I'm Only Sleeping
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| “I'm Only Sleeping” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| Album | Revolver | |
| Released | 5 August 1966 | |
| Recorded | Abbey Road 27 April 1966 |
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| Genre | Psychedelic rock, Experimental rock | |
| Length | 3:01 | |
| Label | Parlophone | |
| Writer | Lennon-McCartney | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| Music sample | ||
| Revolver track listing | ||
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"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by The Beatles that appeared on their studio album Revolver (in the US on the Yesterday and Today album). Though the song-writing credit is Lennon-McCartney, it was written mostly by John Lennon. It is unique because it features a dual guitar solo by George Harrison played backwards and an electronically compressed rhythm guitar track. The solo is consistent with the rest of the song because Harrison took great pains to practice the entire melody of his solo backwards, so that when reversed and mixed in, it would fit the overall dreamlike mood of the rest of the song.
This hazy, disjointed mood on top of the lyrics suggest a drug-induced state rather than actual dreaming, and this is the most widely accepted interpretation of the song. However, the first draft of Lennon's lyrics for "I'm Only Sleeping", written on the back of a letter from 1966, suggest that he actually was writing about the joys of staying in bed rather than any drug euphoria. In fact, Lennon loved staying in bed or on a couch, and when he wasn't sleeping, he would sit in it and read, write, or watch television. In a March 1966 interview with Maureen Cleave, the same interview in which Lennon made his "more popular than Jesus" remark, Cleave said, "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England."
During the break before the second bridge at about 1:57 minutes into the song, a barely audible voice (probably Lennon's) can be heard saying, "Yawn, Paul." Following this, the slightly more audible sound of McCartney yawning can be heard at about 2:00 minutes into the song.
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[edit] Beatles versions
The mono and stereo versions "I'm Only Sleeping" differ greatly as to the positioning and tracking of the backwards guitar:
- U.K. stereo version: Features the backwards track during the second verse, through the entire instrumental break, and at the end of the song (immediately after the last verse).
- U.S. stereo version: Same as U.K. stereo, except that the track fades in a second after the beginning of the instrumental break, thus the first fragment is not heard.
- Mono version: No backwards track during the second verse, but a quick fragment is heard between "taking my time" and "lying there and staring at the ceiling" that does not appear on the stereo versions. The track is fully intact during the instrumental break. However, the first fragment from the ending is not heard as it fades in a second later.
[edit] Cover versions
- A cover of "I'm Only Sleeping" was the first solo single by British singer Suggs, best known as the lead singer of Madness. Released in August of 1995, the song reached #7 on the UK charts.
- In 2001, the song was covered for the movie I Am Sam by Australian garage rock band The Vines.
- Stereophonics and Oasis also covered this song live in 2006.
- Quorthon has a cover which can be heard on the third CD of In Memory of Quorthon.
- The song has also been covered by Elliott Smith as part of a series of unofficial live recordings.
- In 2007, Straylight Run recorded an acoustic cover of the song as a b-side to their album The Needles The Space. They later released it as part of a bonus-track deal through Newbury Comics.
[edit] Credits
- John Lennon — lead vocal, rhythm guitar (acoustic)
- Paul McCartney — bass guitar, harmony vocal
- George Harrison — backwards lead guitar, harmony vocal
- Ringo Starr — drums
[edit] References
- Turner, Steve. A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles' Song, Harper, New York: 1994, ISBN 0-06-095065-X
[edit] External links
- Lyrics
- Alan W. Pollack's Notes on I'm Only Sleeping
