How George Harrison and Ringo Starr Wrote The Beatles’ ‘Octopus’s Garden’
The Beatles‘ “Octopus’s Garden” is one of the most famous songs Ringo Starr wrote. George Harrison helped him write the track. Despite this, George said the tune was entirely Ringo’s.
What Ringo Starr and George Harrison said about The Beatles’ ‘Octopus’s Garden’
During a 2023 interview with Vulture, Ringo was asked what it was like for him to view the scene in the documentary The Beatles: Get Back where George helps him write “Octopus’s Garden.” “It’s emotional for me to watch,” he revealed. “The first time I watched that scene … well, I can play any song you’d like as long as it’s in C on the piano. Keep that in mind.”
Ringo gave fans more insight into the way the tune came together. “I got a few of those verses, and when I went back to the studio — because it was in C — George was sitting there and took an interest,” he said. “He said, ‘F flat, D minor,’ whatever. Nowhere I could go. I don’t know these chords. I’m a 12-bar guy. And then, he gets up, and you see that footage you’ve experienced. He always helped out, George. It was great. I miss him every day.”
The book George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters features an interview from 1969. In it, he revealed why he liked “Octopus’s Garden,” which he attributed to Ringo alone. “I mean, most people say, ‘Oh, well, it’s Ringo,’ or you know, ‘Ha-ha,’ or something,” he said. “But it’s great that Ringo should do it. You know, why shouldn’t he do it. And it’s just like a country and western tune anyway. And it’s a happy tune and it’s all that.”
Why the tune is 1 of the most appealing from The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’
The tune’s parent album, Abbey Road, has some retro moments, like the Little Richard-esque “Oh! Darling.” It also has forward-looking moments, such as the use of a Moog synthesizer on “The End” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” However, “Octopus’s Garden” might be the track on the album with the broadest appeal. It’s silly and light enough to entertain kids, but it’s also cheeky enough to amuse adults.
“Octopus’s Garden” is also one of the most novel of The Beatles’ many novelty songs. Writing a song about an octopus is one thing, but writing a country song about an octopus is another. The track has such a strange combination of genre and subject matter that it will confuse and delight listeners for generations to come.
How the world reacted to ‘Octopus’s Garden’
“Octopus’s Garden” was never a single in the United States. For this reason, “Octopus’s Garden” didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles included the tune on their album Abbey Road. That record topped the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks, remaining on the chart for 490 weeks.
The Official Charts Company reports “Octopus’s Garden” never charted in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, Abbey Road reached No. 1 and stayed on the chart for 97 weeks. In 1987, the record charted again at No. 1 and stayed on the chart for 45 weeks.
“Octopus’s Garden” is one of the memorable moments from Abbey Road and it wouldn’t be the same without Ringo and George’s combined talents.
