For No One

“For No One” is a Beatles’ song which is on their “Revolver” album from 1966.

Revolver (1966)

Other Performer

Alan Civil: French horn

Track Source

Revolver

For No One

Written by Paul McCartney, “For No One” got some praise off John Lennon, “One of my favourites of his, a nice piece of work.” Obviously the credit goes to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. The idea for this “Baroque pop” song came about in March, 1966, while he was on holiday. He was at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps with his then girlfriend, Jane Asher.

I was in Switzerland on my first skiing holiday. I’d done a bit of skiing in Help! and quite liked it, so I went back and ended up in a little bathroom in a Swiss chalet writing For No One. I remember the descending bassline trick that it’s based on, and I remember the character in the song – the girl putting on her make-up.

Occasionally we’d have an idea for some new kind of instrumentation, particularly for solos… On For No One I was interested in the French horn, because it was an instrument I’d always loved from when I was a kid. It’s a beautiful sound, so I went to George Martin and said, ‘How can we go about this?’ And he said, ‘Well, let me get the very finest.’

Paul McCartney
Anthology

The song is about the end of a relationship, McCartney later said, “I suspect it was about another argument”. Be that as it may, the lyrics show signs of maturity and the track graces the “Revolver” album.

Recording Studio

The Beatles, minus John Lennon and George Harrison,began recording “For No One” on the 9th May, 1966, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London during the 7.00pm-11.00pm session. There were 10 takes and the last of those was suitable for the master rhythm track.

Paul McCartney added his vocals on the 16th May while Alan Civil’s beautiful horn solo took place on the 19th. The song sits after track 2, “And Your Bird Can Sing” and before “Doctor Robert” on side two of “Revolver”.