If You've Got Trouble

There are songs that, for some reason, don't quite fit at the time of their creation. If You've Got Trouble is one of those pieces that The Beatles recorded in 1965, intending it to be one of Ringo Starr's vocal contributions for the album and film Help!. However, the result of the session did not convince the group. The recording of the instrumental base, in fact, was done in a single take, to which Starr's voice and an additional guitar by George Harrison were later added. Despite a mix being prepared for the occasion, the song was shelved and did not see the light of day until 1996, with the release of Anthology 2.

The story of If You've Got Trouble is interesting because it shows how an idea, even if it doesn't work completely, can have its own journey. An attempt was made to edit it for an album called Sessions in 1984, modifying the structure and shortening its duration, but that project was also never released. The version we finally hear on Anthology 2 is the original, unedited one. George Harrison himself described it as "the strangest song," with "silly words," and considered it "the silliest song," which explained why it was not included in any official release. Despite critical opinions, some have found it catchy and with a lively spirit. Even the main riff inspired the band The Posies for their instrumental track Alison Hubbard.