John Lennon put it this way in 1965: “You don’t know us now if you don’t know Rubber Soul.”
When the Beatles released their sixth studio album on December 3 of that year, it was apparent just how evolved the Beatles had become and were still becoming as time went on. In a period of just a couple of years, the Fab Four went from relatively straightforward pop tracks like “Please Please Me” and “Love Me Do” — impressive in their own right considering the musical landscape at the time — to much more cerebral material, as evidenced in songs like “Girl” and “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).”
In other words, by the time Rubber Soul came out, the Beatles had done quite a bit of growing up, both artistically and personally.
In October 2026, a sprawling box set celebrating Rubber Soul was released, featuring unheard studio takes and various other gems that had never before seen the light of day. In tandem with that release, we took a look back at every song from Rubber Soul and the stories behind them — you’ll find links to each below.
1. “Drive My Car”
We should note right now that we’re following the track listing for the U.K. release of Rubber Soul, which came out three days before arriving in the U.S. This version opens with “Drive My Car,” a sassy sort of number with hints of American rhythm and blues. Paul McCartney would later say that this track was one he and Lennon “struggled for hours” with, until finally things fell into place.
READ MORE: How the Beatles Entered a New Era With ‘Drive My Car’
2. “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
“Norwegian Wood” is exactly the kind of song we’re talking about when we say Rubber Soul saw the Beatles – and Lennon especially — gravitating toward a different kind of songwriting, the kind he noticed coming out of a guy called Bob Dylan. It’s like the saying goes: game recognizes game.
READ MORE: How Bob Dylan Influenced the Beatles’ ‘Norwegian Wood’
3. “You Won’t See Me”
Speaking of American music, “You Won’t See Me” drew influence, according to McCartney, from Motown. “Whenever we came to the States they’d say, ‘Who’s your favorite artists?’ And we’d say, ‘Well, they’re mainly Black, and American – Motown, man,” McCartney said to Rolling Stone in 1986. “It’s all there, you’ve got it all.”
READ MORE: The Motown-Inspired ‘Rubber Soul’ Song That Took Only Two Takes
4. “Nowhere Man”
The Beatles made songwriting look easy, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have to work for it sometimes. This was particularly true for Lennon, who found that his life during this period of the band’s career was pulling him in multiple directions, not all of them healthy or productive.
READ MORE: How a Five-Hour Struggle Led John Lennon to ‘Nowhere Man’
5. “Think for Yourself”
We could write an entire separate list about all the times the Beatles acted as pioneers in the studio, experimenting with new recording techniques and tools that were then brand new in the industry, or at the very least, had not ever been used the way the Beatles used them. “Think for Yourself,” written by George Harrison, is just one example.
READ MORE: The ‘Rubber Soul’ Song That Broke New Ground With a Fuzz Box
6. “The Word”
Many people looked up to the Beatles, but it should surprise no one that the Beatles looked up themselves to Little Richard, a vigorous performer whose music was more felt than heard. “The Word” is a nod to him.
READ MORE: The ‘Rubber Soul’ Song Inspired by Little Richard
7. “Michelle”
Surely we aren’t the only people who ever wondered whether “Michelle” was based on a real person. Don’t worry, we dug into it…
READ MORE: Is ‘Michelle’ From ‘Rubber Soul’ a Real Person?
8. “What Goes On”
Over the course of the Beatles’ tenure, Ringo Starr only helped to write a handful of songs, but hey, you have to start somewhere. For Starr, it began with “What Goes On.”
READ MORE: When Ringo Starr Got His First Writing Credit on a Beatles Song
9. “Girl”
Yes, the Beatles were professional musicians and songwriters, but they were also goofy young men with a penchant for being cheeky – Lennon and Starr, the two oldest Beatles, had only just turned 25 years old that year – and this is evidenced on “Girl.”
Read More: How the Beatles Hid a ‘Naughty’ Word in ‘Girl’ From ‘Rubber Soul’
10. “I’m Looking Through You”
Historically, Jane Asher has been very quiet about her relationship with McCartney in the ’60s, which is understandable. The clearest look into what that situation might have been like is via “I’m Looking Through You.”
READ MORE: Hear the Early Version of the Beatles’ ‘I’m Looking Through You’
11. “In My Life”
When it came to Lennon-McCartney compositions – which is to say the majority of the Beatles’ catalog – it was often hard to tell where one man’s contribution ended and the other’s began. Out of all of their songs, the two disagreed on just a couple in terms of who wrote what, including “In My Life.”
READ MORE: Why Lennon and McCartney Disagreed Over ‘In My Life’
12. “Wait”
Apparently, McCartney isn’t the kind of person who needs solitude to write a song. He can do it alone, he can do it with Lennon and he can even do it right in front of a movie star, as he did with “Wait.”
READ MORE: The ‘Rubber Soul’ Song McCartney Wrote in Front of a Movie Star
13. “If I Needed Someone”
Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone” represents a truly full-circle moment the Beatles had with the Byrds, and it’s something Roger McGuinn has never forgotten.
READ MORE: How a Byrds Song Inspired the Beatles’ ‘If I Needed Someone’
14. “Run for Your Life”
Like Little Richard, Elvis Presley and his music was always somewhere in the back of the Beatles’ minds, an embodiment of show business who symbolized everything that was new and possible in music. Presley is part of the reason one of the Beatles’ most questionable songs came to be.
READ MORE: Why John Lennon Ultimately Disliked This ‘Rubber Soul’ Song
How the Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ Influenced These 15 Artists
The band’s sixth studio album was unlike anything else on the market when it was released on Dec. 3, 1965.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
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