Don't Bother Me

A midtempo rock and roll song, it was originally released in the United States on the 1964 album Meet the Beatles!

"[8] Published by the Dick James–Brian Epstein partnership, Jaep Music,[4] this predated the five-year contract Harrison signed with Northern Songs on 9 November 1963.

[14] Harrison sings lead vocal and plays the guitar solo on all tracks, complaining between takes about the difficulty this adds to performing.

[13][note 2] Lennon plays rhythm guitar, trying to achieve a "dirty" sound on early takes by raising the signal gain on his Rickenbacker 325 Capri.

[16] Martin was unsatisfied with the effect and suggested the use of a compressor to flatten the guitar's dynamic range and achieve the desired "organ sound".

[16] Lennon's amp provides a tremolo effect,[13] resulting in a more "sinister" sound in the refrain and bridge, similar to the timbre heard in songs by the Shadows.

[13] Harrison records another vocal, double tracking his original, while McCartney plays claves, Lennon the tambourine and Starr an Arabian bongo.

[13] With the Beatles was released by EMI's Parlophone label on 22 November 1963, with "Don't Bother Me" sequenced as the fourth track between "All My Loving" and "Little Child".

"[22][23] Tim Riley describes it as a weak songwriting debut and demonstrates the strength of the Beatles as a group that they "find a groove in this tune despite its flaws.