[4] It moves forward by way of regular chords, produced by Lennon and George Harrison's electric guitar.

George Martin plays Pianet and piano, on the latter bypassing the keyboard and directly striking the strings.

[7] It was recorded after the main track was completed, as were many of the bass lines on Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

[8] Starting out in the verse with a pedal on the root note (G) that leaps two octaves, McCartney moves to a marching quarter-note (walking) bass line for the first (and only the first) chorus.

In stark contrast, all subsequent choruses are played using a fluid, swing feel, full of anticipated notes that propel the song forward despite the quarter-note droning of the guitar and keyboard.

According to Beatles biographer Hunter Davies and MacDonald, the initial idea for the song's title came from a phrase often spoken by Jimmie Nicol, the group's stand-in drummer for the Australian leg of their 1964 world tour.

"[12] According to Beatles biographer Hunter Davies, the phrase popped into McCartney’s head one day in 1967 while he was walking his sheepdog Martha in Hampstead.

During the 21 March 1967 session in which producer George Martin added a piano solo to "Lovely Rita", Lennon complained that he did not feel well and could not focus.

[15][17][18] According to Ian MacDonald:[4] Paul McCartney performed the song live for the first time by any Beatle on his 2002 Driving World Tour.