“Penny Lane” is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney, with some input from John Lennon, and it was released in February 1967 as a double A-side single along with “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
“Penny Lane” is a nostalgic and whimsical song that pays tribute to a real-life street in Liverpool, England, where McCartney and Lennon used to meet and catch the bus. The song’s lyrics describe various aspects of the neighborhood, including a barber shop, a fire station, and a roundabout, all of which were real landmarks on Penny Lane.
The song features Paul McCartney on lead vocals, and it’s known for its catchy melody and intricate vocal harmonies. It also incorporates various instruments, including piano, trumpets, and a piccolo trumpet solo played by David Mason, which gives the song its distinctive sound.
“Penny Lane” was a commercial success, reaching high chart positions in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. It has since become one of The Beatles’ most iconic and beloved songs, often cited as an example of their songwriting and musical prowess during the peak of their career.
Lyrics
Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he’s had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say, “Hello”
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a Mac in the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in
Penny Lane, there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It’s a clean machine
Penny Lane, is in my ears and in my eyes
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer, meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she’s in a play
She is anyway
Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then, the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
Penny Lane