Who wrote the song "Help!"?

John Lennon wrote the song “Help!” with assistance from Paul McCartney. Although the Beatles’ official songwriting credit reads Lennon–McCartney, Lennon was the song’s primary writer and supplied its deeply personal lyrics.

Released in 1965 as the title song for the Beatles’ second feature film, “Help!” was more than a routine movie commission. Lennon later explained that the lyrics reflected his anxiety, depression, and discomfort with the Beatles’ rapid rise to global fame. He considered it one of his most honest Beatles songs.

The recording was made at EMI Studios in London, with George Harrison on lead guitar, Paul McCartney on bass and backing vocals, and Ringo Starr on drums. The band recorded it at a faster tempo to make it more commercially appealing, something Lennon later regretted.

A common mix-up is crediting Paul McCartney alone because of the Lennon–McCartney label. McCartney did help complete the song, but Lennon is generally identified as its primary composer.