This is a short and simple song that seems promising but unfinished.
Recorded during the late stages of work on the White Album, ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was a spontaneous recording by Paul McCartney with assistance from Ringo Starr.
Continue reading on Beatles Bible →[It’s worth reading the Beatles Bible entries (like the one embedded above) for each song: lots of interesting quotes and background as well as linking to the recordings.]
Like the preceding tracks in this run of four from the White Album it is the result of the Beatles working separately on individual, fragmented ideas.
This one is Paul McCartney’s with Ringo contributing extra drums, but no involvement from John or George who were working on other tracks at the same time.
Coming in at less than 2 minutes, it has only a simple lyric “Why don’t we do it in the road? No one will be watching us, why don’t we do it in the road?”
Inspired by seeing monkeys’ uncomplicated mating, the song is deliberately unsophisticated but it has a certain energy.
Maybe it’s just me but it seems to share DNA with the much stronger Helter Skelter which had been recorded a little earlier and was fleshed out as a proper song but has a similar direction.

