Penny Lane
Lennon/McCartney

Lyrics:
Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go stop to say hello
On the corner is a banker with a motor car
the little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a "mac" in the pouring rain
Very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in

Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's clean machine

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Full of fish and finger pies
in summer meanwhile back

Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play
She is anyway
Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
Penny Lane 		Availability:
Anthology 2 (CD)
1967-1970 (Blue Album) (CD)
Magical Mystery Tour (CD)
The Beatles 1 (CD)
Magical Mystery Tour (US)
Strawberry Fields Forever (UK 45)
Strawberry Fields Forever (US 45)

Lead Singer: Paul

Recording: 12/29/66, 12/30/66, 1/2/67, 1/5/67, 1/6/67, 1/9/67, 1/10/67, 1/12/67, 1/17/67
Mixing: 12/29/66, 12/30/66, 1/9/67, 1/12/67, 1/17/67, 1/25/67, 9/30/71
Length: 2:57
Take: 9

What Goes On? Anomalies

1:19-1:21
Crescendoing microphone feedback, similiar to at the end of the song but most likely an error
1:27,1:30,2:32 * NEW *
Bizarre sound on the 4th beat of each of these measures. Sounds like either a very low tuned timpani/floor tom, or like the studio was collapsing around the recording! Whatever the sound is, it is irregular and not consistent within the choruses.
2:04
Two bar passage of double bass, under the lines "banker sitting waiting for a trim". Was this a mixing decision (only to put double bass there, i.e. it could have been throughout the song), or was it recorded like that?.

Mike Dickson observes :-
"I understand that this is a deliberate musical effect, this particular song being littered with them. The sound of the double bass playing the slow deep lines is being used to signify the banker, presumably as an emblem of slowness or arthritis or something." br>Similarly with the fireman <-> tubular bell ....

Max Mismetti adds :-
I don't think they had channels enough to record a double bass isolated [to mix in later] It was supposed to be like that.

Note: I did not write or compile these anomalies. Please don't email me with new anomalies and please read the WGO Info page.

Notes:

© 1967 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.