TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 83

"I'm So Tired" (Lennon – November 25, 1968)

The BEATLES (a.k.a., The White Album) – Side 2, Track 2 (2:03)
YouTube (Lennon Accoustic Demo)

From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone and About.com –

"I'm So Tired" is a song by The Beatles from their double-disc album The BEATLES (also known as The White Album). It was written and sung by John Lennon, though credited to Lennon–McCartney.

Composition – 

Lennon wrote the song at a Transcendental Meditation camp when he could not sleep. The Beatles had gone on a retreat to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India. After three weeks of constant meditation and lectures, Lennon missed his soon-to-be wife, Yoko Ono, and was plagued by insomnia that inspired the song. One of dozens of songs the Beatles wrote in India, "I'm So Tired" detailed Lennon's fragile state of mind. It was also an open letter to Ono, whose postcards to Lennon in India were a lifeline. "I got so excited about her letters," he said. "I started thinking of her as a woman, and not just an intellectual woman." Lennon later said of it: "One of my favorite tracks. I just like the sound of it, and I sing it well".

The theme of insomnia complements Lennon's earlier song "I'm Only Sleeping" on the Revolver album.

The song is in the key of A-major and features Lennon singing the main tune in a slow, flowing fashion while the rest of the band sings the chorus, which is repeated twice and yelled at the end of the second time.

Recording – 

An early demo of the song was recorded at George Harrison's Esher home, in May 1968. It was basically identical to the released version in terms of verse, but it does include a spoken section reminiscent of a similar section in "Happiness Is A Warm Gun". It goes as such: "When I hold you, in your arms, When you show me, each one of your charms, I wonder should I get up, and go to the funny farm. No, no, no!"

This section was probably improvised at the time, as it was never used again. The song was recorded on 8 October 1968 and was completed including all overdubs in this one session. The Beatles also started and completed "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" during the same recording session. The chorus of the monaural mix of the song features louder backing vocals from Paul McCartney than the stereo mix.

Takes: 14

Personnel

John Lennon – Lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, organ

Paul McCartney – Bass guitar, electric piano, backing vocal
George Harrison – Lead guitar
Ringo Starr – Drums

Trivia –  

One of the most famous moments in the history of the "Paul is Dead" hoax occurs just as "I'm So Tired" ends: John begins mumbling sleepily, much like his drowse on "I'm Only Sleeping." When reversed, the mumbling sounds remarkably like the words "Paul is dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him." Though the Beatles continually denied ever inserting hidden messages, and though technology at the time would have made recording a forwards-sung back-masking very difficult indeed, the rumors persisted. Even less likely is the widely-reported translation of John's forward singing as "Monsieur, Monsieur, Monsieur, how about another one?" reportedly referring to ordering a drink. Close examination of the mumbling reveals that it's really just nonsense. (The phrase ends with a high-pitched "pleh" from someone other than John; this is the final second of the track but has often been erroneously cut as the first second of the following song, "Blackbird.")

The last lines of the last verse are classic John: "I'll have another cigarette / And curse Sir Walter Raleigh / he was such a stupid git." Sir Walter Raleigh was the Englishman who first introduced tobacco to England, and therefore implicit in John's addiction. (Though there was an American cigarette called "Raleigh" just for this reason, Lennon actually smoked thin black French cigarettes called Galoises, which are still available today.) "Git" is a rude and somewhat generic Cockney term for an unlikable person; Liverpudlians like John pronounced it with a hard, Scottish "short e" sound, rendering it "get" and making it rhyme with "cigarette."

Paul actually sang a slower, comical, Dylanesque version of "I'm So Tired" during the rehearsals for the Get Back/Let It Be project.

Paul's harmonies in the chorus are louder in the mono mix.

On May 19, 1968, as wife Cynthia vacationed in Greece, John invited Yoko to his London home. The two spent that night making an experimental album of "found sounds" that was later released as Two Virgins; as the sun rose, they consummated their relationship. When Cynthia returned the next day, she found Yoko in her bathrobe. John nonchalantly said "Hi." His wife left him immediately.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) January 17 – 

1962 – Performance at the Cavern, with the Remo Four, and Ian and the Zodiacs.

1963 – "Please Please Me" enters the UK Record Retailer chart.

1964 – "I Want To Hold Your Hand" number 1 (US Cashbox chart).

1967 – Studio 2. 7.00pm-12.30am. Recording: "Penny Lane" (overdub onto take 9). Mono mixing: 'Penny Lane' (remixes 9-11, from take 9). Tape copying: 'Penny Lane' (of remix mono 11). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Phil McDonald. 

– Recording of the B flat piccolo trumpet solo for "Penny Lane", performed by David Mason.

– Article published in the "Daily Mail": "The holes in our roads".

– Agreement between Epstein and Ashley Kozak, Donovan's manager: he will play a 6-day engagement at the Saville Theatre.

1968 – George returns to London.

– RCA House, London. Lunchtime reception in honour of Grapefruit, attended by John, Paul and Ringo.

1969 – UK LP release: Yellow Submarine.

1970 – "Live Peace In Toronto", 2nd week in the ranking (Billboard).

1990 – Paul's concert in Wembley ("Get Back Tour").