The Beatles released 229 songs during their decade as a band.
The vast majority of Beatles tunes were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with 22 credited to guitarist George Harrison and only two composed by drummer Ringo Starr. While Starr’s songwriting contributions were few, they had unmistakable charm and a lasting impact on the Beatles’ catalog.
Starr was the first Beatle to temporarily leave the band in 1968, feeling like an “outsider” amid escalating turmoil. Ironically, it was only after this brief hiatus, taken to escape the band’s tensions, that he wrote and recorded his most significant contribution to The Fab Four.
Let’s press play on the iconic tracks Ringo Starr wrote for The Beatles and read between the lines to discover the stories behind them.
“Don’t Pass Me By”
“Don’t Pass Me By” was written by Ringo Starr and featured on the 1968 double album The Beatles (White Album). Starr originally wrote the track in 1963 and encouraged his bandmates to record it, but it wasn’t until 1968 that they finally did. The story behind the song is detailed in The Beatles Anthology. Starr composed the tune while playing piano at home and was particularly pleased with the result.
“I wrote ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ when I was sitting round at home. I only play three chords on the guitar and three on the piano. I was fiddling with the piano – I just bang away – and then if a melody comes and some words, I just have to keep going. It was a very exciting time for me and everyone was really helpful.”
“Octopus’s Garden”
“Octopus’s Garden” was the last song the world-renowned drummer wrote for The Beatles, featured on Abbey Road and released in 1969. He composed it during a particularly turbulent period for the band. In The Beatles Anthology, Starr recalled that there was “no magic” left in the group and that their relationships had deteriorated.
“I knew we were all in a messed-up stage. It wasn’t just me; the whole thing was going down. I had definitely felt I couldn’t take it any more. There was no magic and the relationships were terrible. I’d come to a bad spot in life. It could have been paranoia, but I just didn’t feel good – I felt like an outsider.”
While vacationing in Italy with English actor and comedian Peter Sellers, Starr came up with the idea for “Octopus’s Garden,” a song that, while seemingly trippy, carries a deeper meaning.
“I stayed out on deck with him and we talked about octopuses. He told me that they hang out in their caves and they go around the seabed finding shiny stones and tin cans and bottles to put in front of their cave like a garden. I thought this was fabulous, because at the time I just wanted to be under the sea too. A couple of tokes later with the guitar – and we had ‘Octopus’s Garden.”
Though lighthearted, the lyrics point to a suffocating time for the band where Starr turned to songwriting to process his feelings, ultimately inspiring the image of a whimsical undersea garden arranged by an octopus; a place where he’d longed to be.
And thus, the Beatles’ classic “Octopus’s Garden” was born. Not only was Starr featured on drums and vocals, but if you listen closely enough, you can hear him blowing bubbles into a glass of water to really drive home the ocean theme.
Additional Credits
While Starr only wrote two songs for The Beatles, he is credited as a co-writer on several others. These include Rubber Soul’s “What Goes On” (written with Lennon and McCartney), Magical Mystery Tour’s “Flying” (credited to all four Beatles), and Let It Be’s “Dig It” and “Maggie May” (again credited to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr).