TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 57

"I'm Only Sleeping" (Lennon – June 20, 1966)

Yesterday and Today – Side 1, Track 2 (2:58)
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From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com, and Google –

"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by The Beatles from their 1966 studio album Revolver. It was released two months earlier in the US on the album Yesterday And Today and did not feature on the original US version of Revolver. John Lennon wrote it, but, like all The Beatles' songs written by Lennon or Paul McCartney, it is credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Interpretation –

The first draft of Lennon's lyrics for "I'm Only Sleeping", written on the back of a letter from 1966, suggests that he was writing about the joys of staying in bed rather than any drug euphoria sometimes read into the lyrics. While not on tour, due to his lack of routine, Lennon would often spend his time sleeping, reading, writing or watching television, often under the influence of drugs, and would often have to be woken by McCartney for songwriting sessions. In a London Evening Standard article published on 4 March 1966, which contained quotes from an interview in which Lennon made his "more popular than Jesus" remark, Maureen Cleave, a friend of Lennon's, wrote, "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England. 'Physically lazy,' he said. 'I don't mind writing or reading or watching or speaking, but sex is the only physical thing I can be bothered with any more.'"

History –

The idea for "I'm Only Sleeping" was John's, who rather cleverly worked his natural love of staying in bed -- even when not sleeping -- into a symbol of cultural rebelliousness. On April 25, 1966, John wrote the verse and chorus, jotting down lyrics on the back of an envelope from the post office reminding him to pay his "radio licence." (The UK charges a tax on owning radios and televisions, in order to offset public television station costs.) The original lyrics contain a repetition of the phrase "Got to get to sleep," left out of the final version, and the phase "float downstream," which Lennon, who loved surreal wordplay, later changed to "float upstream."

Two days later, he began recording the song with the band, in their usual configuration, but with an unknown member on vibes. (At this time, the song was completed; Paul is thought to have contributed the idea and melody for the bridge "Keeping an eye on the world going by my window.") After laying down 11 takes, John left the song alone, unsatisfied with the results. Two days later, the band attempted to re-record the song, beginning work just after final overdubs on "Eleanor Rigby." Five takes were done, but ultimately the group decided to overdub onto the final (11th take) done two days earlier. (The attempted remake was mostly taped over, but a fragment exists on Anthology 2).

On April 5, John (or George, or George Martin, depending on whom you believe) decided that a backwards guitar solo was needed -- the first of its kind on any recording. Supposedly this idea came about because John had threaded the master tape in the wrong way and the song came out backward, but this seems unlikely, as John had recorded the b-side "Rain" a few weeks earlier, and the whole ending of the song was reversed at that time. (Indeed, the story of John threading the tape backwards has been attributed to that song, as well).

Whatever the reason, it was decided that, in order to make the solo come out correctly on top of the chords, George would write a solo that sounded good backwards, then reverse the notes, learn it, and play it forward! This arduous process took one whole 14 hour session, as George actually recorded two solos -- one with "fuzz" effects, one without -- and laid them down on top of each other. When the tape was reversed, the solo fit perfectly. On May 6, vocal parts were laid down, and the song was finished.

Perhaps in order to achieve the dreamy effect John felt he wasn't getting in the first 11 takes, the instrumental track for "I'm Only Sleeping" was slowed down during production, dropping it from its key of E minor to a key approximating Eb. Then, John's artificially double-tracked vocal was recorded even slower and sped up to match the instrumental tracks. The effect is disorienting.

Recording –

Takes: 13

Personnel

John Lennon – Lead vocals (double-tracked), acoustic rhythm guitar (1963 Gibson "Super Jumbo" J-200)
Paul McCartney – Harmony and backing vocals, bass guitar (1964 Rickenbacker 325)
George Harrison – Harmony and backing vocals, lead guitar (1965 Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino)
Ringo Starr – Drums (Ludwig)

Release – 

The song was first released on 20 June 1966 as track 2 on the U.S. album Yesterday And Today and on 5 August 1966 as track 3 on Revolver, the album for which the song was originally intended. The U.S. version of Revolver did not feature the song as it had already been released: USA Beatles releases frequently differed from the UK versions. 

The mono and stereo versions of "I'm Only Sleeping" differ in the positioning of the backwards guitar.

US mono version: No backwards track during the second verse but a quick fragment is heard on the "time" in "taking my time" and "ceiling" in "lying there and staring at the ceiling". The track is fully intact during the instrumental break and continues into the words "please don't" in "please don't spoil my day". Near the end of the song the backwards track starts four beats after the last word "sleeping".

US re-channeled stereo version: This version was mixed from the US mono version of the song but has far more reverb.

US stereo version: Backwards track on "everywhere at such a speed" and "find there's no need". The track stops at the end of the solo and at the end of the song, starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

UK mono version: Backwards track on "...where at such a speed," "there's no need" and "staring at the ceiling". The track stops at the end of the solo and at the end of the song, starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

UK stereo version: Backwards track on "running everywhere at such a speed" and "till they find there's no need". The track fades in two bars into the solo but continues into the word "please" in "please don't spoil my day". At the end of the song, the track starts immediately after the word "sleeping".

Since the release of The Beatles' music on CDs in 1987, the UK stereo version of the album has become the standard version in the US.

Part of an instrumental rehearsal of the song featuring a vibraphone and the first take of the song from 29 April 1966 were released on the 1996 album Anthology 2. The UK mono version of Revolver was released on CD as part of the 2009 The Beatles in Mono re-mastered box set.


Trivia –

There are five different mixes for this song: the original mono and stereo mixes, the US mono and stereo mixes, done for the compilation album "Yesterday"... and Today, and a "mono rechanneled into stereo" mix, laden with heavy reverb, used on the first pressing of the US stereo Yesterday, album, but deleted thereafter. (There are actually two other rough mixes made that never made it to record.) "I'm Only Sleeping" is unique among Beatles songs in this regard: the famous backwards solo drops in and out of various places during each mix!

The UK stereo mix brings the backwards guitar in on the words "everywhere at such a speed" and "find there's no need," leaves it out entirely in the third verse, and comes back after the last "sleeping" in the last chorus. The UK mono mix brings the verse 2 guitar in early, on "where at such a speed" and "there's no need," brings it back in during verse 3, on "staring at the ceiling," and otherwise follows the stereo mix. The US stereo brings the verse 2 guitar in early, on "running everywhere at such a speed" and "till they find there's no need," fades the guitar back in just after the solo, and otherwise matches the UK stereo. Finally, the US mono leaves the backwards guitar out of verse 2, brings it on "time" and "ceiling" in verse 3, lets the solo bleed into the beginning of the last chorus, and waits four beats to come back in after the word "sleeping" in the last chorus. The US 8-track also reportedly has the entire backward guitar track delayed one second during the entire solo.

Just after the second chorus, John can be heard, very faintly, saying "yawn, Paul." And he does -- the yawn is very audible just before the second bridge.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) February 12 –

1963 – Concert at the Azena Ballroom, Sheffield (Helen Shapiro tour).

1964 – Two 25-minute performances at the New York Carnegie Hall. Dezo Hoffmann and Brian attend.

– British Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home and US President Lyndon B. Johnson meet at the White House. Johnson says: 'I like your advance guard. But don't you think they need haircuts?'

– "She Loves You", 24th and last week in the Top 30 (UK New Musical Express chart). 
– Please Please Me LP, 47th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). 
– With The Beatles number 1, 12th week (UK New Musical Express chart).

1965 – Brighton. Ringo and Maureen's wedding trip. Ringo receives reporters to officially announce his marriage.
– New Musical Express announces that the Beatles will star on a film version of the novel 'A Talent For Loving'.

1966 – Brian is at the New Arts Theatre, London, as producer of A Smashing Day.

1967 – Evening: Brian attends 'Disc and Music Echo' Valentine awards night, at the Hilton Hotel, London.

1969 – Yellow Submarine LP, 4th week in the ranking (UK New Musical Express chart).

1970 – BBC-TV's Top Of The Pops first broadcasts John's performance of 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)' (filmed 11 February 1970).

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