Penny Lane

By John T. Marck

George Martin has said that "Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever was the best record ever made." Although Penny Lane did not contain the psychic strains that Strawberry Fields Forever had, it was just as imaginative. This is truly the one record, in that these two songs were the A and B sides, that shows the brilliant talents of Lennon and McCartney. Penny Lane is an actual street in Liverpool, but it also is the name of the area that surrounds it's junction with Smithtown Road. Although it's merely a nondescript shopping area, John and Paul grew up here and spent many years in the neighborhood. In this song by Paul, it symbolizes the childhood innocence of days gone by, when everyone was friendly. John Lennon first thought of Penny Lane and was the first to refer to it in a song with "In My Life," but it was McCartney that made it work as a song of its own.

Today, Penny Lane and the area are a part of The Beatles Liverpool tour. Unfortunately, the songs' success changed many of the original features of the area. All the original street signs were stolen, so that replacement signs were tightly screwed down, and placed in very high locations. The barber shop referred to has been changed to a unisex salon with a picture of The Beatles in the window, and the shelter on the round-about is now a Sgt. Pepper's Bistro.

Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs, Of every head he's had the pleasure to know,

And all the people that come and go, stop and say hello

On the corner is a banker with a motor car, The little children laugh at him behind his back

And the banker never wears a "mac" in the pouring rain, very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes, Wet beneath the blue suburban skies

I sit and meanwhile back,

in Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass, And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen

He likes to keep his fire engine clean, it's clean machine

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes, full of fish and finger pies,

In summer meanwhile back

Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray

And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway

Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim

And then the fireman rushes in, from the pouring rain,

very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes, Wet beneath the blue suburban skies

I sit and meanwhile back Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,

There beneath the blue suburban skies

Penny Lane

NOTE: All lyrics contained herein are © Copyright Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. The lyrics contained herein are for the sole use of educational reference for the readers of this article. All other uses are in violation of international copyright laws. This use for educational reference, falls under the "fair use" sections of U.S. copyright law. Copyright © 2000-2022 by John T. Marck. All Rights Reserved. This article and their accompanying pictures, photographs, and line art, may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author, or the registered copyright holders. Except as otherwise stated above, all information contained in this article, EXCEPT song titles, lyrics, and photographs © John T. Marck.