Did you know that The Beatles recorded in German? It was common in the 1960s for artists to record for the German market, but the lyrics also needed to be translated to German. Though only two recordings were officially released, it is interesting to see how two of the band's most popular songs sound in another language.

The Beatles Sang in German with Camillo Felgen's Help

On January 29, 1964 in a Paris recording studio, The Beatles recorded two of their hit songs in German. The instrumental music tracks were the originals used for the English recordings, but the German lyrics had been hurriedly written by a Luxembourger named Camillo Felgen (1920-2005).

Felgen often told the story of how EMI's German producer, Otto Demler, had desperately flown him to Paris and the Hotel George V, where The Beatles were staying. The Beatles, in Paris for a concert tour, had reluctantly agreed to make two German recordings. Felgen, who was then a program director at Radio Luxembourg (now RTL), had less than 24 hours to finalize the German lyrics and coach the Beatles (phonetically) in German.

The recordings they made at the Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris on that winter day in 1964 turned out to be the only songs The Beatles ever recorded in German. It was also the only time they ever recorded songs outside of London.

With Felgen's guidance, the Fab Four managed to sing the German words to “Sie liebt dich” ("She Loves You") and “Komm gib mir deine Hand” (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”).

How The Beatles Translated into German

To give you a bit of perspective on how the translation went, let's take a look at the actual lyrics as well as Felgen's translation and how that translates back into English.

It's interesting to see how Felgen managed to keep the meaning of the original lyrics as he worked the translation. It is not a direct translation, as you can see, but a compromise that takes into account the rhythm of the song and the syllables required for each line.

Any student of the German language will appreciate Felgen's work, especially given the amount of time he had to complete it.

The Original First Verse of "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something

I think you'll understand

When I'll say that something

I wanna hold your hand

Komm gib mir deine Hand (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”)

Music: The Beatles

- From the CD “Past Masters, Vol. 1”