"Birthday" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and performed by the The Beatles on The White Album. It is the opening track on the "third side" of the LP (or the second disc in CD versions of the record). This song is a prime example of the Beatles' return to more traditional rock and roll form, although their music had increased in complexity and it had developed more of its own characteristic style by this point. "Birthday" begins with an intro drum fill, the directly into a blues progression in A (in the form of a guitar riff doubled by the bass) with McCartney singing at the top of his chest voice, "They say it's your birthday/ Well it's my birthday too, yeah!" Afterwards, a drum break lasting eight measures brings the song into Lennon's section, which rests entirely on the dominant before returning to a third section, sung by McCartney. It is among the latter's most intense vocal performances given the range in which he sings during the blues run.
Personnel
Paul McCartney – vocal, piano, handclaps
John Lennon – vocal, backing vocal, lead guitar, handclaps
Philadelphia Phillies games play this song while showing the attendees celebrating their birthdays on the Jumbotron.
Similarly, Detroit Lions games play the song while showing the attendees celebrating their birthdays on the scoreboard screen.
On an episode of Full House, the family goes into Jesse's (John Stamos) bedroom to wake him up for his birthday. The family sings Birthday, while Joey imitates the guitar riff.
There are multiple instances in the "Hypno-Birthday to You" episode of Jimmy Neutron where you can hear "Birthday" in the background.
Notes
^MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, Second Revised Edition, London: Pimlico (Rand), 316. ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
