What Goes On

"What Goes On" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, featured as the eighth track on their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song was later released as the B-side of the US single "Nowhere Man", and then as the tenth track on the North America-only album Yesterday and Today. It is the only song by the band credited to Lennon–McCartney–Starkey and the only song on Rubber Soul that features Ringo Starr on lead vocals. [Wikipedia]

What Goes On is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon–McCartney–Starkey and led on vocal by Ringo Starr. Old Quarrymen-era song dusted off for Ringo; first Starkey writing credit. Within the catalogue, its country thread connects it to I'm a Loser, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Act Naturally; its ringo-vocal thread connects it to Boys, I Wanna Be Your Man, Honey Don't. The only Ringo Starr composition on a main-line Beatles album, 'What Goes On' represents the group's accommodation of all members' creative contributions and vocal capabilities. Attributed to Starkey-Lennon-McCartney, the track's straightforward narrative and good-natured humor exemplify the group's democratic creative inclusivity. The song's musical simplicity offers respite within Rubber Soul's increasingly sophisticated harmonic and production palette. Starr's first collaborative songwriting credit with Lennon and McCartney marks the drummer's lyrical contribution to a female-directed romantic narrative. The song's subject matter parallels the album's interconnected romantic complications. (Kozinn 1995, p. 131)

The session work falls within the band's Rubber Soul Era (late 1965) period, recorded 4 Nov 1965 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith (his last LP) engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.67 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). Recorded 4 November 1965, the song featured Ringo Starr's distinctive lead vocal positioned against harmonic vocal accompaniment and driving rhythmic propulsion. Studio Two recording under George Martin captured Starr's vocal character—untrained but emotionally direct and engaging—with minimal overdubbing preserving spontaneity. The straightforward arrangement emphasized rhythmic drive and vocal clarity over harmonic sophistication, allowing Starr's personality to dominate the musical presentation (Lewisohn 1988, p. 67-69).

This revised composition from the Quarry Men era received rapid studio dispatch during early Rubber Soul sessions, as scheduling constraints forced the band to complete it in hurried fashion. The final recording showcases McCartney's bass work and Starr's drumming. (MacDonald 1994, p. 79)

In the canonical discography it appears on the LP Rubber Soul. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. The track achieved modest commercial success relative to Lennon-McCartney compositions, yet contemporary analysis values it as demonstration of democratic creative inclusion within the group structure. Statistical measurement reveals moderate radio rotation with strongest performance in novelty and album-oriented formats. Its cultural significance lies in establishing Starr's legitimacy as contributing composer and performer beyond drummer-vocalist role, reinforcing band member equality. Recorded 4 November 1965, the mono mix dated 9 November shows louder percussion in earlier editions compared to later stereo formats, with a longer fade. CD reissues standardized mixing approaches across formats.

Other recordings sharing era, vocalist, writer, key, studio, or producer with this one. Higher scores indicate stronger overlap on documented attributes.

• Day Tripper (score 10)
• Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (score 10)
• Nowhere Man (score 10)
• Wait (score 10)
• You're Going to Lose That Girl (score 10)
• I Wanna Be Your Man (score 9)
• With a Little Help from My Friends (score 9)
• Act Naturally (score 8)