ates ▁during ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁The ▁Beat les ▁Anth ology . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁insp iration ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁inspired ▁from ▁two ▁different ▁sources : ▁from ▁a ▁poem ▁p enn ed ▁by ▁Robert ▁Brow ning ▁titled ▁" R ab bi ▁ben ▁Ez ra " ▁and ▁a ▁song ▁by ▁L enn on ' s ▁wife ▁Y oko ▁O no ▁called ▁" Let ▁Me ▁Count ▁the ▁W ays " ▁( which ▁in ▁turn ▁had ▁been ▁inspired ▁from ▁a ▁poem ▁by ▁Elizabeth ▁Bar rett ▁Brow ning ). ▁ ▁L enn on ▁and ▁O no ▁had ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁adm ired ▁the ▁poetry ▁of ▁Robert ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Brow ning , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁songs ▁were ▁pur pos ely ▁written ▁with ▁the ▁couple ▁in ▁mind . ▁ ▁O no ▁w oke ▁up ▁one ▁morning ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁with ▁the ▁music ▁of ▁" Let ▁Me ▁Count ▁the ▁W ays " ▁in ▁her ▁head ▁and ▁prompt ly ▁rang ▁L enn on ▁in ▁B erm uda ▁to ▁play ▁it ▁for ▁him . ▁L enn on ▁loved ▁the ▁song ▁and ▁O no ▁then ▁suggested ▁to ▁him ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁write ▁a ▁Robert ▁Brow ning ▁piece ▁to ▁accomp any ▁it . ▁That ▁afternoon , ▁John ▁was ▁watching ▁TV ▁when ▁a ▁film ▁came ▁on ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁poem ▁" R ab bi ▁Ben ▁Ez ra " ▁by ▁Robert ▁Brow ning ▁in ▁it . ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁this ▁turn ▁of ▁events , ▁L enn on ▁wrote ▁" G row ▁Old ▁with ▁Me " ▁as ▁an ▁answer ▁to