The song “With a Little Help from My Friends” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, officially credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership and composed specifically for Ringo Starr to sing on the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Who wrote “With a Little Help from My Friends”?

  • The song is officially credited to Lennon–McCartney , the joint songwriting credit used by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for their Beatles work.
  • It was written in mid‑March 1967 as the designated vocal feature for drummer Ringo Starr on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
  • Paul McCartney later described it as “pretty much co‑written, John and I doing a work song for Ringo, a little craft job,” highlighting that they tailored the melody and key to fit Ringo’s voice.

Quick Scoop: extra context

  • The track appears as the second song on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and flows directly from the title track into Ringo’s vocal as the character “Billy Shears.”
  • Contemporary and later accounts generally agree it was based on a Paul McCartney idea, with significant contributions from John Lennon to both lyrics and arrangement, but the standard answer to “who wrote ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’” is simply: Lennon–McCartney.

TL;DR: If you’re answering “who wrote with a little help from my friends,” the correct response is: John Lennon and Paul McCartney (credited as Lennon–McCartney).

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