The Beatles may have some far out compositions, but they often shine most brilliantly when they keep things simple.
“I’m Only Sleeping” centres around a simple guitar strumming riff, with the vocal melodies playing an stunning part.
It is, perhaps obviously, a dreamy sort of song. The soft sound and slow tempo help to create a dazed, content feeling, like sinking into bed after a long day.
The backing vocals are particularly nice, with a very sweet choral sound.
Lyrically, the song expresses John Lennon’s feeling of wanting to take a break after the hectic tours of the Beatlemania era.
I often think it would be nice for the world to slow down a bit!
The weird guitar sound is a first for pop music. George Harrison recorded a couple of takes with the tape running backwards, creating that alien flowing sound.
The track also features a yawn from Paul McCartney!
The song is taken from the classic Revolver, released in 1966, although due to the label messing about, it was released earlier in the U.S. As a result there are a few different versions floating about.
Just wonderful!