Love Me Do – It’s Simple, Lovely, Simple, Catchy And Simple

Originally published: October 1962
Rating: 6.5/10 — Harmonicas are a cry for help, but this might actually go somewhere.

There’s something undeniably pleasant about “Love Me Do”, even if it sounds like it was written on a pub napkin between pints and poor decisions.

The track opens with a harmonica line that feels less like a musical hook and more like someone trying to clear their sinuses on stage. It’s confident, in that “we’ve never recorded a real single before” kind of way. And yet — there’s charm. Like a dog who tries to walk on its hind legs.

Vocally, the boys sound clean and competent — like the kind of lads your mum might trust to help move a sofa. Lennon’s got a raspy sincerity that works better than it should, McCartney’s bass lines are doing their best, George mostly stays out of trouble, and Ringo… is present.

Lyrically, it’s what you’d expect from four twenty-somethings who just discovered what a second verse is.

“Love me do / You know I love you”
— not exactly poetry, but at least they don’t overthink it.

Still, there’s a kernel of something here. A sense that they could, with a bit of polish and a real producer, grow into something more than just background music for a Liverpool milk bar.

“If they stick with it, I could see them being… mildly famous in Liverpool.”

Maybe it’s too early to say, but there’s a chance — just a small one — that these Beatles might get better.