3 Things to Know About The Beatles’ German Songs

They only recorded two songs entirely in German “Komm, gib mir deine Hand” and “Sie liebt dich” are the only two. A version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” with a few German phrases does not count.

The band sang them phonetically and hated doing it The Beatles did not speak German. They recorded the songs in 1964 for the German market because their label thought it would help sales. The band disliked the experience and never recorded in another language again.

The lyrics are direct translations, and the originals are better The German lyrics are straightforward translations, often awkward. Both songs are available on Past Masters, but the English originals are superior.