Editing Help! (section)

=== Side one ===
The song "[[Help! (song)|Help!]]" was written primarily by Lennon. He originally conceived it at a slower [[tempo]] and regretted speeding it up to make it more commercial.{{Sfn|MacDonald|2007|pp=152–153}} Although it was only written out of need for a titular song,<ref>{{Harvnb|Lewisohn|1992|p=189}}; {{Harvnb|Sheff|2000|p=177}}.</ref> Lennon remained extremely proud of "Help!" from the Beatles' break-up to his death,<ref>{{Harvnb|Turner|1994|p=74}}; {{Harvnb|Turner|2015|p=106}}.</ref> even once calling it his favorite Beatles song he wrote.{{Sfn|Pang|1983|p=223}} He felt it was one of his "real" songs,{{Sfn|Turner|2015|p=106}} explaining in an interview: "The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension. I was eating and drinking like a pig and I was fat as a pig, dissatisfied with myself ... later, I knew I was really crying out for help. So it was my [[Elvis Presley#1973–1977: health deterioration and death|fat Elvis]] period."{{Sfn|Sheff|2000|pp=176–177}}

McCartney's "[[The Night Before (song)|The Night Before]]" is the first Beatles song to feature [[electric piano]], played by Lennon.{{Sfn|Guesdon|Margotin|2013|p=226}} McCartney and [[George Harrison]] played the guitar solo together, doubling each other in [[Octave|octaves]].{{Sfn|Everett|2001|p=286}}

Lennon specified "[[You've Got to Hide Your Love Away]]" as exemplifying his "Dylan period".{{Sfn|Sheff|2000|p=196}} A connection has been suggested between the lyric and Beatles manager [[Brian Epstein]]'s homosexuality, which he kept private due to British law at the time.<ref>{{Harvnb|Turner|2015|p=109}}; {{Harvnb|MacDonald|2007|p=149}}.</ref>

"[[I Need You (Beatles song)|I Need You]]" was George Harrison's first songwriting contribution since "[[Don't Bother Me]]" in 1963.{{Sfn|Gould|2007|p=266}} He wrote it for his girlfriend [[Pattie Boyd]], whom he met while filming ''A Hard Day's Night''.<ref>{{Harvnb|MacDonald|2007|p=145}}; {{Harvnb|Turner|2015|p=110}}.</ref> Its unusual guitar sound was achieved using a volume/tone pedal{{Sfn|Everett|2001|p=285}} – the first time a [[Effects unit|guitar pedal]] was used on a Beatles song.{{Sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=54}} A year after Harrison's death in 2001, [[Tom Petty]] sang it at the [[Concert for George]].{{Sfn|Turner|2015|p=110}}

McCartney wrote "[[Another Girl]]" while holidaying at a [[villa]] in [[Hammamet, Tunisia|Hammamet]], [[Tunisia]].{{Sfn|Miles|1997|p=194}} He played lead guitar on the track as Harrison was struggling with it.{{Sfn|Guesdon|Margotin|2013|p=232}}

"[[You're Going to Lose That Girl]]" was written by Lennon and McCartney together, though McCartney credited it 60–40 to Lennon.{{Sfn|Miles|1997|p=195}} Some have interpreted it as a continuation of "[[She Loves You]]" due to it revisiting the theme of a love triangle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Gould|2007|p=267}}; {{Harvnb|Turner|2015|p=113}}.</ref>

"[[Ticket to Ride (song)|Ticket to Ride]]" was another song Lennon and McCartney wrote together,{{Sfn|Turner|2015|p=114}} but they later disagreed on how much each of them contributed. Lennon said in 1980, "Paul's contribution was the way Ringo played the drums."{{Sfn|Sheff|2000|p=196}} In ''[[Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now|Many Years From Now]]'', McCartney responded: "John just didn't take the time to explain that we sat down together and worked on that song for a three-hour songwriting session, and at the end of it we had all the words, we had the harmonies, and we had all the little bits. ... We wrote the melody together ... Because John sang it, you might have to give him 60 per cent of it."{{Sfn|Miles|1997|p=193}}

The meaning of the phrase "ticket to ride" has been debated. As was rumored at the time, it was partially inspired by the town [[Ryde]] in the [[Isle of Wight]], where McCartney's cousin owned a pub that he and Lennon had performed at in the early 1960s.<ref>{{Harvnb|Miles|1997|p=193}}; {{Harvnb|Guesdon|Margotin|2013|p=236}}.</ref> Another story goes that Lennon used "ticket to ride" to refer to cards given to prostitutes [[The Beatles in Hamburg|in Hamburg]] by health authorities.<ref>{{Harvnb|Turner|2015|p=114}}; {{Harvnb|Guesdon|Margotin|2013|p=236}}.</ref> Lennon touted the song as "one of the earliest [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] records made."{{Sfn|Sheff|2000|p=196}}