Fixing a Hole

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Fixing A Hole is a song off The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was written by Paul McCartney.

Contents

[edit] AKA and Working Titles

  • Where The Rain Comes In, working title.

[edit] Writing

The song was criticized for it's alleged references to heroin, although this was not true. Paul responded to this by saying, "If you’re a junkie sitting in a room and fixing a hole then that’s what it will mean to you, but when I wrote it I meant if there’s a crack, or the room is uncolourful, then I’ll paint it." It really was about marijuana. Paul, however, claimed in his authorized biography, Many Years From Now, that the song was really about the roof of his farm in west Scotland, though he has contradicted that. "It was much later that I ever got round to fixing the roof on the Scottish farm; I never did any of that until I met Linda. People just make it up! They know I've got a farm, they know it has a roof, they know I might be given to handyman tendencies so it's a very small leap for mankind... to make up the rest of the story." Paul has also said that it was about the ability to let his mind wander. "It was the idea of me being on my own now, able to do what I want. If I want I'll paint the room in a colourful way... I was living now pretty much on my own in Cavendish Avenue, and enjoying my freedom and my new house and the salon-ness of it all. It's pretty much my song, as I recall. I like the double meaning of 'If I'm wrong I'm right where I belong.'" It is believed that Beatles roadie Mal Evans helped with the lyrics. On January 27, he wrote in his diary, "...Did a lot more of "where the rain comes in". Hope people like it. Started Sergeant Pepper." Later, on February 1, he wrote, "...Paul tells me that I will get royalties on the song — great news, now perhaps a new home."

[edit] Recording

The song was first recorded at Regent Sound Studios on February 9, 1967, making this the first recording session for EMI outside of Abbey Road Studios. George Martin recalls, "I’m afraid the boys didn’t plan very much, and when they wanted to come into a studio they never said to me: keep the next two weeks free, because we’re sure we’re going to be needing a studio. They would ring me up at 10 in the morning and say: we want to record tonight at 7 o’clock, Okay? And I had to find a damn studio." Paul remembers seeing a strange man before this recording session. "A guy arrived at my front gate and I said, 'Yes? Hello,' because I always used to answer it to everyone... This guy said, 'I'm Jesus Christ.' I said, 'Well, you'd better come in then.' I thought, Well, it probably isn't. But if he is, I'm not going to be the one to turn him away. So I gave him a cup of tea and we just chatted and I asked, 'Why do you think you are Jesus?' There were a lot of casualties about then. I said, 'I've got to go to a session but if you promise to be very quiet and just sit in a corner, you can come.' So he did, he came to the session and he did sit very quietly and I never saw him after that." It was rehearsed several times before three formal takes were recorded. For some reason, Paul recorded his vocals along with the basic track, a practice that was unusual for The Beatles post-1963. Normally, the vocals would be overdubbed later. Only takes one and two were complete. They recorded a fourth take on February 21 at Abbey Road Studios, but this was unused and Take two was deemed best. They then overdubbed backing vocals, maracas, and guitar.

[edit] Recording Sessions


[edit] Mistakes

  • Around the 0:34 mark, Paul's voice cracks.
  • Around the 0:42 mark, a guitar string sliding sound
  • Around the 1:06 mark, there is a click on the right speaker
  • Around the 2:09 mark, there is a mistake on the bass.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] The Beatles

[edit] Guest Musicians

[edit] Production

[edit] Available Versions

[edit] Available On

[edit] Cover Versions

  • George Burns
  • Les Fradkin
  • The Fray
  • Branimir Krstic

[edit] Source

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