"I'll Cry Instead" is a John Lennon composition credited to Lennon/McCartney, and recorded by The Beatles for the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night.
Lennon wrote the song for the "break-out" sequence in the film. The song was recorded on 1 June 1964 in two sections, A and B, which could then be spliced together at a later date to achieve the required length to fit the film. However, director Richard Lester eventually decided he preferred the livelier "Can't Buy Me Love" with its upbeat lyric, and that was used instead. When Walter Shenson re-released the film in 1981, "I'll Cry Instead" was included in a re-vamped opening sequence.
"I'll Cry Instead" was described by Cynthia Lennon as a cry for help, saying "It reflects the frustration he [John Lennon] felt at that time. He was the idol of millions, but the freedom and fun of the early days had gone." John Lennon later said the line.
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