What Goes On
Beatles · Rubber soul
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
The other day I saw you
As I walked along the road
But when I saw him with you
I could feel my future fold
It's so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
I met you in the morning
waiting for the tides of time
But now the tide is turning
I can see that I was blind
It's so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
I used to think of no on else
But you were just the same
You didn't even think of me
As someone with a name
Did you mean to break my heart and watch me die
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
in your mind
in your mind
What Goes On
Released on the 1965 album Rubber Soul, "What Goes On" stands as a quintessential example of the Beatles' transition from pop to folk-rock. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the track features a distinctive acoustic guitar intro and a driving rhythm section that defines the band's evolving sound during the mid-1960s. The song explores themes of relationship uncertainty and the passage of time, utilizing a simple yet effective structure that allowed the vocal harmonies to shine. As a staple of the Rubber Soul era, it reflects the group's growing sophistication and their move away from the polished production of their earlier work toward a more organic, guitar-driven approach that would influence countless artists in the British Invasion and beyond.