The first song written by Ringo Starr for the Beatles, “Don’t Pass Me By” is “a rudimentary invention in country-and-western style embellished with bluegrass violin”, according to Beatles writer Ian MacDonald. It also serves as a major landmark in the maturing of the Beatles, as the first song on which Ringo Starr wrote the lyrics. He had previously performed songs given to him by the songwriting duo of McCartney-Lennon, or covers of old rock & roll standards.