The Beatles - Matchbox

The Beatles - Matchbox

Copyright - 1964 EMI Records Ltd.

"Matchbox" is a 12-bar blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson. The modern rockabilly version of the song is credited to Carl Perkins and first recorded by him at Sun Records in 1957. It is one of Perkins' best-known recordings, although it gained additional notoriety through the wealth of cover versions that followed, notably the cover by The Beatles.

Although credited to Perkins, as was the case with many early rock and roll recordings, it was in fact a rewritten version of a previously-existing song that can trace its origins to a traditional blues number originally recorded in 1927 and rewritten by Perkins when he came to record his own version in 1957.

The song consists mainly of traditional blues lyrics, including the initial verse:

"I'm sittin' here wonderin, a matchbox holding my clothes (2X)
"I ain't got no matches but I still got a long way to go."
This verse is the only one common to all versions of the song.

The Beatles
The Beatles, being fans of Perkins, began performing the song circa 1961. Their then-drummer, Pete Best, performed the lead vocals, but no studio recording featuring Best doing the song is known to exist. In 1962, John Lennon sang the song during a performance at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; a recording of this exists and was included on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.

The next year, The Beatles performed "Matchbox" with Ringo Starr on lead vocals for their BBC radio show, and this version would be included on the Live at the BBC album. Starr also got to sing lead vocals on it when it was recorded in 1964. There are suggestions that Perkins may have been present in the studio at that time. As was usually the case, all instruments on the song are played by The Beatles themselves, with the exception of the piano, which was played by producer George Martin. It appeared on the Long Tall Sally EP in the United Kingdom and the Something New album in the United States, and was also the B-side of the American "Slow Down" single, released on 24 August 1964, which reached no. 17 in the charts.

This song is possibly the only Beatles song to have had three different lead vocalists for their renditions of it.

Numerous other artists have recorded their own versions of "Matchbox", including Ronnie Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. In Sam Cooke's live version, he interjects, "Can you see me putting all my clothes in a little old matchbox?"

Paul McCartney plays the songs during his soundchecks and played them at his recent "secret gigs" promoting his new album.

Lyrics:
I said I'm sitting here watching
matchbox hole in my clothes
I said I'm sitting here wondering
matchbox hole in my clothes
I ain't got no matches
but I sure got a long way to go

I'm an old poor boy
I'm a long way from home
I'm an old poor boy
and I'm a long way from home
I've never been happy
cause everything I ever did was wrong

Well, if you don't want my peaches
honey please don't shake my tree
If you don't want any of those peaches
honey, please don't mess around my tree
I've got news for you baby
Leave me here in misery, all right!

Well let me be your little dog
till your big dog comes
Let me be your little dog
till your big dog comes
And when your big dog gets here
watch how your puppy dog runs

Well I said I'm sitting here watching
matchbox hole in my clothes
I said I'm sitting here wondering
matchbox hole in my clothes
I ain't got no matches
but I sure got a long way to go