Composition Credits by Lennon-McCartney
Recording Sessions: 25th, 28th, 30th July 1969
Produced by: George Martin
Sound Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald
Release Dates: 26th September 1969 (UK), 1st October 1969 (US)
Featured on: Abbey Road
Anthology 3
Contributing Artists:
- John Lennon: vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, handclaps
- Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass guitar
- George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, maracas, percussion
About The Song
“Polythene Pam” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it is the fourth song of the album’s climactic side-two medley. The Beatles recorded the track in July 1969 as a continuous piece with “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window”, which follows it in the medley.
The song is a character study of a woman named Pam, who is described as being a “Scouse” (a person from Liverpool). Pam is a complex and enigmatic figure, and the song’s lyrics are full of paradoxes and contradictions. She is both “hard as rock” and “soft as silk”, she is “the girl you want” but also “the girl you don’t want”.
The song’s music is a mix of rock and roll, folk, and music hall. Lennon’s vocals are heartfelt and soulful, and the song’s overall mood is one of melancholy and longing.
“Polythene Pam” is a unique and fascinating song that encapsulates the brilliance of the Beatles’ songwriting at its peak. It is a song that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, and it continues to resonate with fans of the Beatles to this day.