The Evolution of Ringo Starr's Songwriting with The Beatles

The Evolution of Ringo Starr's Songwriting with The Beatles

If you have a passing interest in The Beatles, you likely know some of the songs sung by Ringo Starr. However, his contributions as a songwriter are limited. It wasn't until 1965 that Starr received a songwriting credit for "What Goes On," a song that had been in the works since 1963.

When Ringo Starr joined The Beatles in 1962, his musical timing and friendly demeanor made him a perfect fit for the band. While he primarily played the drums, he also took on lead vocal duties during live performances. The group made sure he had a chance to sing at least one lead vocal on each studio album, often choosing cover songs for him.

Starr didn't write his own songs in the early days of The Beatles because he lacked proficiency on guitar and piano. He struggled to find his own voice as a songwriter while John Lennon and Paul McCartney dominated the band's songwriting efforts. Starr admitted that his initial songwriting attempts often ended up sounding like unconscious rewrites of existing songs.

The first songwriting credit Starr received with The Beatles was for "What Goes On," a song that Lennon had started working on before the band's fame. The song was revisited in 1965 for the album Rubber Soul, with McCartney helping to develop the idea further. Starr added his own touches to the song before it was completed.

Starr's contributions to "What Goes On" were minimal, but Lennon and McCartney felt he deserved credit for his input. The song was credited to Lennon/McCartney/Starkey (Starr's real name is Richard Starkey) and appeared on the back cover of Rubber Soul. Despite its quirky nature and casual recording style, "What Goes On" marked Starr's entry into The Beatles' songwriting realm.

"What Goes On" paved the way for Starr to receive two more songwriting credits with The Beatles: "Don't Pass Me By" on The White Album and "Octopus's Garden" from Abbey Road. Without the opportunity to contribute to "What Goes On," Starr may not have achieved these milestones in his songwriting career.