The silly Beatles song that somehow caused a major rift in 1968: “I’m the bastard”
While The Beatles recorded the 1968 White Album, growing tensions and increasingly separate studio work meant some songs were made by only part of the band. Paul McCartney recorded “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” largely by himself, turning an observation of monkeys mating in India into a deliberately primitive song about sex, freedom and social convention.
John Lennon later said he felt hurt that McCartney had completed the track without involving the others, though his objection was mainly about being left out. McCartney played almost all the instruments, while Ringo Starr played drums and recalled that the recording was just the two of them. The episode reflected a wider strain in how the band worked, even as Starr said there were no problems with the song being released as a Beatles track.
In short
- McCartney made the song largely on his own.
- Lennon felt hurt at being left out.
- Ringo Starr played drums and accepted the arrangement.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
McCartney could reasonably see the track as a playful, deliberately simple idea that suited a quick, informal recording, and the Beatles’ growing use of separate studio sessions gave members room to pursue individual approaches. Starr’s recollection suggests the session was not presented as a dispute, and he said he had no problem with it appearing under the band’s name.
The case against
Lennon could reasonably feel hurt that McCartney made a Beatles recording without inviting him or the others, especially when the band’s shared identity depended on collaboration. Even if the song itself caused no objection, excluding bandmates from a session could deepen existing tensions and make the group feel less like a collective.
Americas Celebrity Entertainment Music World