Don’t Pass Me By
Tell Me Why says this song grounds side 2 of “The Beatles” in “unaffected rural simplicity.” BeatleSongs mentions it was a number 1 hit in Scandinavia. What a weird region to release this song as a single.
This was Ringo’s first sole authorship. Previously he had contributed unaccredited to “What Goes On” on the “Rubber Soul” album, and co-credited on “Magical Mystery Tour” number “Flying” which is the only song where all four members are credited. In many ways, this song is similar to the rockabilly songs he was forced to sing on earlier albums. It’s a weird sort of love song what has a dark sensibility to it, almost like a stalker vibe to it. Go Ringo! Keeping the creepy in pop music.
So this is a song about a guy waiting for his wife/girlfriend who isn’t coming home and he has doubts about the love in the relationship. I’m glad I don’t have that going on in my life.
I wouldn’t want to relive my 20s. Sure, I did a lot of exciting things, and even met the person I would eventually marry, but I wouldn’t want to go back there. I’ve grown as a person. At least I like to think so. When I look back on that period of my life, it was full of instability, one paycheck away from poverty. I even had to move into a… well, it’s not that bad, really, but it is a different direction than I wanted to go into.
Essentially, when I hear this song now, I’m glad and appreciative of what I have, relationship wise. I also wonder what kind of lonely place Ringo was in when he wrote it.