A new version of Revolver drops on October 28, 2022. Here's what’s in it.

The one Beatles song often cited as the most kid-friendly is without a doubt “Yellow Submarine.” There are kids’ books, toys, and even pretty rad magnetic puzzles focused on that brightly painted ship. But what if the most kid-oriented Fab song was actually super dark? In an upcoming re-released version of the 1966 album, Revolver, the world is about to get a dark, sad ballad version of the “Yellow Submarine” that might have been.

According to Giles Martin, the producer overseeing the new version of Revolver, an alternate take of the Paul McCartney-penned song finds John Lennon assuming that “Yellow Submarine” is a protest song. In an interview with Variety, Martin puts it like this: “[John Lennon] sings it as a sort of almost like Woody Guthrie-type, maudlin kind of thing.”

Famously, the released version of “Yellow Submarine” was sung by Ringo, even though it was written by Paul. So, the idea that we’re now getting a version of the song sung by John is mind-blowing. And the idea that John thought of the song as a much darker ballad is even more interesting.

But that’s not all. Revolver will also feature audio tracks of John and Paul talking about writing “Yellow Submarine,” which will likely shed even more light on the song’s mixed origins. Was it destined to be a strange homage to children’s music? Or something darker and more layered? Before appearing on the album titled Yellow Submarine, the track itself was just one of many wonderful songs on the August 1966 album Revolver, an album that some maintain is the best overall Beatles album, ever.

For these fans, the best era of Beatles discography is right smack in the middle. Before the high-concept meta-ness of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the psychedelia of Magical Mystery Tour, the Beatles released two back-to-back albums — Rubber Soul and Revolver — that bridge our perceptions of the “before” and “after” of the Fab Four.

The early Beatles were lovable mop-tops singing “Love Me Do” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The later Beatles are “I Am the Walrus,” and “Helter Skelter.” The brilliance of Revolver, with stand-outs like “Tomorrow Never Knows,” and “Eleanor Rigby,” stands right at the center of the Beatles continuum.

As many pop historians have stated many, many times, The Beatles were really only putting out albums between 1962 and 1970 — and there’s an astounding amount of variety in those eight years. The Let It Be-era documentary proved that you can’t really ever hit the bottom when it comes to new revelations about the Beatles, and the new version of Revolver seems to double down on that notion.

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the Fab Four, a new detail emerges. Nobody thought we would get a new version of “Yellow Submarine” in 2022, but here we are. It’s about to emerge from the depths of the past.

The new special edition of Revolver, complete with tons of bonus tracks and alternate takes, comes out on October 28, 2022. The super-deluxe version will be a 5-CD set. You can pre-order that set for $139.00 at the official Beatles store right here.

As per Variety, here’s the full tracklist for the super-deluxe new 2022 Revolver.

CD1: Revolver (New stereo mix)

9: And Your Bird Can Sing

12: I Want To Tell You

13: Got To Get You Into My Life

2: Tomorrow Never Knows (Mono mix RM 11)

3: Got To Get You Into My Life (First version) – Take 5

4: Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) – Unnumbered mix – mono

5: Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) – Take 8

6: Love You To (Take 1) – mono

7: Love You To (Unnumbered rehearsal) – mono

9: Paperback Writer (Takes 1 and 2) – Backing track – mono

11: Rain (Take 5 – Slowed down for master tape)

13: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) – Take 2

14: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) – Take 2 (giggling)

1: And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version) – Take 5

3: I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal fragment) – mono

4: I’m Only Sleeping (Take 2) – mono

5: I’m Only Sleeping (Take 5) – mono

6: I’m Only Sleeping (Mono mix RM1)

7: Eleanor Rigby (Speech before Take 2)

9: For No One (Take 10) – Backing track

10: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape – Part 1) – mono

11: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape – Part 2) – mono

12: Yellow Submarine (Take 4 before sound effects)

13: Yellow Submarine (Highlighted sound effects)

14: I Want To Tell You (Speech and Take 4)

15: Here, There And Everywhere (Take 6)

16: She Said She Said (John’s demo) – mono

17: She Said She Said (Take 15) – Backing track rehearsal

CD4: Revolver (Original mono master)

Album tracklist (same as above)

1: Paperback Writer (New stereo mix)

3: Paperback Writer (Original mono mix remastered)

4: Rain (Original mono mix remastered)