Not every song comes with a thrilling backstory. Some just happen—no lightning bolt of inspiration, no perfect stroke of genius, just a routine process that feels all too familiar. In the case of “If I Needed Someone,” a track from The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album, George Harrison was the first to admit it was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Beatles were well-known for their prolific songwriting, with John Lennon and Paul McCartney leading the charge. Their partnership was a force of nature, built on mutual respect, shared influences, and an intuitive connection that allowed them to create timeless music. But for this particular song, it wasn’t the usual Lennon-McCartney duo that took the spotlight—it was Harrison, and he was surprisingly modest about it.
According to Harrison, “If I Needed Someone” was just another track, one among countless others that followed a similar pattern. He bluntly described it as “like a million other songs written around a D chord.” It was a song that didn’t break new ground or push any creative boundaries, and in his view, that made it nothing special.
But there’s an understated beauty in that simplicity. Harrison explained that playing around with familiar chords often leads to surprising results. “If you move your finger about, you get various little melodies,” he said. For him, the magic of songwriting wasn’t always about reinventing the wheel—it was about finding something new within the familiar, even if the process itself felt routine.
Despite his modest take on the song, “If I Needed Someone” still holds its place in The Beatles’ vast catalog. It may not have been groundbreaking, but it carried the signature Beatles touch—effortless melodies, thoughtful guitar work, and the ability to turn even the simplest of compositions into something memorable.
Harrison’s reflection on the track reveals a deeper truth about The Beatles’ songwriting process: not every song needs to be revolutionary. Sometimes, it’s about taking what’s already there and making it work in a fresh way. And while Harrison may have called it “nothing special,” “If I Needed Someone” is a reminder that even in simplicity, The Beatles had the power to create something lasting.
