"Getting Better" ... a question to the Beatles fans in the forum

[chrth_rb]

I've never really understood this:

"I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
Man I was mean but I'm changing my scene
And I'm doing the best that I can"

But

"I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better
Since you've been mine"

So who is this being sung too? Is it the "woman" he used to be cruel to? Is the "my woman" a generic term to reference past girlfriends and he's changed his ways with a new one? Or is it possibly a reference to another 3rd party, perhaps a child he had with his "woman"?

What do y'all think?

[justin19954]

The idea of "Getting Better" came to Paul McCartney while he was walking his dog, Martha. The sun started to rise on the walk and he thought "it's getting better." It also reminded him of something that Jimmy Nichol used to say quite often during the short period when he was The Beatles drummer. This song was a true collaborative effort for Lennon and McCartney, with Lennon adding that legendary part about being bad to his woman. He later admitted to being a "hitter" when it came to women. He said "I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself, and I hit.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=121

Good site for this stuff.

[chrth_rb]

Yeah, I know, but the addition of the lyric by Lennon sort of muddies the meaning (hence my question). Do you think they never noticed it made it ambiguous?

[the_ted]

I've always figured that "my woman" would be past women, otherwise why switch from second person to third? That's assuming it's meant to be consistent, it works just as well as a separate story with the same theme, being john's parallel "getting better" story.

[chrth_rb]

I've always figured that "my woman" would be past women, otherwise why switch from second person to third? That's assuming it's meant to be consistent, it works just as well as a separate story with the same theme, being john's parallel "getting better" story.

Does John sing that verse though? I thought it was still Paul

EDIT: The shift from second person to third is what made me originally think that the song was about a child, not a girlfriend. Of course, it could also be about a mistress that you met while still with your wom ... OHHHHHHHHHHH

[vcalzone]

Kinda makes Run For Your Life not so much fun, doesn't it?

GOD, I'm tempted to make an X-Men Siryn joke right now in regards to what changed his ways. I won't.

[deadpool247]

Kinda makes Run For Your Life not so much fun, doesn't it?

GOD, I'm tempted to make an X-Men Siryn joke right now in regards to what changed his ways. I won't.

As a Deadpool/X-Men fan, I got the reference. Dark, but I got it.

[Rich T.]

Kinda makes Run For Your Life not so much fun, doesn't it?

I read that John Lennon said, later, that he hated Run For Your Life.

[Beatles123]

its johns LYRIC, they'd do that, fill in blank spots. john was admitting that he beat woman (cinthia for one)

[RADIO CHRIS]

getting so much better all the time