Simple Beatles Guitar Songs
For The Acoustic

Across The Universe appears on the final studio album Let It Be, released in 1970, though an earlier version debuted on a charity album in 1969.

While not released as a single during the band's active years, it remains one of John Lennon’s most poetic compositions. The chorus features the mantra "Jai Guru Deva Om," a phrase the band learned during their time in India.

Lennon famously complained that Paul McCartney sabotaged the recording by not taking it seriously, though he later admitted the lyrics were arguably the best he ever wrote. The "Phil Spector" version slows the track down and adds orchestral overdubs.

Anna (Go to Him) is a featured cover song on the 1963 debut album Please Please Me. It was not released as a single.

The original was written and performed by Arthur Alexander, a soul artist greatly admired by the band. John Lennon delivers a passionate vocal performance despite suffering from a severe cold during the marathon recording session for the album.

This track serves as a prime example of the band's early R&B roots, showcasing their ability to take a relatively obscure American soul ballad and inject it with a distinct Merseybeat energy and emotional depth.

Come Together opens the 1969 masterpiece Abbey Road. Released as a double A-side single with "Something," it topped the Billboard Hot 100 at number 1. The song began as a campaign slogan for Timothy Leary’s failed run for governor of California.

It is famous for its "swampy" bass line and the hushed vocal "shoot me," which is often misheard. The track eventually led to a lawsuit from Morris Levy, the publisher of Chuck Berry’s music, who claimed the opening line and rhythm were too similar to Berry’s "You Can't Catch Me," resulting in a settlement.

Don't Let Me Down was released in 1969 as the B-side to the "Get Back" single, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a raw, emotional plea from John Lennon to Yoko Ono, written during a period of intense personal vulnerability.

The song was a highlight of the famous rooftop concert, the band's final public performance.

While it was left off the original Let It Be album (though a different edit appeared on Let It Be... Naked decades later), the track showcases the band playing live with Billy Preston on electric piano, capturing their return to stripped-back rock and roll.

Drive My Car kicks off the UK version of the 1965 album Rubber Soul (appearing on Yesterday and Today in the US). It was not released as a single.

The song is a humorous, upbeat rocker with a twist ending: the girl offering the job of chauffeur doesn't actually have a car. Paul McCartney and John Lennon struggled with the lyrics until they decided to make it a satire about a starlet seeking fame.

The heavy bottom-end bass and the "beep beep" backing vocals were an attempt to mimic the fun, punchy sound of Otis Redding and the Stax Records studio band.

Eleanor Rigby is a landmark track from the 1966 album Revolver. Released as a double A-side single with "Yellow Submarine," it reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Uniquely, none of the Beatles play instruments on the recording; the backing is entirely a double string quartet arranged by George Martin. The lyrics explore themes of isolation and loneliness, a stark departure from standard pop love songs.

While there is a grave for an Eleanor Rigby in the churchyard where John and Paul first met, McCartney has maintained that the name was chosen subconsciously and the character is fictional.

Get Back closes the 1970 album Let It Be, though the single version released in 1969 was a different mix that hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first Beatles release to credit another artist, billed as "The Beatles with Billy Preston."

The song originated from a satirical jam session mocking anti-immigration rhetoric, but the final lyrics are a vague, driving rock anthem.

It was famously the final song played during the rooftop concert, ending with John Lennon’s quip: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition."

Hey Jude was released as a non-album single in 1968 and became the band's biggest hit, spending nine weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Paul McCartney wrote it as "Hey Jules" to comfort John Lennon’s son, Julian, during his parents' divorce. At over seven minutes long, it smashed the convention that radio singles had to be short, three-minute tracks.

The song features a 36-piece orchestra and is famous for its extended "na-na-na" coda, which takes up nearly four minutes of the runtime, encouraging a communal sing-along that remains powerful decades later.

Honey Don't appears on the 1964 album Beatles for Sale. It was released as a B-side in the US but did not chart independently. The song is a cover of a rockabilly classic by Carl Perkins, one of the band's biggest heroes.

While John Lennon sang it during live shows, the studio version features Ringo Starr on lead vocals. It became Ringo’s signature spotlight number for that era, showcasing the band’s deep love for American rockabilly.

In the intro, you can hear Ringo calling out to George Harrison ("Rock on, George, for Ringo, one time!") before the guitar solo.

I Feel Fine was a standalone single released in 1964 that topped the Billboard Hot 100. It is historically significant for the opening note—a buzzing, sustained guitar feedback.

John Lennon claimed this was the first time feedback was intentionally used on a pop record, achieved by leaning his acoustic-electric guitar against the amplifier.

The song features a complex, bluesy riff that drives the melody. The promotional films for this track are often cited as early precursors to modern music videos, showing the band miming in a gymnasium and eating fish and chips.

I've Just Seen A Face is a high-tempo acoustic track from the UK version of the 1965 album Help!, though it opened the US version of Rubber Soul. It was not released as a single.

The song is one of Paul McCartney’s most distinct country-influenced compositions, featuring a skiffle rhythm and no drums until the very end. It was recorded on the same day as "I'm Down" and "Yesterday," showcasing McCartney's incredible versatility.

The lack of a bass-heavy arrangement gives it a folk-rock feel that fit perfectly with the emerging sounds of the American mid-60s.

When I'm 64 is a charming music hall-style track from the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was not released as a single.

Paul McCartney actually wrote the melody when he was just 16 years old, waiting nearly a decade to record it for his father’s 64th birthday. To make the song sound more whimsical and youthful, the track was sped up during mixing, which raised the pitch of Paul’s voice.

The arrangement features a trio of clarinets, emphasizing the old-fashioned, vaudeville atmosphere that contrasts with the psychedelic rock found elsewhere on the album.

With A Little Help From My Friends is the second track on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, segueing directly from the title track. It was not released as a single by the Beatles, though Joe Cocker later had a massive hit with a radical rearrangement.

Written specifically for Ringo Starr to sing, the song was originally titled "Bad Finger Boogie" because John Lennon composed the melody with an injured finger.

Ringo famously refused to sing the original opening line, "Would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me?" fearing that fans would actually throw tomatoes at him during live concerts.

Chord sheet and video lesson/demo contained in the zip file below.