We Can Work It Out Lyrics

[Verse 1: Paul McCartney]
Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?

While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone


[Chorus: Paul McCartney]
We can work it out
We can work it out

[Verse 2: Paul McCartney]
Think of what you're saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright
Think of what I'm saying
We can work it out and get it straight or say good night

[Chorus: Paul McCartney]
We can work it out
We can work it out

[Bridge: Paul McCartney & John Lennon]
Life is very short and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend

I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again
[Verse 3: Paul McCartney]
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long

[Chorus: Paul McCartney]
We can work it out
We can work it out

[Bridge: Paul McCartney & John Lennon]
Life is very short and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend

I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again

[Verse 4: Paul McCartney]
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long

[Chorus: Paul McCartney]
We can work it out
We can work it out

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

Recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions, “We Can Work It Out” was a gold certified single McCartney possibly wrote about girlfriend Jane Asher.

It’s an important song in the transition of The Beatles from pop-band singing about relationship tropes to experimental rock band bending the rules of music. The song is very straight up and down, but the bridge presents an airy, otherworldly aside that the band would start to use for entire songs (“Eleanor Rigby,” “Within You, Without You.”)

It was another number 1 for the band in both the US and the UK.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did The Beatles say about "We Can Work It Out"?
Genius Answer

Paul did the first half, I did the middle-eight. But you’ve got Paul writing, ‘We can work it out/ We can work it out’ real optimistic, you know. And me, impatient, ‘Life is very short and there’s no time/ for fussing and fighting, my friend.’

— John Lennon, 1980

I wrote it as more of an up-tempo thing, country and western. I had the basic idea, the title, had a couple of verses… then I took it to John to finish it off and we wrote the middle together, which is nice– ‘Life is very short/ And there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friend.’ Then it was George Harrison’s idea to put the middle into waltz time, like a german waltz… The lyrics might have been personal. It is often a good way to talk to someone or to work your thoughts out. It saves you going to a psychiatrist, you allow yourself to say what you might not say in person.

— Paul McCartney, Many Years from Now

I don’t remember the circumstances, but I’m clearly saying, ‘Try and see it my way, because I’m obviously right.’ It may be arrogant, but it’s what every man wants to say to every girl. ‘Please think of this from my point of view. It might make things easier. It’d certainly make it easier for me.’

— Paul McCartney, Billboard, 2015

Credits
Produced By
Tambourine
Harmonium
Acoustic Guitar
Engineer
Harmony Vocals
Recorded At
EMI Studios, London
Release Date
December 3, 1965
View We Can Work It Out samples
Tags
Comments