‘She'd Rather Be with Me’ is a song written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and released by the Turtles in 1967. The song was the follow-up to ‘Happy Together’. The song was a major international hit, and spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 3, while reaching No. 1 on Record World's "100 Top Pops", No. 1 on Canada's "RPM 100", No. 1 in South Africa, No. 2 on the Cash Box Top 100, No. 3 in Denmark, and No. 3 on the Irish Singles Chart. The song also spent 15 weeks on the UK's Record Retailer chart, peaking at No. 4, making it The Turtles' biggest hit in the United Kingdom. The song was a major hit in many other nations as well.
Joe Wissert's production of this song features an entire orchestra and a prominent clanging cowbell. Vocalist Howard Kaylan admitted to Uncut that he and his bandmates were disappointed with the choice of follow-up to ‘Happy Together’: "We were kind of distraught, because it was such a 1920s razzmatazz kind of a song compared to this mysterious and glorious record we had just bought out. It was like following up 'Good Vibrations' with 'Barbara Ann.' I can't explain it, but it got higher on the (UK) charts than 'Happy Together' did, and on the strength of that record we went over to England."
Allmusic critic Stewart Mason described ‘She'd Rather Be with Me’ as a "big, brassy pop song" that was "probably the least ironically cheerful single the Turtles ever did." Mason describes Howard Kaylan's lead vocal as evoking "unfeigned giddiness" and comments on the "huge production" including a full orchestra and prominent cowbell.
Label – White Whale
Songwriters – Garry Bonner, Alan Gordon
Producer – Joe Wissert
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Some girls love to run around
Love to handle everything they see
But my girl has more fun around
And you know she'd rather be with me
[Chorus]
Me oh my (Me oh my), lucky guy is what I am
Tell you why, you'll understand
She don't fly although she can
[Verse 2]
Some boys (Some boys) love to run around
They don't think about the things they do
But this boy (This boy) wants to settle down
And you know he'd rather be with you
[Chorus]
Me oh my, lucky guy is what I am
Tell you why, you'll understand
She don't fly although she can
[Bridge]
(Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba-ba, ba)
(Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba-ba, ba)
(Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba-ba, ba)
(Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba-ba, ba)
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[Verse 3]
Some girls (Some girls) love to run around
Love to handle everything they see
But my girl (My girl) has more fun around
And you know she'd rather be with
Yes, she'd rather be with
You know she'd rather be with me
[Outro]
(Ra-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa, pa)
You know she'd rather be with me (Pa, pa, pa, pa)
(Ra-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa, pa)
You know she'd rather be with me (Pa, pa, pa, pa)
(Ra-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa, pa)
You know she'd rather be with me (Pa, pa, pa, pa)
(Ra-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa, pa)