It was written primarily by Paul McCartney with contributions from John Lennon, and is sung by drummer Ringo Starr (as Sgt.

A subsequent recording of the track by Joe Cocker from his album of the same name became a success in 1968—topping the UK Singles Chart—and an anthem for the Woodstock era.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney finished writing the song in mid-March 1967,[4] written specifically as Ringo Starr's track for the Beatles album Sgt.

[8] After it was released in the United States, Maryland Governor and future Vice President Spiro T. Agnew lobbied to have the song banned because he believed it was about drug use.

At dawn, Starr trudged up the stairs to head home – but the other Beatles cajoled him into doing his lead vocal then and there, standing around the microphone for moral support.

Others in the studio at various times included roadies Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall, publicists Tony Barrow and Terry Doran, photographers Leslie Bryce and Frank Herrmann, and Cynthia Lennon.

[11] According to Ian MacDonald:[12] The Beatles Additional musician McCartney and Starr performed this song together for the first time since 1967 at the David Lynch Foundation Benefit Concert in the Radio City Music Hall, New York on 4 April 2009.

[20] Recorded by Denny Cordell and Tony Visconti, it used a slower tempo than the original and deployed different chords in the middle eight while adding a lengthy instrumental introduction.

Wilson, guitar lines from Jimmy Page, and organ by Tommy Eyre as well as prominent backing vocals.

The song was released as a single in May 1988 double-A-sided with another cover from the album, "She's Leaving Home" by Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey.

The UK duo Sam & Mark released a cover of the song in 2004 after coming third and second in the second and final series of Pop Idol.

[43] The Canadian band Kick Axe reached number 79 in Canada with their version from their album Welcome to the Club on 18 January 1986.