Song Review
by Richie Unterberger
Some of the "filler" songs on Beatles for Sale are among the Beatles' least well known, one of them being "Every Little Thing." However, the filler was pretty first-rate, and while "Every Little Thing" may have never been in the running for a single or for inclusion in the group's live shows, it's a good upbeat track with interesting tempo changes and first-class harmonies. The song begins with an unaccompanied, almost questioning guitar riff, and the verse has an almost contemplative, "what did I do to deserve such good fortune" feel, though the lyrics are very much a celebration of what a wonderful girl the guy has. The lines in the verses are interesting, too, in that the ones with a folky melody are followed by ones with an unexpectedly strong, descending dramatic tune, amplified by strident piano chords. The ambling pace of the song breaks into a nearly full-speed gallop, however, in the infectious chorus, where the harmonized vocal "every little thing she does" is immediately rejoined by two majestic low booming notes, like an exclamation point. Ringo Starr's use of the tympani on this track marks one of the earlier times the group expanded beyond the usual rock instrumentation, and George Harrison delivers an admirably concise solo in the instrumental break. By Beatles standards, the track peters out to some degree, the group repeating "every little thing" -- albeit with a somewhat different melody than the one they sing in the verse -- as the guitar figure from the start of the song reappears, and the track fades out. "Every Little Thing" was given a drawn-out, far heavier rock arrangement by Yes on their debut album, which is probably one of the most well known covers of a relatively little-known Beatles composition.
![The Beatles Box Set [1988]](https://web.archive.org/web/20101109051726im_/http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov75/dre400/e412/e41257k8oly.jpg "The Beatles Box Set [1988]")
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