Background
Misery is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon–McCartney and led on vocal by John Lennon & Paul McCartney. Originally offered to Helen Shapiro who turned it down; George Martin overdubs piano. Within the catalogue, its heartbreak thread connects it to Anna (Go to Him); its early thread connects it to There's a Place.
What's distinctive
At 1:48 it's bottom fifth by length. One of 101 songs led primarily by John. Recorded approximately 14 of 67 into the Beatlemania (1962–1964) sessions. Carries the rare tag 'heartbreak' — shared with only 1 other song(s). Take count: 16 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)).Opening line — "The world is treating me bad…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, recorded 20 Feb 1963 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith engineered. The track was committed to Twin-track BTR-2 (1962); Studer J37 four-track from late-1963 via the REDD.37 / REDD.51 valve consoles, with the era's standard signal chain — EMI RS124 compressor (Altec 436B mod), EMT 140 plate reverb, STEED tape echo. Likely instrumental setup followed the era's working kit: Rickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit (Starr), amplified through Vox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants). For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.8 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below).
| Studio | EMI Studios, Abbey Road — predominantly Studio Two |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Twin-track BTR-2 (1962); Studer J37 four-track from late-1963 |
| Console | REDD.37 / REDD.51 valve consoles |
| Microphones | Neumann U47, U48; AKG D19 (drums); STC 4038 (overheads) |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124 compressor (Altec 436B mod), EMT 140 plate reverb, STEED tape echo |
| Guitars | Rickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit (Starr) |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants) |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Norman Smith • Richard Langham, Geoff Emerick (2nd) |
| Estimated takes | 16 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
In the canonical discography it appears on the LP Please Please Me; on the EP The Beatles (No. 1). Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below.
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in MONO at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
No documented alternate versions.
Released on
- Please Please Me — LP, 22 March 1963
- The Beatles (No. 1) — EP, 1 November 1963
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (heartbreak, early)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
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