View source for She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name     = She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
| cover    = Beatles-she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window.jpg
| cover_size = 160px
| caption  = Cover of the song's sheet music
| alt      =
| type     =
| artist   = [[the Beatles]]
| album    = [[Abbey Road]]
| released = 26 September 1969
| format   =
| recorded = 25–30 July 1969
| studio   = [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI]], London
| venue    =
| genre    = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length   = 1:57
| label    = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer   = [[Lennon–McCartney]]
| producer = [[George Martin]]
| chronology = ''The Medley''
| prev_title = [[Polythene Pam]]
| next_title = [[Golden Slumbers]]
| misc     = {{Audio sample
 | type        = song
 | file        = Beatles bathroomwindow.ogg
 | description = "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window"
}}
}}

"'''She Came In Through the Bathroom Window'''" is a song by the English rock band [[the Beatles]] from their 1969 album ''[[Abbey Road]]''. Written by [[Paul McCartney]] and credited to [[Lennon–McCartney]], it is the fifth song of the album's climactic [[Abbey Road#Medley|medley]], immediately following "[[Polythene Pam]]".

==Origin==
McCartney said the song was inspired by one of the fans who hung around outside McCartney's [[St John's Wood]] home, and who had broken in, later revealed to be Diane Ashley. She said:

{{quote|We were bored, he was out and so we decided to pay him a visit. We found a ladder in his garden and stuck it up at the bathroom window which he'd left slightly open. I was the one who climbed up and got in.}}

She then opened the front door to let the others inside. In addition to clothes, the fans also stole a number of photographs. 

==Recording==
The rhythm track was recorded by the Beatles for this and "[[Polythene Pam]]" as one piece on 25 July 1969. After take 39, they added lead vocals, and re-recorded the drums and bass parts. On 28 July they added more vocals, guitar, percussion and piano. The song was completed two days later with additional guitar and percussion.{{sfn|The Beatles Bible|2008}} "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" segues abruptly after "Polythene Pam", the song on the preceding track, without pause.  At the very beginning of the song, in anticipation of the change of tempo, [[John Lennon]] gives out a laugh and then shouts "Oh, look out!"{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=330}}

A slower version of this song, recorded in late January 1969 during the ''[[Let It Be (album)|Get Back]]'' sessions, appears on the 1996 compilation ''[[Anthology 3]]'', while an in-progress version is featured on the 2021 [[Let It Be: 50th Anniversary Edition|''Let It Be'' 50th Anniversary Edition]].<ref name="winn">{{cite book |last=Winn |first=John C. |title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-307-45239-9 |page=250}}</ref>
==Reception==
"She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" is one of the most popular sections of the medley.<ref name = "AMsongreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window-mt0010100303|title=She Came in Through the Bathroom Window – The Beatles – Listen, Appearances, Song Review|first=Richie|last=Unterberger|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref> Dennis Jovenetti of [[Utah State University]]'s ''Student Life'' paper cited it and "Because" as an example of the medley's, as well as overall album's, musical diversity. He categorized it as [[hard rock]], with "very fine" guitar fills from Harrison between the lyrics.<ref name = "StudentLifealbumrev">{{cite news|last=Jovenetti|first=Dennis|date=27 October 1969|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/602551066/?match=1&terms=%22She%20Came%20In%20Through%20the%20Bathroom%20Window%22|title=Right On!|newspaper=Student Life|location=[[Utah State University]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|page=4|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref> 

Ritchie Yorke of the ''[[Houston Post]]'' called it "a very good song of Paul's with great lyrics."<ref>{{cite news|last=Yorke|first=Ritchie|date=28 September 1969|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1196447483/?match=1&terms=%22Mean%20Mr.%20Mustard%22|title=A new Beatles album|newspaper=[[Houston Post]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|page=30|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref> Jovenetti cited the line "So I quit the police department, and got myself a steady job" as an example of the album's "funky lyrics".<ref name = "StudentLifealbumrev"/>

==Personnel==
According to [[Walter Everett (musicologist)|Walter Everett]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Everett|first=Walter|author-link=Walter Everett (musicologist)|year=1999|title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesasmusicia00ever_844|url-access=limited|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-19-512941-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/beatlesasmusicia00ever_844/page/n286 266]–67}}</ref> except where noted:

* [[Paul McCartney]] – lead and harmony vocals, bass guitar
* [[John Lennon]] – 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* [[George Harrison]] – lead guitar, backing vocals
* [[Ringo Starr]] – drums
* uncredited – tambourine, [[maraca]]s, "whipcrack" percussion<ref>{{cite book|last=Winn|first=John C.|year=2009|title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970|publisher=Three Rivers Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-307-45239-9|page=310}}</ref>

==Notable cover versions==
* In 1970, [[Joe Cocker]]'s cover of this song reached number 30 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' top 40]], number 18 on the [[Dutch Single Top 100]], and 19 on the [[Dutch Top 40]].{{sfn|SuperSeventies.com|2010}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Joe+Cocker&titel=She+Came+In+Through+The+Bathroom+Window&cat=s|title=Joe Cocker - She Came In Through The Bathroom Window|language=nl|website=[[Dutch Charts]]|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/joe-cocker/joe-cocker-she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window-11504|title=Joe Cocker! - She Came In Through The Bathroom Window|language=nl|publisher=[[Dutch Top 40]]|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref> ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]''{{'}}s Raoul Hernandez, reporting on Cocker's performance at Wimberley's Blue Hole in Texas, opined his three Beatles covers, including "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" "were worth the proverbial price of admission".<ref>{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Raoul|date=24 July 2012|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2012-07-24/she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window/|title=She Came in Through the Bathroom Window|work=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|access-date=2 July 2025}}</ref>
* [[Ike and Tina Turner]] released a cover of this song as a European single from their 1972 album ''[[Feel Good (Ike & Tina Turner album)|Feel Good]]''. A live version is available on their 1973 album ''[[Live! The World of Ike & Tina|The World of Ike & Tina]]''.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{cite video
| people=Brewer, Jon (producer/director)
| title=The Classic Artists Series: The Moody Blues
| publisher=DVD UK Ltd
| date=2006
| ref={{SfnRef|DVD UK Ltd|2006}}
}}
* {{cite web
| work=SuperSeventies.com
| year=2010
| title=Joe Cocker – In His Own Words
| url=http://www.superseventies.com/ssjoecocker.html
| ref={{SfnRef|SuperSeventies.com|2010}}
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Riley
| first=Tim
| year=2002
| title=Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary
| publisher=Da Capo Press
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2p0JyB0_-8C
| isbn=0-306-81120-0
}}
* {{cite web
| work=The Beatles Bible
| year=2008
| title=She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
| url=http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window/
| access-date=27 October 2008
| ref={{SfnRef|The Beatles Bible|2008}}
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Turner
| first=Steve
| year=2005
| author-link=Steve Turner (writer)
| title=A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song
| publisher=[[Harper Paperbacks]]
| location=New York
| edition=3rd
| isbn=0-06-084409-4
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Abbey Road}}
* {{noteson|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/scittbw.shtml|She Came In Through The Bathroom Window}}

{{Abbey Road}}{{Ike & Tina Turner}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:She Came In Through The Bathroom Window}}
[[Category:1969 songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Lennon–McCartney]]
[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:Joe Cocker songs]]
[[Category:The Youngbloods songs]]
[[Category:Ike & Tina Turner songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Songs published by Northern Songs]]