Paul McCartney: I knew it would get connotations, but it really was a children's song. I just loved the idea of kids singing it. With "Yellow Submarine" the whole idea was "If someday I came across some kids singing it, that will be it", so it's got to be very easy - there isn't a single big word. Kids understand it easier than adults.
John Lennon (in 1972) - "Paul wrote the catchy chorus. I helped with the blunderbuss bit."
John Lennon (in 1980) - "'Yellow Submarine' is Paul's baby. Donovan helped with the lyrics. I helped with the lyrics too. We virtually made the track come alive in the studio, but based on Paul's inspiration. Paul's idea. Paul's title... written for Ringo."
Paul McCartney (in 1984) - "I wrote that in bed one night. As a kid's story. And then we thought it would be good for Ringo to do."
Paul McCartney (in 1994) - "I was laying in bed in the Asher's garret, and there's a nice twilight zone just as you're drifting into sleep and as you wake from it-- I always find it quite a comfortable zone. I remember thinking that a children's song would be quite a good idea... I was thinking of it as a song for Ringo, which it eventually turned out to be, so I wrote it as not too rangey in the vocal. I just made up a little tune in my head, then started making a story-- sort of an ancient mariner, telling the young kids where he'd lived. It was pretty much my song as I recall... I think John helped out. The lyrics got more and more obscure as it goes on, but the chorus, melody and verses are mine."
George Harrison (in 1999) - "Paul came up with the concept of 'Yellow Submarine.' All I know is just that every time we'd all get around the piano with guitars and start listening to it and arranging it into a record, we'd all fool about. As I said, John's doing the voice that sounds like someone talking down a tube or ship's funnel as they do in the merchant marine. (laughs) And on the final track there's actually that very small party happening! As I seem to remember, there's a few screams and what sounds like small crowd noises in the background."
