The article discusses John Lennon’s later dismissal of The Beatles’ 1964 song ‘I Should Have Known Better’, which he said “doesn’t mean a damn thing”. It highlights the contrast between the song’s success as an early Beatles pop recording and Lennon’s more critical view of material written during the group’s intensely productive early years.

‘I Should Have Known Better’ appeared on the A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack and was used in the film’s train sequence, featuring Lennon’s harmonica. Lennon had initially named it among his preferred songs from the film, but in a 1980 interview he described it simply as a song without deeper meaning; the article frames this as part of his tendency to reassess older Beatles work harshly.