About the Song
Nestled quietly in the middle of their groundbreaking 1965 album Rubber Soul, “Michelle” is one of The Beatles’ most graceful and romantic recordings—a song that departs from their rock ’n’ roll roots and leans instead into continental charm and understated emotion. With its bilingual lyrics, soft fingerpicked guitar, and wistful vocals, “Michelle” remains a testament to the band’s versatility, sensitivity, and endless curiosity.
Written primarily by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon, “Michelle” began as a bit of a joke—Paul would strum mock-French tunes at parties to entertain friends. But when the band began to explore more mature and intimate themes during the Rubber Soul sessions, Paul returned to that soft little melody. What emerged was a song that sounded like a love letter floating on a Paris breeze, full of longing and delicate beauty.
The opening guitar figure—gently plucked and instantly recognizable—sets the mood: intimate, candlelit, perhaps even a little melancholy. Paul’s voice, warm and restrained, wraps itself around the French-inflected lyrics: “Michelle, ma belle / These are words that go together well…” His pronunciation may be playful, but the emotion behind it is genuine.
“Michelle” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1967, a rare feat for a non-American composition at the time, and it’s easy to see why. The song is deceptively simple, but it captures a universal feeling: the ache of affection for someone just out of reach.
Decades later, “Michelle” still feels like a secret shared in the quiet. In an era where the Beatles were pushing boundaries with sound and identity, this little love song stood out by doing the opposite—whispering rather than shouting, and proving once again that sometimes, the softest touch leaves the deepest mark.