Golden rings, writer’s block and “disastrous” lyrics: The 1965 Beatles song that nearly went nowhere

Paul McCartney arrived with the melody for “Drive My Car” but lyrics he considered disastrous, built around a line about golden rings. He and John Lennon struggled to find a better idea, and Lennon was ready to stop; the song nearly stalled despite their confidence in its tune.

They abandoned the jewellery theme, which McCartney felt echoed “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and developed a tongue-in-cheek story about a woman who wants the narrator to chauffeur her. George Harrison added a guitar line inspired by Otis Redding’s “Respect”, which McCartney doubled on bass. The finished song became a cheeky, well-received track on the Beatles’ 1965 album *Rubber Soul*.