The Beatles recorded this on the Apple Records rooftop on the afternoon of January 30, 1969. It appears in rooftop sequence of the movie Let It Be. It was their first live performance since they stopped touring in 1965.
There is a false start in this song that was caused by Ringo, as you can see Lennon looking back at him to make sure he's ready before they start again. What caused the hiccup is unclear: if you watch the clip, just as they are getting ready to count into the song, you see Ringo blowing smoke out of his mouth. There is a hesitation and you see him bending over, but it looks like he's already put his cigarette down prior to that.
In the 1988 film Imagine: John Lennon, home video footage reveals Lennon being asked about several lines from this song by a young man who was found hiding on the property surrounding Tittenhurst, Lennon's home in Ascot, England. Lennon assures him that the song refers to no specific person and that the lyrics are "nonsense," a lyrical technique he also attributes to unspecified Bob Dylan songs. John stated in 1969 about this song, "I just make it up as I go along." (thanks, Nick - La Crosse, WI)
The working title of this song was "Con A Lowry." Lennon changed it because, "'I con a Lowry' didn't sing well... it's got to be d's and p's you know."
Lennon wrote this as 2 songs: "All I Want Is You" and "Dig a Pony." In the original pressings of the Let It Be LP, it's listed as "All I Want Is You."
Producer Phil Spector cut out 2 lines for the album version. The unedited version is in the movie.
This song was listed as "I Dig A Pony" on the album (though that error was corrected for the CD). Some people thought that the line "Hi, hi hi, hi hiyeeee.... dig a pony" was "I, I, I, I Iyeeeeeeeee.... dig a pony." You can still find tabs online for "I Dig A Pony." (thanks, Loretta - Liverpool, England)
The line "I do a road hot" was originally "I dig a skylight" and then "I did a groundhog."