# "Frere Jacques" in background of "Paperback Writer"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 13, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957 "2009-09-13T21:40:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/1 "2009-09-13T21:40:46Z")
I just found out this morning that John and George are singing “Frere Jacques” as background vocals on “Paperback Writer.” You can hear it at 1:20.
I don’t claim to be the foremost expert on Beatles lyrics, but I was surprised I’d never heard this before. I did know about “tit” being repeated on “Girl,” which I think is hilarious.
One thing I love about The Beatles is knowing there will always be something like this to discover.
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### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/2 "2009-09-13T21:58:22Z")
…and the Star Trek episode “The Way to Eden” has Spock playing the “Paperback Writer” baseline on the Vulcan Harp.
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### Author:  [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/3 "2009-09-13T22:09:59Z")
You’re supposed to be able to hear “fucking hell” at 2:57 in “Hey Jude”, perhaps due to some kind of cock-up during the recording. To me it’s buried so deep in the mix that I couldn’t be sure what is there. It could be anything that has some vague “uh-ih-ell” sound to it. But this is the Beatles we’re talking about, so elaborate theories are mandatory.
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### Author:  [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/4 "2009-09-14T10:58:03Z")
> [@Ximenean](#):
>
> You’re supposed to be able to hear “fucking hell” at 2:57 in “Hey Jude”, perhaps due to some kind of cock-up during the recording. To me it’s buried so deep in the mix that I couldn’t be sure what is there. It could be anything that has some vague “uh-ih-ell” sound to it. But this is the Beatles we’re talking about, so elaborate theories are mandatory.
I read about that in Geoff Emerick’s book about recording the Beatles, and listened closely on earphones, and - yes - it is clearly ‘fucking hell’. But I wouldn’t have heard it if I hadn’t read about it.
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/5 "2009-09-14T13:39:51Z")
Now you’re ready for the beep at the exact halfway mark of _Tomorrow Never Knows_.
And if you have just a bit of musical training, you will be endlessly fascinated by [this online essay series](http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/awp-beatles_canon.shtml).
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/6 "2009-09-14T13:50:49Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Now you’re ready for the beep at the exact halfway mark of _Tomorrow Never Knows_
How can anyone _not_ notice that? It drives me up the wall.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/7 "2009-09-14T14:42:50Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> I read about that in Geoff Emerick’s book about recording the Beatles, and listened closely on earphones, and - yes - it is clearly ‘fucking hell’. But I wouldn’t have heard it if I hadn’t read about it.
Once you’ve heard it, you can’t NOT hear it. I haven’t listened in a while, but ISTR the whole exclamation is “Got the wrong chord - fucking 'ell” or something similar.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/8 "2009-09-14T14:52:55Z")
I was surprised to discover that John Lennon repeats the phrase “Shoot me” throughout _Come Together_. Much like the two scenes in _A Hard Day’s Night_ where the Beatles’s manager threatens to “murder Lennon” if he continues to misbehave, it’s eerie in retrospect.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/9 "2009-09-14T23:20:17Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#):
>
> I just found out this morning that John and George are singing “Frere Jacques” as background vocals on “Paperback Writer.” You can hear it at 1:20.
You can hear it earlier, at 1:02.
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### Author:  [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/10 "2009-09-15T01:40:10Z")
> [@mobo85](#):
>
> I was surprised to discover that John Lennon repeats the phrase “Shoot me” throughout _Come Together_. Much like the two scenes in _A Hard Day’s Night_ where the Beatles’s manager threatens to “murder Lennon” if he continues to misbehave, it’s eerie in retrospect.
What’s really spooky in retrospect is Lennon’s death scene in _ **How I Won the War** _; he’s shot in the gut (but it’s obscured by an explosion, IIRC), and then he looks up at the camera, his hands covered in blood, and says, “I knew this would happen. Didn’t you?”
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### Author:  [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/11 "2009-09-15T02:06:34Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Now you’re ready for the beep at the exact halfway mark of _Tomorrow Never Knows_.
>
> And if you have just a bit of musical training, you will be endlessly fascinated by [this online essay series](http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/awp-beatles_canon.shtml).
WOW.
That is absolutely amazing. And I’m glad someone else appreciates what a kickass song “All My Loving” is. I’ve never seen anything so comprehensive in dissecting the musical elements of a song.
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### Author:  [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/12 "2009-09-15T02:55:23Z")
[Here’s a fun site](http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/wgo.htm), if you like Beatles song anomalies. Could waste hours (and alas, I have done so in the past).
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### Author:  [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frere-jacques-in-background-of-paperback-writer/509957/13 "2009-09-15T04:48:57Z")
> [@Stephe96](#):
>
> What’s really spooky in retrospect is Lennon’s death scene in _ **How I Won the War** _; he’s shot in the gut (but it’s obscured by an explosion, IIRC), and then he looks up at the camera, his hands covered in blood, and says, “I knew this would happen. Didn’t you?”
Damn.