"When I'm Sixty-Four" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and released on their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was one of the first songs written by McCartney, who wrote it when he was 16. The song was recorded in a different key than the final recording; it was sped up at the request of McCartney to make his voice sound younger. It prominently features a trio of clarinets throughout.
Composition
The song is sung by a young man to his lover, and is about his plans of their growing old together. Although the theme is ageing, it was one of the first songs McCartney wrote, when he was 16. It was in the Beatles' setlist in their early days as a song to perform when their amplifiers broke down or the electricity went off. Both George Martin and Mark Lewisohn speculated that McCartney may have thought of the song when recording began for Sgt. Pepper in December 1966 because his father turned 64 earlier that year. John Lennon said of the song, "Paul wrote it in the Cavern days. We just stuck a few more words on it like 'grandchildren on your knee' and 'Vera, Chuck and Dave'… this was just one that was quite a hit with us."
Instrumentation
A clarinet trio is featured prominently in the song. Scored by Martin, he said they were added at McCartney's request to "get around the lurking schmaltz factor" by using the clarinets "in a classical way." In the song's final verse, the clarinet is played in harmony with McCartney's vocal. Supporting instruments include the piano, bass, drum set, tubular bells, and electric guitar.
Recording
The song was recorded on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed album that became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were multiple overdub sessions, including the lead vocal by McCartney on 8 December and backing vocals by McCartney, Lennon, and George Harrison on 20 December. The clarinets were recorded on 21 December. The song is in the key of D major. Recorded in C major, the master take was sped up to raise the key by one semitone at the insistence of McCartney. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change to make his voice sound younger. McCartney says, "I wanted to appear younger, but that was just to make it more rooty-tooty; just lift the key because it was starting to sound turgid."
Release
The song was nearly released on a single as the B-side of either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane". It was instead held over to be included as an album track for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was also included in the film Yellow Submarine.
Personnel
Personnel per MacDonald except where noted
Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, piano
John Lennon – backing vocals, lead guitar
George Harrison – backing vocals, guitar
Ringo Starr – drums, tubular bells
Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, Frank Reidy – two clarinets, bass clarinet
Cover versions
In 1967, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen released a cover of "When I'm Sixty-Four" as a single. Their version peaked at number 43 on the UK chart.
In June 1967, George Martin produced a recording of the song by English comedian Bernard Cribbins, which was also released as a single on the Parlophone label.
In 1969, John Denver covered the song on his first commercial album Rhymes & Reasons.
In 2007, comedian and actor Russell Brand covered the song as part of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band's 40th anniversary.
Barry Gibb recorded the song for the 2014 Paul McCartney tribute albumThe Art of McCartney.
Cultural references
McCartney's children recorded a special version of "When I'm Sixty-Four" at Abbey Road Studios as a surprise present for McCartney's 64th birthday in June 2006, and played it for him at his birthday party. They changed the lyrics to fit the occasion with the help of Giles Martin. At the time, by unfortunate coincidence, McCartney was recently separated from his second wife, Heather Mills; they later divorced.
In the 2007 comedy film , McCartney and Lennon are arguing, and Lennon quips, "I wonder if your songs will still be shit when I'm sixty-four."
