Paul McCartney wrote this about his struggle to keep the Beatles together after Brian Epstein's death. Epstein was their manager and handled their business affairs, but he became overwhelmed by the success of The Beatles and died from a sleeping pill overdose in 1967. McCartney took over most of The Beatles' business affairs, and gained a greater respect for what Epstein went through. Along with their other turmoil at the time, McCartney told Barry Miles in an interview that the emotional weight of this song also came from too many drug issues with the group, and they were having difficulties with their new manager Allen Klein. Apple Corps (no relation to the computer company) was already in dire financial straights by the time Klein took the helm. Doubtless, there was a bit of nostalgia for the time when they were four carefree mop-tops from Liverpool who could just have fun being a band without a care in the world. Another cause of strife between McCartney and manager Klein was when he brought in Phil Spector to work on the Let It Be sessions. As has been noted in many places, not the least of which his murder trial, Spector tended to rub people the wrong way.
This was recorded as one song with "Golden Slumbers." It is part of a suite of songs at the end of Abbey Road made up of bits of unfinished songs strung together.
All four Beatles sang in the chorus. It's one of the few Beatles tracks where they all provide vocal harmony.
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