts focus from McCartney 's concrete reality to a philosophical perspective in B minor, illustrating this with the waltz - like passage suggested by Harrison that leads back to the verse, possibly meant to suggest tiresome struggle. Rather than a formal change to 3 / 4 time, the waltz effect is created through suspensions and triplets within the regular 4 / 4 rhythm. MacDonald comments on the song : ( Lennon 's ) passages are so suited to his Salvation Army harmonium that it 's hard to imagine them not being composed on it. The swell - pedal crescendos he adds to the verses are, on the other hand, textural washes added in the studio -- the first of their kind on a Beatles record and signposts to the enriched sound - palette of Revolver. Recording A Mason & Hamlin pump organ or harmonium. Lennon played a Mannborg harmonium on the recording. The Beatles recorded `` We Can Work It Out '' at EMI Studios ( later Abbey Road Studios ) in London on 20 October 1965, during the sessions for their Rubber Soul album. Along with Lennon 's `` Day Tripper '', the song was earmarked for the non-album single that would accompany the release of the new LP. The band taped a satisfactory basic track in just two takes. With nearly eleven hours dedicated to the song, however, it was by far their longest expenditure of studio time up to that point. A vocal overdubbing session took place on 29 October. No record exists of the band members ' exact contributions to the recording, leading to uncertainty regarding the playing of some of the instruments. Reduced to a single track in the final mix, where it was placed hard left in the stereo image, the group 's initial performance consisted of acoustic guitar, bass, tambourine and drums. While musicologist Walter Everett credits these parts to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Ringo Starr, respectively, authors Jean - Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin suggest that McCartney, as the song 's main composer, was the acoustic guitarist and Lennon instead played bass. Two harmonium parts were overdubbed, using EMI 's Mannborg harmonium. Promotional films For the first time for one of their singles, the Beatles filmed promotional clips for `` We Can Work It Out '' and `` Day Tripper ''. Subsequently, known as the `` Intertel Promos '', these clips were intended as a way to save the band having to appear in person on popular British television shows such as Ready Steady Go ! and Top of the Pops, and also ensured that the Beatles reached their large international audience. Filming took place at Twickenham Film Studios in south - west London on 23 November 1965, with Joe McGrath as director. The Beatles made a total of ten black - and - white promos that day, filming clips for the new songs as well as for their previous hit singles `` I Feel Fine '', `` Ticket to Ride '' and `` Help ! '' Three of the films were mimed performances of `` We Can Work It Out '', in all of which Lennon was seated at a harmonium. The most frequently broadcast of the three was a straightforward performance piece with the group wearing black suits. In the description of Rolling Stone journalist Rob Sheffield : `` At first, they 're playing it all straight in their suits, until John sets out to make Paul crack up on camera. He makes it impossible for anyone else to keep a straight face -- by the end, he 's playing the organ with his feet. '' Another clip shows the group wearing the stage suits from their Shea Stadium performance on 15 August. The third clip opens with a still photograph of Lennon with a sunflower in front of his eye. One of the November 1965 promo films was included in the Beatles ' 2015 video compilation 1, and the third promo clip was included in the three - disc versions of the compilation, titled 1 +. Release In a discussion about which of the two songs should be the A-side of the new single, Lennon had argued for `` Day Tripper '', differing with the majority view that `` We Can Work It Out '' was a more commercial song. On 15 November, EMI announced that the A-side would be `` We Can Work It Out '', only for Lennon to publicly contradict this two days later. As a result, the single was marketed as the first - ever `` double A-side ''. Lennon 's championing of `` Day Tripper '', for which he was the principal writer, was based on his belief that the Beatles ' rock sound should be favoured over the softer style of `` We Can Work It Out ''. Airplay and point - of - sale requests soon proved `` We Can Work It Out '' to be the more popular of the two sides. The single was released on EMI 's Parlophone label in Britain ( as Parlophone R 5389 ) on 3 December 1965, the same day as Rubber Soul. The two releases coincided with speculation in the UK press that the Beatles ' superiority in the pop world since 1963 might be coming to an end, given the customary two or three years that most acts could expect to remain at the peak of their popularity. `` Day Tripper '' / `` We Can Work It Out '' entered the UK Singles Chart ( at the time, the Record Retailer chart ) on 15 December, at number 2, before holding the top position for five consecutive weeks. The single also failed to top the national chart published by Melody Maker in its first week -- marking the first occasion since December 1963 that a new Beatles single had not immediately entered at number 1. Although the single was an immediate number 1 on the NME 's chart, the Daily Mirror and Daily Express newspapers both published articles highlighting the apparent decline. The record was the Beatles ' tenth consecutive chart - topping single in the UK and the band 's fastest - selling single there since `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '', their previous McCartney - led A-side. At the following year 's Ivor Novello Awards, `` We Can Work It Out '' was acknowledged as the best - selling single of 1965, ahead of `` Help ! '' As of 2012, it had sold 1.39 million copies in the UK, making it the group 's fifth million - seller in that country. In the United States, where the single was issued by Capitol Records on 6 December ( as Capitol 5555 ), both songs entered the Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending 18 December. On 8 January 1966, `` We Can Work It Out '' hit number 1 on the chart, while `` Day Tripper '' entered the top ten at number 10. `` We Can Work It Out '' spent three non-consecutive weeks at number 1, while `` Day Tripper '' peaked at number 5. The song was the band 's eleventh US number 1, accomplished in just under two years since their debut on the Hot 100. It was their sixth consecutive number 1 single on the American charts, a record at the time. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for sales of 1 million or over, on 6 January 1966. The Beatles performed `` We Can Work It Out '' on their final UK tour, which took place on 3 -- 12 December 1965. In 1991, McCartney played an acoustic version of the song for his MTV Unplugged performance, later released on Unplugged ( The Official Bootleg ). Cover versions Deep Purple `` Exposition / We Can Work It Out '' Song by Deep Purple from the album The Book of Taliesyn Released December 1968 Genre Progressive rock Length 7 : 06 Label Harvest Songwriter ( s ) Beethoven, Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) Derek Lawrence Deep Purple covered it on their second album The Book of Taliesyn, from 1968. The band drastically reworked it, as they always did with covers. The first three minutes of the song is a fast, progressive instrumental jam incorporating themes from classical music ( notably Tchaikovsky 's Romeo and Juliet ) called `` Exposition '', which drifts over into the Beatles song. Such overblown arrangements and attempts at making a rather simple song sound epic was normal for Deep Purple in this period, and they had already followed the same structure on their covers on the debut album ( such as The Leaves ' `` Hey Joe '' ). Reportedly, the band recorded their version of the song because McCartney had stated that he was impressed with their previous Beatles cover, `` Help ! '', which was featured on Shades of Deep Purple. Stevie Wonder `` We Can Work It Out '' Single by Stevie Wonder from the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered B - side `` Never Dreamed You 'd Leave in Summer '' Released March 1971 Genre R&B Length 3 : 19 Label Tamla Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder singles chronology `` Heaven Help Us All '' ( 1970 ) `` We Can Work It Out '' ( 1971 ) `` If You Really Love Me '' ( 1971 ) In 1970, Stevie Wonder covered the song on his album Signed, Sealed & Delivered, and released it as a single in 1971. The single reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wonder 's version earned him his second Grammy Award nomination in 1972, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Wonder performed the song for McCartney after the latter was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. In 2010, after McCartney was awarded the Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress, Wonder again performed his arrangement of `` We Can Work It Out '' at a White House ceremony held in McCartney 's honour. Wonder performed it a third time in January 2014, at the 50th anniversary tribute of the Beatles ' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Other artists In his discussion of the various cover versions of `` We Can Work It Out '', John Kruth describes Petula Clark 's recording, released on her 1966 album My Love, as `` too perky for its own good ''. He highlights Humble Pie 's blues version, from their 1975 album Street Rats, as a `` bold '' reading in which the band dispensed with the song 's melody to fashion `` a worried blues... more Sonny Boy Williamson than Fab Four ''. In 1976, the song was the Four Seasons ' contribution to the soundtrack of All This and World War II, a musical documentary that author Nicholas Schaffner described as `` the most bizarre '' of several film and television works that capitalised on EMI, now free of its contractual obligations to the Beatles, flooding the market with re-packaged Beatles singles. Schaffner included this heavily orchestrated version, produced by Lou Reizner, among the interpretations that `` ( succeed ) in making Lennon -- McCartney 's greatest songs sound, at best, like the Beatles ' rendition of ' Good Night ' ''. In 1981, Stars on 45 covered `` We Can Work It Out '' as part of an eight - song Beatles medley in their single `` Stars on 45 ''. This version topped the Billboard Hot 100 in June that year. Other artists who have covered the song include Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson, Melanie, Chaka Khan, Maxine Brown, Brass Construction, King Missile, Johnny Mathis, Judy Collins, Big Youth, Tesla, Plain White T 's, Tom Jones, Heather Nova, Steel Pulse and Rick Wakeman. In popular culture The song is mentioned in the 1967 film Guess Who 's Coming to Dinner, starring Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy. Denis Leary 's character in National Lampoon 's Loaded Weapon 1 quotes the lyric `` life is very short, and there 's no time for fighting or fussing, my friend '' during a war of words with William Shatner 's character. Bad Religion quoted the lyric `` there 's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend '' in their song `` You '' on the No Control album. The same song references McCartney 's solo hit `` Maybe I 'm Amazed ''. Personnel According to Walter Everett, the line - up of musicians on the Beatles ' recording was as follows : Paul McCartney -- double - tracked lead vocal, bass guitar John Lennon -- harmony vocal, acoustic guitar, harmonium George Harrison -- tambourine Ringo Starr -- drums In his personnel list for the song, MacDonald notes that some sources attribute the tambourine part to Harrison, yet he considers it more likely that Starr played the instrument. Everett credits Harrison, citing the tambourine 's placement in the stereo image with the three other instruments recorded as part of the basic track. Guesdon and Margotin also credit Harrison. Charts and certifications Beatles version Weekly charts Chart ( 1965 -- 66 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Irish Singles Chart Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Lever Hit Parade ) Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart UK Record Retailer Chart US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 West German Musikmarkt Hit - Parade Year - end charts Chart ( 1966 ) Rank US Billboard Year - End 16 US Cash Box 11 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 1,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Stevie Wonder version Weekly charts Chart ( 1971 ) Peak position Canadian RPM 100 49 UK Singles Chart 27 US Billboard Hot 100 13 US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles US Cash Box Top 100 9 Year - end charts Chart ( 1971 ) Rank US Cash Box 96 US R&B / Soul ( Billboard ) 27 Notes Jump up ^ Clips were made for these older songs, all of which had topped the UK charts during 1965, for inclusion in Top of the Pops ' round - up of the year 's biggest hits. Jump up ^ It was preceded by `` I Feel Fine '', `` Eight Days a Week '', `` Ticket to Ride '', `` Help ! '' and `` Yesterday ''. Jump up ^ As a result of this sales campaign, `` Day Tripper '' / `` We Can Work It Out '', along with all the other 21 singles released by the Beatles between 1962 and 1970, re-entered the top 100 in the UK. References Jump up ^ Unterberger, Richie. `` The Beatles ' We Can Work It Out ' ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Jump up ^ Hutchins, Chris ( 4 December 1965 ). `` Music Capitals of the World : London ''. Billboard. p. 26. Retrieved 7 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` The 1966 Ivor Novello Awards ''. theivors.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018. Jump up ^ Hertsgaard 1995, p. 150. ^ Jump up to : MacDonald 2005, pp. 171 -- 172. ^ Jump up to : Miles 1997, p. 210. Jump up ^ Sheff 2000, p. 177 -- 178. Jump up ^ Everett 2001, p. 322. ^ Jump up to : MacDonald 2005, p. 172. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 212. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 2005, pp. 64, 66. Jump up ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2013, p. 314. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 171. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 213. ^ Jump up to : Guesdon & Margotin 2013, pp. 314 -- 15. ^ Jump up to : Everett 2001, p. 321. Jump up ^ Winn 2008, p. 366. Jump up ^ Everett 2001, pp. 321 -- 22. Jump up ^ O'Keefe, Phil ( 7 February 2014 ). `` Keyboards of the Beatles Era ''. Harmony Central. Retrieved 7 June 2017. ^ Jump up to : Rodriguez 2012, p. 160. ^ Jump up to : Miles 2001, p. 215. ^ Jump up to : Winn 2008, p. 292. Jump up ^ Pieper 2017, p. 391. ^ Jump up to : Everett 2001, p. 335. ^ Jump up to : Winn 2008, p. 377. Jump up ^ Sheffield, Rob ( 6 November 2015 ). `` The Beatles ' New ' + 1 ' Video Collection : The 10 Fabbest Moments ''. rollingstone.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Jump up ^ Pieper 2017, p. 392. Jump up ^ Rowe, Matt ( 18 September 2015 ). `` The Beatles 1 To Be Reissued With New Audio Remixes... And Videos ''. The Morton Report. Retrieved 9 January 2016. Jump up ^ News ( 15 September 2015 ). `` The Beatles ' Videos and Top Hits Come Together for the First Time ''. thebeatles.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Jump up ^ Jackson 2015, p. 263. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 214. Jump up ^ Turner 2016, p. 44. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 216. Jump up ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 49. Jump up ^ Turner 2016, p. 25. Jump up ^ `` Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts ''. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Search : ' We Can Work It Out ' > Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out, The Beatles > Chart Facts ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 June 2017. Jump up ^ Turner 2016, pp. 42 -- 43. Jump up ^ Turner 2016, pp. 43 -- 44. Jump up ^ Womack 2014, pp. 218, 977. Jump up ^ Jackson 2015, pp. 263 -- 64. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 236. Jump up ^ Sedghi, Ami ( 4 November 2012 ). `` UK 's million - selling singles : the full list ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, p. 219. Jump up ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 49, 349. ^ Jump up to : Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 349. ^ Jump up to : Fred Bronson 's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition. Jump up ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 36, 51. Jump up ^ Womack 2014, p. 977. Jump up ^ Jackson 2015, p. 264. Jump up ^ Wallgren 1982, pp. 38 -- 45. Jump up ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 331. Jump up ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 51. Jump up ^ Miles 2001, pp. 216, 220. Jump up ^ Kruth 2015, pp. 125 -- 26. Jump up ^ Robinson, Simon ( 2000 ). The Book of Taliesyn ( Remastered ) ( CD booklet ). Deep Purple. EMI. p. 4. Jump up ^ Kruth 2015, p. 125. Jump up ^ Kruth 2015, p. 126. Jump up ^ Badman 2001, pp. 177, 180. Jump up ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 293. Jump up ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 171 -- 72. Jump up ^ Fontenot, Robert. `` The Beatles Songs : ' We Can Work It Out ' -- The history of this classic Beatles song ''. oldies.about.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2018. Jump up ^ Kruth 2015, p. 121. Jump up ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2013, p. 315. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 2005 ). Australian Chart Book ( 1940 -- 1969 ). Turramurra, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 44439 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- The Beatles -- We Can Work It Out '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 5686. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Search in Search for Title : ' We Can Work It Out ' ''. irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 8 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- The Beatles -- We Can Work It Out '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 26 January 1966 Jump up ^ `` Swedish Charts 1962 -- March 1966 / Kvällstoppen -- Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Januari 1966 '' ( PDF ) ( in Swedish ). hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved 27 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Beatles -- Chart history ( The Hot 100 ) ''. billboard.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ Hoffmann, Frank ( 1983 ). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950 - 1981. Metuchen, NJ & London : The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 32 -- 34. Jump up ^ `` The Beatles Single - Chartverfolgung ( in German ) ''. musicline.de. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1966 / Top 100 Songs of 1966 ''. musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Cash Box Year - End Charts : 1966 ''. Cashbox Archives. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- The Beatles -- We Can Work It Out ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 May 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. Jump up ^ `` RPM 100 Singles for May 15, 1971 ''. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Stevie Wonder ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Stevie Wonder -- Chart history ( The Hot 100 ) ''. billboard.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ Billboard Charts Department ( 1 May 1971 ). `` Best Selling Soul Singles ''. Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 10 June 2017. Jump up ^ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles, May 8, 1971 Jump up ^ The CASH BOX Year - End Charts : 1971 Top 100 Pop Singles ( As published in the December 25, 1971 Jump up ^ Billboard. Books.google.com. 1971 - 12 - 25. p. 15. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Sources Badman, Keith ( 2001 ). The Beatles Diary Volume 2 : After the Break - Up 1970 -- 2001. London : Omnibus Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7119 - 8307 - 6. Castleman, Harry ; Podrazik, Walter J. ( 1976 ). All Together Now : The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961 -- 1975. New York, NY : Ballantine Books. ISBN 0 - 345 - 25680 - 8. Everett, Walter ( 2001 ). The Beatles as Musicians : The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. New York, NY : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 514105 - 9. Guesdon, Jean - Michel ; Margotin, Philippe ( 2013 ). All the Songs : The Story Behind Every Beatles Release. New York, NY : Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57912 - 952 - 1. Hertsgaard, Mark ( 1995 ). A Day in the Life : The Music and Artistry of the Beatles. New York : Delacorte Press. ISBN 0 - 385 - 31377 - 2. Jackson, Andrew Grant ( 2015 ). 1965 : The Most Revolutionary Year in Music. New York, NY : Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 250 - 05962 - 8. Kruth, John ( 2015 ). This Bird Has Flown : The Enduring Beauty of Rubber Soul Fifty Years On. Milwaukee, WI : Backbeat Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 61713 - 573 - 6. Lewisohn, Mark ( 2005 ) ( 1988 ). The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions : The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962 -- 1970. London : Bounty Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7537 - 2545 - 0. MacDonald, Ian ( 2005 ). Revolution in the Head : The Beatles ' Records and the Sixties ( 2nd rev. edn ). Chicago, IL : Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55652 - 733 - 3. Miles, Barry ( 1997 ). Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now. New York : Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 5249 - 6. Miles, Barry ( 2001 ). The Beatles Diary Volume 1 : The Beatles Years. London : Omnibus Press. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 8308 - 9. `` Number 1s Index ''. everyHit.com. 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009. Pieper, Jörg ( 2017 ). The Solo Beatles Film & TV Chronicle 1971 -- 1980 ( including The Beatles Film & TV Chronicle Updates 1961 -- 1970 ). lulu.com. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4092 - 8301 - 0. Rodriguez, Robert ( 2010 ). Fab Four FAQ 2.0 : The Beatles ' Solo Years, 1970 -- 1980. Milwaukee, WI : Backbeat Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4165 - 9093 - 4. Rodriguez, Robert ( 2012 ). Revolver : How the Beatles Reimagined Rock ' n ' Roll. Milwaukee, WI : Backbeat Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 61713 - 009 - 0. Schaffner, Nicholas ( 1978 ). The Beatles Forever. New York, NY : McGraw - Hill. ISBN 0 - 07 - 055087 - 5. 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. Turner, Steve ( 2016 ). Beatles ' 66 : The Revolutionary Year. New York, NY : HarperLuxe. ISBN 978 - 0 - 06 - 249713 - 0. Wallgren, Mark ( 1982 ). The Beatles on Record. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0 - 671 - 45682 - 2. Winn, John C. ( 2008 ). Way Beyond Compare : The Beatles ' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1962 -- 1965. New York, NY : Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 307 - 45239 - 9. Womack, Kenneth ( 2014 ). The Beatles Encyclopedia : Everything Fab Four. Santa Barbara, CA : ABC - CLIO. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 39171 - 2. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Alan W. Pollack 's Notes on `` We Can Work It Out '' 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 ) 1965 `` Rock and Roll Music '' / `` I 'm a Loser '' ( Europe, Australia ) 1966 `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' / `` Nowhere Man '' ( Australia ) `` Michelle '' / `` Girl '' ( Europe ) 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 ) UK Christmas number - one singles in the 1960s `` I Love You '' ( Cliff Richard & The Shadows, 1960 ) `` Moon River '' ( Danny Williams, 1961 ) `` Return to Sender '' ( Elvis Presley, 1962 ) `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' ( The Beatles, 1963 ) `` I Feel Fine '' ( The Beatles, 1964 ) `` Day Tripper '' / `` We Can Work It Out '' ( The Beatles, 1965 ) `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' ( Tom Jones, 1966 ) `` Hello, Goodbye '' ( The Beatles, 1967 ) `` Lily the Pink '' ( The Scaffold, 1968 ) `` Two Little Boys '' ( Rolf Harris, 1969 ) Complete list 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=We_Can_Work_It_Out&oldid=865355504 '' Categories : Christmas number - one singles in the United Kingdom 1965 songs 1965 singles The Beatles songs Parlophone singles Capitol Records singles Songs written by Lennon -- McCartney Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs published by Northern Songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Irish Singles Chart number - one singles Number - one singles in Norway RPM Top Singles number - one singles UK Singles Chart number - one singles 1966 singles 1971 singles Petula Clark songs Stevie Wonder songs Deep Purple songs Humble Pie ( band ) songs The Four Seasons ( band ) songs Tamla Records singles Hidden categories : CS1 Swedish - language sources ( sv ) Use British English from August 2010 Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018 Singlechart usages for Belgium ( Flanders ) Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Certification Table Entry usages for United States Use dmy dates from December 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Suomi Svenska 中文 7 more Edit links This page was last edited on 23 October 2018, at 12 : 24 ( UTC ). 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Question: who wrote we can work it out by the beatles
Answer: Paul McCartney