Of ev’ry head he’s had the pleasure to know.
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say ‘Hello’.
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar,
The little children laugh at him behind his back.
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain - very strange.
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It’s a clean machine.
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray.
And though she feels as if she’s in a play
She is anyway.
In Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer,
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain - very strange.
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile
Penny Lane is in my and in my eyes,
There beneath the blue suburban skies...
Penny Lane!
- Released February 17, 1967
- Penny Lane is named after James Penny who was a wealthy 18th century slave owner. Reference
- McCartney and Lennon grew up in the area and they would meet at Penny Lane junction to catch a bus into the center of the city. Reference
- The barber shop mentioned in the song was, according to McCartney, a shop owned by a Mr. Bioletti, who has claimed to have cut hair for Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison when they were children.
- The fire engine in the song ("It's a clean machine") was probably from the fire station at the top of Rose Lane, a short walk away along Allerton Road.
- The line about the banker with a motor car probably refers to an employee of the Penny Lane branch of Barclays Bank, which was situated on one of the corners of the junction.
- a "mac" is a waterproof raincoat. Reference
- The "Pretty nurse" is believed to be Beth Davidson, the wife of Pete Shotton
- The 'shelter in the middle of a roundabout' refers to the old bus shelter, formerly a cafe/restaurant with a Beatles theme but now derelict and abandoned, despite its popularity as a tourist attraction. This is also Penny Lane Bus Terminus and is officially on Smithdown Place.
- The mysterious lyrics "Four of fish and finger pies" are British slang. "A four of fish" refers to fourpennyworth of fish and chips, while "finger pie" is sexual slang of the time, apparently referring to intimate fondlings between teenagers in the shelter, which was a familiar meeting place. Reference
Good stuff man!
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