Strawberry Fields Forever (4:26)

“Strawberry Fields Forever” is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Recorded at the end of 1966, the song was written by John Lennon during the filming of How I Won The War, but is credited to Lennon/McCartney. It is named after a Salvation Army house in Liverpool where Lennon played as a child.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” begins with Lennon’s vocals and accompaniment by the rest of the group; beginning at one minute into the song, Lennon is accompanied by an orchestral score. After the third verse and refrain, the song fades out and fades in again to dissonant melodies with Lennon saying, “cranberry sauce” (although this was misheard by many Paul is dead theorists as Lennon saying, “I buried Paul”).

While “Strawberry Fields Forever” was originally recorded for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), it was instead released on 13 February 1967 in the UK, and 17 February 1967 in the United States as a double A-side single, backed with Paul McCartney’s “Penny Lane”. “Strawberry Fields Forever” reached number eight in the US, with numerous critics describing it as one of the group’s best recordings.

It is one of the defining works of the psychedelic rock genre and has been covered by many other artists. The song was later included on the American Magical Mystery Tour LP (1967). The Strawberry Fields memorial in New York City’s Central Park (near the site of Lennon’s murder at The Dakota apartment building) was named after the song.