"Penny Lane"
"Penny Lane" cover
Single by The Beatles
A-side(s)	"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Released	February 13, 1967 (UK) February 17, 1967 (U.S.)
Format	7"
Recorded	Abbey Road: 29 December 1966 – 17 January 1967
Genre	Pop
Length	3:03
Label	Parlophone (UK) Capitol (U.S.)
Writer(s)	Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s)	George Martin
Peak chart positions
#1 (US Billboard Hot 100) #1 (United World Chart) #1 (CAN CHUM Chart) #2 (UK Singles Chart)
The Beatles singles chronology
"Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine" (1966) "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" (1967) "All You Need Is Love" (1967)
Music sample
""Penny Lane"" Problems? See media help.
Magical Mystery Tour track listing
"Strawberry Fields Forever" (8)	"Penny Lane" (9)	"Baby You're a Rich Man" (10)

"Penny Lane" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions, and released in February 1967 (see 1967 in music) as one side of a double A-sided single, along with John Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever". Beatles producer George Martin has stated he believes the pairing of these songs resulted in probably the greatest single ever released by the group. Both songs were later released on the US Magical Mystery Tour album in November 1967. The song features contrasting verse-chorus form and was credited "Lennon-McCartney", although McCartney was the main contributor to the song (Lennon reportedly helped with one of the verses) [1]. The song's title is derived from the name of a street in the band's hometown, Liverpool. The area that surrounds its junction with Smithdown Road is also commonly called Penny Lane. Locally the term "Penny Lane" was the name given to Allerton Road and Smithdown Road and its busy shopping area. Penny Lane is named after James Penny, an 18th century slave trader.[2]

McCartney and Lennon grew up in the area and they would meet at Penny Lane junction to catch a bus into the centre of the city. The street is an important landmark, sought out by most Beatles fans touring Liverpool. In the past, street signs saying "Penny Lane" were constant targets of tourist theft and had to be continually replaced. Eventually, city officials gave up and simply began painting the street name on the sides of buildings. This practice has now stopped (2007) and more thief resistant "Penny Lane" street signs have been installed, however they are still stolen on a regular basis.

Following the success of the double A-side "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby", Brian Epstein inquired if they had any new material available. Both songs, though recorded during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, were left off the album — a decision George Martin regrets to this day , although the Beatles usually did not include songs released as singles on their British albums. This single was also the first in the UK to come in a picture sleeve, a practice rarely used there. However, packaging singles in individually designed sleeves was standard in the US and various other countries (such as Japan).

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #449 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Instruments

The Beatles used a variety of different instruments including drums, guitar, bass, violin, harmonica, cello, and (famously) piccolo trumpet.

Context

The barber shop mentioned in the song was, according to McCartney, a shop owned by a Mr. Bioletti, who has claimed to have cut hair for Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison when they were children. The fire station in the song ("It's a clean machine") was not at Penny Lane junction, but a short walk away along Allerton Road. It was around the corner near to where Mather Avenue meets Rose Lane. The station is very close to the site of Quarry Bank School, which Lennon attended. Mather Avenue leads to Forthlin Road, home of McCartney. The line about the banker with a motor car probably refers to an employee of the Penny Lane branch of Barclays Bank, which was situated on one of the corners of the junction. However, there were also two other nearby banks. These were TSB (now Lloyd's TSB) and Martin's Bank (later to be merged into Barclays Bank).

The promotional film for the song was not in fact filmed at Penny Lane — The Beatles were reluctant to travel to Liverpool. Street scenes of the Beatles were actually filmed in and around Angel Lane in London's East End. The outdoor scenes were filmed at Knole Park in Sevenoaks, where the promotional film for "Strawberry Fields Forever" was also shot. Both videos were selected by New York's MoMA as some of the most influential music videos in the late 1960s. Film of Penny Lane was included - with some scenes of green Liverpool buses and a brief overhead view of the 'shelter in the middle of the roundabout', but none of the Beatles attended.

The 'shelter in the middle of a roundabout' refers to the old bus shelter, formerly a cafe/restaurant with a Beatles theme but now derelict and abandoned, despite its popularity as a tourist attraction. This is also Penny Lane Bus Terminus and is officially on Smithdown Place.

Lyrics and music

"Penny Lane" is prime example of McCartney's ability to match tonal movement with lyrical movement.

1. The Verse and Chorus are in the different keys of I, B Major, and VIIb, A Major, respectively. The lyrics reflect the different tonal contexts in how McCartney's relationship with Penny Lane changes from being in the 3rd person in the Verse ("In Penny Lane there is...") to the 1st person in the Chorus ("Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes"); in a sense, the metaphorical 'Penny Lane' is represented by the new key of A Major.

2. An example of McCartney's gift for mirroring the mood of the words in the music is evident in the lyrics "Very strange", which is sung at the end of a short modulatory phrase designed to take us to the new key of VIIb. At the end of the Verse the music lands on B Minor, the parallel minor that will act as the ii of V of the new key of A Major. His choice of key is also related to the lyric; the chorus begins in the new key of the flattened subtonic, chosen for that feeling of relief from humidity that follows a rainstorm. When we consider that other popular songwriters of the 20th Century, for example Bruce Springsteen, rarely stray outside the domain of safe, diatonic harmony, this must certainly have been a strange sound for the listener.

3. "Penny Lane"'s instrumental shows influence of The Beach Boys' song "God Only Knows", released a few months earlier. McCartney has repeatedly listed "God Only Knows" as one of his favourite songs of all time. The links between the two songs are especially noticeable in the four-in-the-bar block chords on piano and the loping rhythm of the bass guitar — both of which were played by McCartney. The piano part was multi-tracked by McCartney, Lennon and George Martin.

4. An innovative and highly effective feature of the song was the piccolo trumpet solo played by David Mason. This is thought to be the first use of this instrument (a distinctive, speciality instrument, in this case pitched exactly an octave higher than the standard B-flat trumpet) in pop music, where it is now (in certain genres) almost a commonplace. McCartney was dissatisfied with the initial attempts at the song's instrumental fill (one of which, featuring English horns, was released on Anthology 2), and was inspired to use the instrument after hearing Mason's performance in a BBC radio broadcast of the second Brandenburg Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach [3] [4].

5. During the recording process, McCartney helped incorporate several incidental sound effects in keeping with the ongoing lyric, which can be heard on the final mix. These include a clanging bell marking the introduction of the fireman, a wispy flute depicting the children laughing, a splashy cymbal illustrating the rain, and a deep-seated bass string as the banker sits down in a chair.

6. Lyrically there are several ambiguous and surreal images, which Ian MacDonald has interpreted as evidence of the song's hallucenogenic nature derived from McCartney's LSD intake. Besides its multi-coloured artifice, the song is narrated at the height of summer sun, despite the fact that it is simultaneously raining, and the clear blue skies appear in November (Poppy day). MacDonald also notes LSD-induced perception in the fact that the nurse feels she is in a play - and is, anyway.

Penny Lane today

It is a tribute to the creative genius of The Beatles that they were able to fashion a distinguished song from memories of an undistinguished suburban road junction. Prior to securing international fame, Penny Lane's chief renown was as the terminus for several bus routes from the city centre and as the site, in the middle of the roundabout, of a handily located public convenience. The area remained largely unremarkable for the remainder of the 1960s and the 1970s; its most distinguishing feature was, perhaps, the regular arrival of tour buses from which tourists who would alight, take a photograph or two, and then get back on the bus.

Towards the end of the 1970s, businesses that set up shop there included Penny Lane Records, Sven Books (Liverpool's first high-street sex shop), and a wine bar known in the early years as Harper's Bizarre, now called Penny Lane Wine Bar. In the mid-1980s, the bus shelter and public convenience were converted into a café that marketed itself as Sgt. Pepper's. Following privatisation, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive bus depot, slightly up the hill past Bioletti's, was knocked down and turned into a shopping precinct complete with a supermarket and a public house.

Since then, the general Penny Lane area has acquired a distinct trendiness and desirability. The "alternative" businesses (wholefood outlets, charity shops), the now expanded array of cafés, bars, bistros, and takeaway food emporiums, as well as handily located traditional businesses (Woolworths, WHSmiths and Clarke's cake shop) make the neighbourhood the most sought-after among Liverpool's large student population. Though the song refers to the "Penny Lane junction" on Smithdown Road, the street itself also leads down at the other end to the University of Liverpool's student halls of residence, near Sefton Park.

In July 2006, a Liverpool Councillor proposed renaming certain street names because they were linked to the slave trade. It was soon discovered that Penny Lane, named after James Penny, a wealthy 18th-century slave ship owner and strong opponent of abolitionism, was one of these streets. Ultimately, city officials decided to forego the name change and re-evaluate the entire renaming process. This story, however, is still being circulated, see The Observer, page 5, 9th July 2006 [5]

Quotes

From Journal of Mundane Behavior, February 2001 2(1):

But back to The Beatles: consider if you will, McCartney's "Penny Lane", a portrait of a village virtually teeming with Nowhere Men. Penny Lane is a study in mundanity, the simple sights and sounds of a suburban British neighbourhood; it's also one of the most stunningly gorgeous songs in the world. The descriptions of completely generalized, almost homogenous people and practices off set with small details and punctuated by a central contradiction (example: "And the banker never wears a Mac in the pouring rain; very strange"), the revolving chorus ("And mean while back in Penny Lane is in my ears..."), all set to that rich melody, with the horns, the flute, augh! Splendid! Additionally, it contains the lines that probably most influenced my own artistic point of view: "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes/There beneath the blue suburban skies..." The persistence of memory, the importance of experience, the way the smallest visual and aural details build up to form and inform this amazing thing we call A Life, all summed up in these simplest of lines. Or perhaps I'm imagining things. It's been known to happen.

Facts and figures

• The original mix of "Penny Lane" had an additional flourish of piccolo trumpet notes at the end of the song. This mix was quickly superseded by one without the last trumpet passage, but not before a handful of promotional copies had been pressed and sent to radio stations. These recordings were among the rarest and most valuable Beatles collectibles but are now available on the "anthology 2" CD.
• The mysterious lyrics "A four of fish and finger pie" are British slang. "A four of fish" refers to fourpennyworth of fish and chips, while "finger pie" is sexual slang of the time, apparently referring to intimate fondlings between teenagers in the bus shelter, which was a familiar meeting place. The combination of "fish and finger" also puns on fish fingers. The lyrics as printed on the Blue (1967-1970) Album, however, are "Full of fish and finger pies" which are incorrect.
• The song conflates different temporal moments. The sky is referred to as blue, and yet it is raining. Events are apparently occurring in November, since the "pretty nurse" is selling poppies for Remembrance Day (11 November), yet the "fish and finger pie" is "in summer".
• In August 1987, the piccolo trumpet played by David Mason on "Penny Lane" and two other Beatles tracks ("All You Need Is Love" and "Magical Mystery Tour") was sold in an auction at Sotheby's for $10,846.
• Upon the release of the "Penny Lane" single, Douglas Adams claimed to have beaten up a child who'd heard the song on the radio, reportedly just to get him to hum the tune.
• In the 1968 film Wonderwall, Jane Birkin's character, a suicidal model, is named Penny Lane. Also, in the 2000 film Almost Famous, Kate Hudson's character, the famous "Band Aid" who travels with the band is named Penny Lane. Hudson's character also attempts suicide. Another fictional Penny Lane is a minor character on the animated show Daria.

Charts

Chart (1967)	Peak position
Canada CHUM Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
United World Chart	1

Preceded by "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" by The Supremes	Billboard Hot 100 number one single March 18 1967	Succeeded by "Happy Together" by The Turtles
Preceded by "I'm a Believer" by The Monkees	United World Chart number one single March 18 1967 - April 15 1967	Succeeded by "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra

External links

• An appreciation of the song from the McSweeneys.net series of Short Essays on Favorite Songs, Inspired by Nick Hornby's Songbook.
• Golden Oldies of Music Video a presentation from New York's MoMA originally screened on April 17, 2003
• Trumpet fan site about the Penny Lane piccolo trumpet solo
• St Barnabas Church Penny Lane
• A site where you can listen to the song and read the lyrics
• Old Photo of Angel Lane, London (Video Location)
• Penny Lane Development Trust building a community/visitor centre on Grove Mount Penny Lane

•  • [ e] The Beatles Singles
Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records)
1962: Love Me Do 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello Goodbye 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together 1970: Let It Be 1976: Yesterday, Back in the U.S.S.R. 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird 1996: Real Love
B-sides
1962: P.S. I Love You 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down 1966: Rain 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution 1969: Old Brown Shoe 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number) 1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) 1996: Baby's in Black
Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records)
1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road 1976: Got to Get You into My Life 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley 1986: Twist and Shout 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird 1996: Real Love
B-sides
1963: I Saw Her Standing There 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally 1966: What Goes On, Rain 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution 1969: Old Brown Shoe 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue 1976: Helter Skelter 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You 1986: There's a Place 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere