"The Word" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, credited as Lennon-McCartney, though Lennon said it was mainly his. It was recorded with Lennon on lead vocals on 10 November 1965 at EMI studios, Abbey Road, London, produced by George Martin, and first released on the album Rubber Soul on 3 December 1965. The track runs 2:41 and has a driving funk beat with few chord changes and a simple melody in D major. Its refrain is a 12-bar blues in D built on a D7(#9) chord, a device also heard in "Drive My Car" and "Taxman". McCartney said the band came close to writing a one-note song, comparing it to "Long Tall Sally". McCartney sings falsetto and backing vocals and plays bass and piano, George Harrison adds backing vocals and lead guitar, Ringo Starr plays drums and maracas, and Martin plays harmonium. Critics called it an entertaining but less outstanding album track, and Time Out London ranked it 33rd among the best Beatles songs in 2018. Covers include versions by Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, and 13th Floor Elevators.
