Paul McCartney supposedly wrote the music for the verse of what became "Michelle" in the early '60s as a parody of an art student singing French love songs at a party he and John Lennon attended. Lennon suggested reviving the song in the autumn of 1965. McCartney, stuck for lyrics, got the French lyrics from a friend of the band and, stuck for a bridge, got the yearning melody from Lennon (who claims to have lifted it from Nina Simone's recording of "I Put a Spell on You"). With McCartney's verse starting in F major and Lennon's bridge starting in F minor, the song seems to be in both keys at once. In the released recording, McCartney sings lead alone in the verses and against Lennon and George Harrison's harmony vocals in the bridge. There are rumors that McCartney is the only bandmember playing on the released version, overdubbing himself on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, very melodic bass guitar, and very simple drums. Initially, the band thought of releasing "Michelle" as a single, but Lennon vetoed the idea and it was released as the last song on the first side of their Rubber Soul LP in December 1965.

© All Music Guide