The Beatles » Tracks » I'm Only Sleeping

The Beatles – I'm Only Sleeping (2:57)

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About This Track

“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.”
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Albums featuring this track

  • Revolver
    The Beatles Play
    Buy
  • Yesterday... and Today
    The Beatles Play
    Buy
  • Revolver - Alternative
    The Beatles Play
    Buy
  • Revolver (MFCD Mono Remaster)
    The Beatles Play
    Buy
See all 10 albums

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  • jessthehippie91

    I've listened to the whole Beatles Discography, except I'd sort of missed Revolver. I somewhat recently came across this, and my mind literally flew to Pluto and beyond. Holy fuuuck. Peace + Love

    yesterday morning

  • paradrome

    <33 zzzzzzzzz :)

    Monday morning

  • SgtPepper1992

    John had such a great voice <3

    last week

  • Sandman2527

    i love waking up to this...

    16 days ago

  • WarriorJones

    Absolute favourite Beatles song. [2]

    22 days ago

  • Bliss8117

    Absolute favourite Beatles song.

    23 days ago

  • paradrome

    this was my first Xmas gift from.....

    24 days ago

  • Count_Blah

    meh.

    last month

  • KasparovDeepBlu

    dat vocal harmony

    last month

  • helloimjoshua

    love the vocals in this

    March 2012

  • Ariues

    thats paul mccratneys voice doing lead right?

    February 2012

  • BlueOclock

    What a song...thank you John Lennon & The Beatles!

    February 2012

  • lottadogs

    the bass is outa sight...way cool song

    February 2012

  • timmycbc

    wake up to this song, smoke a bowl, go back to sleep, and repeat.

    February 2012

  • bobbehr

    love the lilting tempo

    February 2012

  • theDecapitator

    How could anyone not love this?

    January 2012

  • minipunkin101

    :D

    January 2012

  • HoldenMcJai

    Puts me in a good state of mind <3

    December 2011

  • pedroyvo

    6 hours listening, without interruption (and couting)

    December 2011

  • blazikens

    possibly my theme song every day

    December 2011
See all 287 shouts

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