View source for Get Back

{{short description|1969 single by the Beatles with Billy Preston}}
{{about|the song by the Beatles}}
{{for|the 2021 television documentary|The Beatles: Get Back{{!}}''The Beatles: Get Back''}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Get Back
| cover         = Beatles Get Back.jpg
| alt           = 
| border        = yes
| caption       = Picture sleeve for 1989 UK reissue
| type          = single
| artist        = [[The Beatles]] with [[Billy Preston]]
| album         = [[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]
| B-side        = [[Don't Let Me Down (Beatles song)|Don't Let Me Down]]
| released      = {{start date|1969|04|11|df=y}}
| recorded      = 27–28 January 1969
| studio        = [[Apple Corps#Apple Studios|Apple]], London
| genre         = {{hlist|[[Rock and roll]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kutner |first1=Jon |last2=Leigh |first2=Spencer |title=1,000 UK Number One Hits |publisher=Omnibus Press |date=2010 |isbn=9780857123602}}</ref>|[[blues]]<ref>{{noteson|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/gb2.shtml|Get Back}}</ref>|[[Rock music|rock]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-beatles-songs-ranked.html |title=All 214 Beatles Songs, Ranked from Worst to Best |date=2 November 2023}}</ref>}}
| length        = {{duration|3:09}} (album version)<br>{{Duration|3:13}} (single version)
| label         = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer        = [[Lennon–McCartney]]
| producer      = [[Glyn Johns]] and [[George Martin]] (single version)<br>[[Phil Spector]] (album version)
| prev_title    = 
| prev_year     = 
| next_title    = 
| next_year     = 
| misc          = {{extra chronology
 | artist     = [[The Beatles]]
 | type       = single
 | prev_title = [[Hey Jude]]
 | prev_year  = 1968
 | title      = Get Back
 | year       = 1969
 | next_title = [[The Ballad of John and Yoko]]
 | next_year  = 1969
 }}{{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Billy Preston]]
 | type       = single
 | prev_title = Hey Brother
 | prev_year  = 1968
 | title      = Get Back
 | year       = 1969
 | next_title = [[That's the Way God Planned It (song)|That's the Way God Planned It]]
 | next_year  = 1969
 }}{{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = single
 | cover   = Beatles Get Back (1969).jpg
 | border  = yes
 | caption = Picture sleeve for 1969 UK and Scandinavian release
}}{{Audio sample
 | type        = single
 | file        = Getbacksample.ogg
 | description = "Get Back"
}}
}}

"'''Get Back'''" is a song recorded by the English rock band [[the Beatles]] with [[Billy Preston]], written by [[Paul McCartney]], and credited to the [[Lennon–McCartney]] partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston",{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=172}} and is one of the few examples of [[John Lennon]] featuring prominently as [[lead guitar]]ist. The album version contains a different mix that features a studio chat between Lennon and McCartney for 20 seconds at the start before the song begins, also omitting the coda featured in the single version, and with a final dialogue taken from [[the Beatles' rooftop concert]]. This version became the closing track of ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' (1970), which was released just after the group split up. The single version was later issued on the compilation albums ''[[The Beatles 1967-1970|1967–1970]]'', ''[[20 Greatest Hits (The Beatles album)|20 Greatest Hits]]'', ''[[Past Masters]]'', and ''[[1 (Beatles album)|1]]''.

The single reached number one in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia, France, West Germany, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. It was the Beatles' only single that credited another artist at their request. "Get Back" was the Beatles' first single release in true [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]] in the US. In the UK, the Beatles' singles remained [[monaural]] until the following release, "[[The Ballad of John and Yoko]]". It was also the only Beatles single to debut on the UK singles chart at number one.

==Composition==

===Musical development===
"Get Back" is unusual in the Beatles' canon in that almost every moment of the song's evolution has been documented, from its beginning as an offhand riff to its final mixing in several versions. This is covered in [[The Beatles bootleg recordings|bootleg recording]]s, books,{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=84}} the 1970 documentary ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'', and the 2021 [[Peter Jackson]]–directed documentary ''[[The Beatles: Get Back]]''.

The song's melody grew out of some unstructured jamming on 7 January 1969 during rehearsal sessions on the sound stage at [[Twickenham Studios]].{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=84}} After working out the rhythm and harmony of the primary riff on his [[Höfner 500/1|Höfner bass]], McCartney introduced some of the lyrics, reworking "Get back to the place you should be" from [[George Harrison]]'s "[[Sour Milk Sea]]" into "Get back to where you once belonged".{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=152}} McCartney had played bass on [[Jackie Lomax]]'s recording of "Sour Milk Sea" a few months earlier. On 9 January, McCartney brought a more developed version of "Get Back" to the group, with the "Sweet Loretta" verse close to its finished version. For the press release to promote the "Get Back" single, McCartney wrote, "We were sitting in the studio, and we made it up out of thin air&nbsp;... we started to write words there and then&nbsp;... when we finished it, we recorded it at [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studios]] and made it into a song to roller-coast by."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=319}}

At the beginning of the ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' version of the song, Lennon can be heard jokingly saying "Sweet Loretta Fart (often misheard as "fat", due to Lennon's pronunciation),<ref>{{cite episode|series=The Mike Douglas Show|date=7 February 1972}}</ref> she thought she was a cleaner, but she was a frying pan." The album version of the song also ends with Lennon famously quipping, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition."{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=169}} (He had said that at the end of their 30 January 1969 [[The Beatles' rooftop concert|rooftop concert]] on the roof of Apple Studios, but [[Phil Spector]] edited it into the studio version of "Get Back" that was released on the ''Let It Be'' album.){{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=169}}

In an interview in ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine in 1980, Lennon described "Get Back" as "...&nbsp;a better version of '[[Lady Madonna]]'. You know, a potboiler rewrite". Lennon also said that "there's some underlying thing about Yoko in there", saying that McCartney looked at [[Yoko Ono]] in the studio every time he sang "Get back to where you once belonged."{{sfn|Sheff|2000|pp=201–202}}

===Early protest lyrics{{anchor|No Pakistanis}}===
{{See also|Commonwealth (The Beatles Song)|l1=Commonwealth (Song)}}

When McCartney introduced the song to the group during the Twickenham rehearsals, the lyrics were mostly incomplete except for the "Get Back" chorus. McCartney improvised various temporary lyrics leading to what has become known in Beatles' folklore as the "No Pakistanis" version. This version parodied the [[anti-immigrant]] views of [[Enoch Powell]], a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) whose racially charged speeches, particularly the [[Rivers of Blood]] speech, had recently gained much media attention.<ref>{{cite web |last=Whatley |first=Jack |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/paul-mccartney-beatles-song-racist-lyrics-get-back/ |title=The controversial racist lyrics removed from The Beatles classic track |date=14 October 2020 |access-date=31 December 2021 |work=Far Out Magazine}}</ref> The lyrics addressed attitudes toward immigrants in the United States and the United Kingdom: "...&nbsp;don't need no [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Ricans]] living in the USA"; and "don't dig no [[Pakistanis]] taking all the people's jobs."{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=153}} Later during the same session, the subject of immigration came up again in an improvised [[Jam (music)|jam]] that has become known as "Commonwealth". The lyrics included a line, "You'd better get back to your [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] homes".{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=158}}

==Recordings and post-production work==
[[Billy Preston]], an old friend of the Beatles, was in England for some television appearances. He joined the Beatles on keyboards on 22 January.<!-- needs citation: having been recruited by Harrison partly with a view to deterring bickering among the Beatles.--> The group, with Preston playing [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]], recorded about ten takes on 23 January. They made a concerted effort to perfect "Get Back" on 27 January, recording about 14 takes. By this time, the song had the addition of a [[false ending]] and reprise [[Coda (music)|coda]]. After numerous takes, the band jammed some old numbers and then returned to "Get Back" one last time in an attempt to record the master take. This performance (Take 11) was considered to be the best yet: it was musically tight and punchy without mistakes, though the song finishes without the restart. On the session tape, George Harrison comments, "[W]e missed that end"; this is the version heard on the ''[[Let It Be... Naked]]'' album.  On 28 January{{sfn|Sulpy|Schweighardt|2003|p=84}} the group attempted to recapture the previous day's performance and recorded several new takes, each including the coda. While these takes were good, they did not quite achieve the quality of the best take from the previous day. The line-up for the released versions of "Get Back" was Paul McCartney, lead vocal and bass; John Lennon, lead guitar and backing vocal; George Harrison, rhythm guitar; Ringo Starr, drums; and Billy Preston, electric piano. Harrison, the usual lead guitarist, had temporarily quit the group on 10 January, so Lennon worked out the lead guitar part and played it on the recordings.

The Beatles had [[EMI]] produce a mono remix of the track on 4 April,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1996a}} completed by Jeff Jarrett. The Beatles were unhappy with the mix, and on 7 April, McCartney and [[Glyn Johns]] worked at Olympic Studios to produce new remixes for the single release.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=172}} They made an edited version using the best take of the main part of the song (Take 11) from 27 January and the 'best coda' ending from 28 January. The edit is so precise that it appears to be a continuous take, achieving the ending the Beatles had desired all along. This was a divergence from the concept of a straight live performance without studio trickery, but a relatively minor one, and avoids the somewhat abrupt ending of the version used on the ''Let It Be... Naked'' album.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Getback roof.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[The Beatles]]' last performance in public included three performances of "Get Back"; the final one was interrupted by the [[police]].]] -->
The Beatles performed "Get Back" (along with other songs from the album) as part of their rooftop performance, which took place on the roof of Apple Studios in [[Savile Row]], London, on 30 January 1969, an edited version of which was included in the ''Let It Be'' film. "Get Back" was performed in full three times. During the third, which marked the end of the rooftop performance, the Beatles were interrupted by the police, who had received complaints from office workers nearby. After the police spoke to [[Mal Evans]], he turned off Lennon and Harrison's amplifiers only for Harrison to switch them back on, insisting that they finish the song. McCartney said, "You've been playing on the roofs again, and that's no good, and you know your Mummy doesn't like that&nbsp;... she gets angry&nbsp;... she's gonna have you arrested! Get back!" The third rooftop performance of "Get Back" is available on ''[[Anthology 3]]'': the last song of the Beatles' final live performance.

At the end of the last rooftop performance of "Get Back", the audience applauds, and McCartney says, "Thanks, Mo", in reply to [[Maureen Starkey]]'s cheering. Lennon adds: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we've passed the audition".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=169}} Spector used some of the talk preceding the master take of 27 January and edited on these comments to make the album version sound different from the single.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=169}}

==Releases==
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2013}}

===Single version===
On 11 April 1969, [[Apple Records]] released "Get Back" as a single in the UK, paired with "Don't Let Me Down" on the B-side. The single began its 17-week stay in the charts on 23 April at No. 1, a position it held for six weeks. It was the first Beatles single to enter the official UK singles chart at the top.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ukcharts.20m.com/number1.html#enter1 |title=Number One Hits: Facts & Feats: Straight In At Number One |access-date=13 December 2013}} (On the NME chart, eight earlier Beatles singles had entered at the top.)</ref> In the US, "Get Back" began its first of 12 weeks on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart the week ending 10 May. Two weeks after the song's chart debut, it hit No. 1, where it stayed for five weeks. "Get Back" became the band's 17th No. 1 song on ''Billboard'', matching [[Elvis Presley]]'s previous record of 17 number ones.

In both the UK and US, the single was released by Apple, although EMI retained the rights to the song as part of their contract. It was the only Beatles single to include an accompanying artist's name, crediting "Get Back/Don't Let Me Down" to "The Beatles with Billy Preston". Neither Apple nor [[Capitol Records]] created a picture sleeve for the single—it was modestly packaged in a black sleeve with a cursive-style font simply stating "The Beatles on Apple".<ref>{{cite book |last=Spizer |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Spizer |title=The Beatles on Apple Records |publisher=498 Productions |year=2003 |page=47}}</ref> Apple launched a print ad campaign for the song concurrent with its release showing a photo of the band with the slogan ''The Beatles as Nature Intended'', indicating that the sound of "Get Back" harked to the group's earlier days.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The Beatles as nature intended |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/60s/1969/Billboard%201969-04-26-OCR-Page-0013.pdf |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |location=New York City |date=26 April 1969 |access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref>

The single version of the song contains a chamber reverb effect throughout and a coda after a false ending, with the lyrics "Get back Loretta / Your mommy's waiting for you / Wearing her high-heel shoes / And her low-neck sweater / Get back home, Loretta." This does not appear on the album version; the single version's first LP appearance would come three years later on the ''[[1967–1970]]'' compilation. This version also appeared in the albums ''[[20 Greatest Hits (Beatles album)|20 Greatest Hits]]'', ''[[Past Masters]]'' and ''[[1 (Beatles album)|1]]''. It was also included in the original line-up of the proposed ''Get Back'' album, which was scheduled to be released in the fall of 1969.

The single was also released in the experimental [[PocketDisc]] format by Americom in conjunction with Apple and Capitol in the late 1960s.

===''Let It Be'' version (1970)===
When Phil Spector came to remix "Get Back", he wanted to make it seem different from the version released as the single, though both versions were essentially the same take. The unreleased ''Get Back'' albums included elements of studio chatter to add to the live feel of the recordings. In this spirit, Spector included part of the studio chatter recorded immediately before a take recorded on 27 January, slightly crossfaded it onto the beginning of the master take (also recorded on January 27), and omitted the coda recorded on January 28, instead adding McCartney and Lennon's remarks after the close of the rooftop performance. This created the impression that the single and album versions are different takes. The single's reverb effect was also omitted from this remix.

===''Naked'' version (2003)===
In 2003, "Get Back" was re-released on the ''[[Let It Be... Naked]]'' album, remixed by independent producers with the sanction of surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with John Lennon's and George Harrison's widows. The "Naked" version of "Get Back" is a remix of the take recorded on 27 January 1969 used for both the single and album versions, without the coda recorded the following day or the framing dialogue from the studio and rooftop concert added to the album version.<ref name="winn">{{cite book |last=Winn |first=John C. |title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York City |year=2009 |pages=256–257 |isbn=978-0-307-45239-9}}</ref> The single's reverb effect was also omitted from this remix, and the song fades immediately before the final "whoo". Apple also prepared a specially-created music video of the ''Let It Be&nbsp;... Naked'' release of the song to promote that album in 2003. This video is edited together using stock footage of the band, along with Billy Preston, George Martin and others.

===''Love'' version (2006)===
In 2006, a newly mixed version of "Get Back" produced by [[George Martin]] and his son [[Giles Martin|Giles]] was included on the album ''[[Love (The Beatles album)|Love]]''. This version incorporates elements of "[[A Hard Day's Night (song)|A Hard Day's Night]]" (the intro [[Chord (music)|chord]]), "[[A Day in the Life]]" (the improvised orchestral [[crescendo]]), "[[The End (The Beatles song)|The End]]" (Ringo Starr's drum solo, Paul McCartney's second guitar solo, and John Lennon's last guitar solo), and "[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)]]" (Take 1's drum count-off intro).{{sfn|''Miami Herald''|2006}} However, this piece has several edits, including an extended intro, and the second verse is removed completely.

===''The Beatles: Get Back'' versions===
Universal Music released take 8 from the recording sessions to promote the 50th-anniversary edition of ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' and the [[The Beatles: Get Back|2021 ''Get Back'' documentary miniseries]]. This version has McCartney ad-libbing a different spoken word section over the bridge, beginning with "It's five o'clock ... your mother's got your tea on."<ref name="RS preview">{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |title=Hear the Beatles' Unreleased 'Get Back (Take 8)' From Upcoming 'Let It Be' Reissue |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-beatles-unreleased-get-back-take-6-let-it-be-reissue-1228721/ |access-date=2021-09-19 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>  As the band performed the song three times during their impromptu rooftop concert on 30 January 1969, all three of those versions also appear in the final episode of the mini-series, as the concert is shown in its entirety. Take 3 of the rooftop concert was released on ''[[Anthology 3]]'' in 1996, while the first two were released in January 2022.

==McCartney live performances==
McCartney performed "Get Back" on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' on 15 July 2009. Letterman's show was taped in the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], the same theatre that hosted the Beatles' performances on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' in 1964 and 1965. McCartney's performance was not on the stage, however. Instead, he performed atop the theatre's marquee overlooking [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]]. In the interview preceding the performance, Letterman asked McCartney if he had ever played on a marquee before. "I've done a roof", McCartney replied, referring to the Beatles' 1969 performance atop the Apple Corps building in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paul McCartney Stuns Manhattan With Set on Letterman's Marquee |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-stuns-manhattan-with-set-on-lettermans-marquee-20090716 |newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=16 July 2009 |access-date=28 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=McCartney Rocks the 'Late Show' |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/mccartney-rocks-the-late-show/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=15 July 2009 |access-date=28 November 2014}}</ref>

McCartney also performed the song as a kind of encore on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' on 11 December 2010. The performance was unusual for the show because McCartney had played the two standard songs that musical guests play, then had played a third song ("A Day in the Life"/"[[Give Peace a Chance]]"). At the normal conclusion of the show, when host [[Paul Rudd]] thanked the cast, McCartney retook the stage for "Get Back", the broadcast of which was partially cut off due to time constraints.

McCartney performed this live during his 1989/1990 [[The Paul McCartney World Tour|World Tour]], and it was released on both the full-length and highlight versions of the subsequent live album ''[[Tripping the Live Fantastic]]'' (1990). In 2009, a performance was included on the ''[[Good Evening New York City]]'' album.

In 2005, the song was part of his Super Bowl halftime show.

McCartney and the [[Foo Fighters]] performed the song at the 2021 [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] Induction Ceremony.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Zaleski |first=Anne |title=Foo Fighters Jam With Paul McCartney, Blaze Through 'Everlong' at Rock Hall Induction |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/foo-fighters-rock-hall-paul-mccartney-performance-1251015/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=31 October 2021}}</ref>

==Personnel==
* [[Paul McCartney]] – lead vocals, bass guitar
* [[John Lennon]] – harmony vocals, lead guitar
* [[George Harrison]] – rhythm guitar
* [[Ringo Starr]] – drums
* [[Billy Preston]] – [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]]

==Notable cover versions==
* [[Rod Stewart]], for the 1976 musical documentary ''[[All This and World War II]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-this-and-world-war-ii-r230229/review|title=All This and World War II|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=4 December 2011}}</ref> The song was released as a single and it reached No. 11 on the UK chart.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20537/rod-stewart/ |title=Rod Stewart |publisher=The Official Charts Company}}</ref>
* [[Billy Preston]], who played the [[Rhodes piano]] on the original Beatles recording, covered the song for the 1978 film ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' and its [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]]. This version peaked at No. 86 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Billy Preston |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/billy-preston/chart-history/hsi/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Cultural references==
* In the 2007 film ''[[Across the Universe (film)|Across the Universe]]'', directed by [[Julie Taymor]], most characters are named after lyrics in Beatles songs. A principal character is named Jojo, an African American who was played by [[Martin Luther McCoy]].{{sfn|Holden|2007}}
* In February 2010, [[NBC]] used a cover of the song in commercials to promote [[Jay Leno]]'s return to the 11:35 pm time slot for ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''.{{sfn|McKenzie|2010}}
* [[Hirohiko Araki]]'s 1987 manga ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' may have used this song for inspiration for the main character of the [[Phantom Blood|first part]], [[Jonathan Joestar]], who starts as a loner but gains companions throughout his journey, as well as the nickname "JoJo" used throughout the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://jojolab.livedoor.blog/archives/30687847.html|author=TOK|date=20 July 2013|language=ja|title=あの時ジョセフが聞いていた曲は？|trans-title=What song was Joseph listening to that one time?|website=ジョジョの奇妙な研究所|trans-website=JoJo's Bizarre Laboratory|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref> The author is known for including many music references in his manga, including multiple references to The Beatles.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://jojowiki.com/List_of_References_in_JoJo|title=List of References in JoJo|website=JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref> At the end of the series's third part, ''[[Stardust Crusaders]]'', [[Joseph Joestar]] is seen listening to the song on his Walkman.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://jojowiki.com/List_of_References_in_JoJo#Stardust_Crusaders|title=List of References in JoJo|website=JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=
https://jojowiki.com/File:Part_III_original_end_picture.jpg|title=Part III original end picture|website=JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=
https://jojolab.livedoor.blog/archives/30687847.html|author=TOK|date=20 July 2013|language=ja|title=あの時ジョセフが聞いていた曲は？|trans-title=What song was Joseph listening to that one time?|website=ジョジョの奇妙な研究所|trans-website=JoJo's Bizarre Laboratory|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref> He also originally mentioned wanting to listen to it at the end of the [[Battle Tendency|second part]], though later releases changed the scene to no longer mention the specific song, while "The Beatles" can still be seen on his walkman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jojowiki.com/Chapter_113#Volume_Differences|title=Battle Tendency - Chapter 69 [113]|website=JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=
https://jojolab.livedoor.blog/archives/30687847.html|author=TOK|date=20 July 2013|language=ja|title=あの時ジョセフが聞いていた曲は？|trans-title=What song was Joseph listening to that one time?|website=ジョジョの奇妙な研究所|trans-website=JoJo's Bizarre Laboratory|access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref>

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+1969 weekly chart performance for "Get Back"
!scope="col"|Chart (1969)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (''[[Go-Set]]'' National Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gosetcharts.com/1969/19690607.html |title=Go-Set National Top 40 |date=7 June 1969 |work=Go-Set charts}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|Austria|1|artist=The Beatles with Billy Preston|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|1|artist=The Beatles with Billy Preston|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=6006|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
!scope="row"|Finland ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref name=Finland>{{cite book|first=Jake|last=Nyman|year=2005|title=Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja|edition=1st|publisher=Tammi|location=Helsinki|isbn=951-31-2503-3|language=fi}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|-
!scope="row"|France (''[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|Centre d'Information et de Documentation du Disque]]'')<ref name="hitsoftheworld">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jygEAAAAMBAJ&dq=get+back+italy+beatles+billboard&pg=RA1-PA63|journal=[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]|title=Hits of the World|via=Google Books|volume=81|issue=23|page=63|issn=0006-2510|date=7 June 1969|accessdate=13 November 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|1|artist=The Beatles|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e Dischi]]'')<ref name="hitsoftheworld"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|1|artist=The Beatles with Billy Preston|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand (''[[New Zealand Listener|Listener]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search+listener&qsongid=1809#n_view_location|title=flavour of new zealand - search listener|website=flavourofnz.co.nz|access-date=2 May 2019}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
{{single chart|Norway|1|artist=The Beatles with Billy Preston|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
!scope="row"|Sweden ([[Kvällstoppen]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Hallberg|first=Eric|title=Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 – 19. 8. 1975|publisher=Drift Musik|year=1993|pages=130|isbn=9163021404|location=}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Sweden (''[[Tio i Topp]]'')<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hallberg |first1=Eric |title=Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 – 74 |last2=Henningsson |first2=Ulf |publisher=Premium Publishing |year=1998 |isbn=919727125X |location= |pages=53}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|1|artist=The Beatles with Billy Preston|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|1|date=19690429|refname=UK1|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=The Beatles|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Cashbox (magazine)|''Cash Box'' Top 100]]<ref>{{cite book| first=Frank| last=Hoffmann| year=1983| title=The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981| publisher=The Scarecrow Press, Inc| location=Metuchen, NJ & London| pages= 32–34}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|West German [[Media Control]] Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts|format=Enter "Beatles" in the search box|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment Charts]]|language=de|access-date=16 May 2016}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+1976 weekly chart performance for "Get Back"
!scope="col"|Chart (1976)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|8|artist=The Beatles|song=Get Back|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|28|date=19760417|refname=UK2|rowheader=true|access-date=16 May 2016}}
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+2021 weekly chart performance for "Get Back"
!scope="col"|Chart (2021)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|23|artist=The Beatles|rowheader=true|access-date=7 December 2021}}
|}

{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Get Back"
!scope="col"|Chart (1969)
!scope="col"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"|Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6104&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6104.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6104|title=RPM Top Singles of 1969|access-date=24 December 2017|work=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|date=17 July 2013|via=[[Library and Archives Canada]]}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1969.htm|title=Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969|website=musicoutfitters.com|access-date=2 May 2019|archive-date=10 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210205612/https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1969.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|25
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Cash Box''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1969YESP.html |title=Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969 |access-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125055422/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1969YESP.html |archive-date=25 January 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications and sales==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Get Back"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|artist=The Beatles|title=Get Back|nocert=true|salesamount=198,000|relyear=1969|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1975/Billboard-1975-06-07.pdf|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Label's Biggest Seller Almost Wasn't Released|page=24|date=7 June 1975|accessdate=17 September 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Beatles|title=Get Back|award=Gold|certyear=2023|type=single|source=radioscope|access-date=22 September 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Beatles|title=Get Back|award=Silver|relyear=2010|certyear=2022|type=single|salesamount=530,000|salesref=<ref name="sales">{{cite book|title=Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory|url=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL120558W/Million_selling_records_from_the_1900s_to_the_1980s|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1985|publisher=Arco Pub.|quote=This disc was released in Britain on 15 April 1969 and was an immediate No 1, staying in that chart position for six weeks with 17 weeks in the bestsellers and selling over 530,000 // Get back was also No 1 in many countries including Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand, global sales totalling an estimated 4,500,000|isbn=0668064595|page=276}}</ref>|id=17924-1786-1|access-date=8 March 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=The Beatles|title=Get Back|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1969|certyear=1999|type=single|access-date=14 May 2016}}
{{Certification Table Summary}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|artist=The Beatles|title=Get Back|nocert=true|salesamount=4,500,000|relyear=1969|salesref=<ref name="sales"/>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom |nosales=true|streaming=true}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=25em}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
| author=The Beatles
| year=2000
| title=The Beatles Anthology
| publisher=Chronicle Books
| location=San Francisco
| isbn=0-8118-2684-8
| url-access=registration
| url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesanthology0000unse
}}
* {{cite book
| last1=Castleman
| first1=Harry
| year=1976
| last2=Podrazik
| first2=Walter J.
| title=All Together Now
| publisher=Pierian Press
| location=Ann Arbor, MI
}}
* {{cite web
| last=Holden
| first=Stephen
| date=14 September 2007
| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/movies/14univ.html 
| title=Movie Review – ''Across the Universe'' – Lovers in the '60s Take a Magical Mystery Tour 
| work=[[The New York Times]] 
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Lewisohn
| first=Mark
| year=1988
| author-link=Mark Lewisohn
| title=The Beatles Recording Sessions
| publisher=Harmony Books
| location=New York City
| isbn=0-517-57066-1
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Lewisohn
| first=Mark
| year=1996a
| title=The Complete Beatles Chronicle
| publisher=Chancellor Press
| isbn=0-7607-0327-2
}}
* {{cite AV media notes
| last=Lewisohn
| first=Mark
| year=1996b
| title=Anthology 3
| publisher=[[Apple Records]]
| title-link=Anthology 3
| type=booklet
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Matteo
| first=Stephen
| title=Let It Be
| publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group
| year=2004
| isbn=0-8264-1634-9
}}
* {{cite web
| last=McKenzie
| first=Julian
| date=19 February 2010
| title=Jay Leno uses Beatles song to promote his return to late night
| work=BeatleNews.com
| url=http://www.beatlesnews.com/blog/the-beatles/201002190959/jay-leno-uses-beatles-song-to-promote-his-return-to-late-night.html 
}}{{better source needed|date=July 2020}}
* {{cite web
| work=[[Miami Herald]]
| title=It's hard not to LOVE the new Beatles album
| date=21 November 2006
| url=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/music/16063294.htm
| access-date=23 November 2006
| ref={{SfnRef|''Miami Herald''|2006}}
}}{{dead link|date=July 2013}}
* {{cite book
| last=Sheff
| first=David
| year=2000
| author-link=David Sheff
| title=All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
| publisher=St. Martin's Press
| location=New York City
| isbn=0-312-25464-4
| url-access=registration
| url=https://archive.org/details/allwearesayingla00lenn
}}
* {{cite book
| last1=Sulpy
| first1=Doug
| year=2003
| last2=Schweighardt
| first2=Ray
| title=Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster
| publisher=Helter Skelter
| isbn=1-900924-83-8
}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Let It Be}}
* {{noteson|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/gb2.shtml|Get Back}}
* {{cite web |last=Cummings |first=Alex Sayf |title='No Pakistanis': The racial satire the Beatles don't want you to hear |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/04/14/no_pakistanis_the_racial_satire_the_beatles_dont_want_you_to_hear/ |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |date=14 April 2013 |access-date=20 April 2017}}
* {{YouTube|IKJqecxswCA|Get Back}}
* {{YouTube|mNcbF0n63fU|Get Back (single version)}}

{{Let It Be}}
{{The Beatles singles}}
{{Billy Preston}}
{{Ike & Tina Turner}}
{{Rod Stewart songs}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:1969 singles]]
[[Category:1976 singles]]
[[Category:British protest songs]]
[[Category:Apple Records singles]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Australia]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Germany]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Norway]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Songs written by Lennon–McCartney]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Phil Spector]]
[[Category:Songs published by Northern Songs]]
[[Category:Ike & Tina Turner songs]]
[[Category:Rod Stewart songs]]
[[Category:1969 songs]]
[[Category:Songs about Yoko Ono]]
[[Category:British blues rock songs]]
[[Category:British rock-and-roll songs]]
[[Category:Enoch Powell]]
[[Category:Billy Preston songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Glyn Johns]]