TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 66

"Nowhere Man" (Lennon – February 21, 1966)

Rubber Soul – Side 1, Track 4 (2:40) 

YouTube (Live in Munich, 1966)

From  Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com and Google –

"Nowhere Man" is a song by the Beatles, from their album Rubber Soul. The song was written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney).

It was recorded on 21 and 22 October 1965. "Nowhere Man" is among the very first Beatles' songs to be entirely unrelated to romance or love, and marks a notable instance of Lennon's philosophically-oriented songwriting. It was released as a single (although not in the United Kingdom) on 21 February 1966, and reached #1 in Australia and Canada and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison sing the song in three-part harmony. The song appears in the film Yellow Submarine, where the Beatles sing it about the character Jeremy Hillary Boob after meeting him in the "nowhere land".

George and John play identical "sonic blue" Fender Strats—John plays in the verses and George on the solo.

History –

A gentle folk-rock ballad crafted entirely by John sometime in the fall of 1965 at his home in Kenwood, St. George’s Hill Estate, Weybridge, Surrey. In his recollection, he'd stayed up all night trying desperately to come up with another song for the band's new album. Then, around dawn, after giving up and laying down to sleep, he chanced upon a phrase, "nowhere man," which described how he felt about himself at that moment ("I thought of myself sitting there, doing nothing and getting nowhere"). He immediately came up with the first verse and bridge, which he finished later. Paul's contribution was, by most accounts, negligible.

Lennon was never particularly fond of this song, as with all his "works for hire" -- he preferred to wait for inspiration to strike rather than have it occur from a deadline. However, most fans and critics agree it's one of the best songs to emanate from the group's "middle period."

"Nowhere Man" was certainly recorded like an afterthought, coming at the end of two sessions for self-penned songs John liked much better: "Norwegian Wood" and "In My Life."

The twin chiming guitars on this song are identical "sonic blue" Fender Strats -- one played by John in the verses and one used by George for the solo. These were both sent to the band during the recording of Help! The solo here is considered one of George's best.

Although other songs from Rubber Soul dealt with social issues rather than romantic love ("Think For Yourself," "The Word"), this is notable as being the first Beatles single to make such a break from convention.

Interpretation –

Lennon claimed that he wrote the song about himself. He wrote it after racking his brain in desperation for five hours, trying to come up with another song for Rubber Soul. Lennon toldPlayboy magazine:"I'd spent five hours that morning trying to write a song that was meaningful and good, and I finally gave up and lay down. Then 'Nowhere Man' came, words and music, the whole damn thing as I lay down".

McCartney said of the song:" That was John after a night out, with dawn coming up. I think at that point, he was a bit...wondering where he was going, and to be truthful so was I. I was starting to worry about him".

Musical structure –

The song begins with E (I dominant) chord ("He's a real") and then involves a 5-4-3-2-1 pitch descent between the B (V dominant) chord ("nowhere man") and A (IV subdominant) chord ("sitting in"); but the entrancing twist comes where Am (iv minor) replaces A in the final verse ("nowhere plans") and the simultaneous G# note melody creates a dissonant Am/major 7. The middle eight, which appears three times, seesaws on a G# minor/A major sequence before falling back on an F# minor and leading back to the verse on a B7.

Recording –

Takes: 4

Personnel

John Lennon: lead vocals, lead guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster), rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)
George Harrison: harmony vocals, lead guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster)
Ringo Starr: drums (Ludwig)

Trivia –

Although Paul has suggested in interviews that the guitars for this track were put through more than one set of faders, to give them an ultra-trebly sound, the finished recording shows no evidence it worked. (The Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs release of Rubber Soul 1984, however, does, having been mastered at a slower speed than usual.)

The 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine -- a project backed by the Beatles but not featuring them personally -- contains a strange little character named Jeremy Hilary Boob, who leads the four "Beatles" around a place called "Pepperland." In the film, this song is used to define Jeremy as a lonely character. 

This is rumored to be Bob Dylan's favorite Beatles song.  

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) February 3 – 

1955 – Brian Epstein is appointed a director of NEMS Enterprises.

1962 – Performance at Manchester. Second performance under Brian's management.

1963 – "Please Please Me" number 47 (UK Melody Market chart).
– Start of Helen Shapiro Tour, with Danny Williams, Kenny Linch, Kestrels, and the Red Price Orchestra. 1st Beatles British tour. 
– Concert at the Gaumont, Bradford. Performance filmed for complete transmission on ABC-TV and, later, partial transmission on 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'.

1966 – "We Can Work It Out", 9th week in the Top 30 (UK New Musical Express chart).
– "Rubber Soul" number 1, 9th week (UK New Musical Express chart).
– End of D'Oyly Carte Opera performances at the Saville Theatre.

1967 – Studio 2. 7.00pm-1.45am. Recording: "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (overdub onto take 9, tape reduction take 9 into take 10). Mono mixing: "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (remix 1, from take 10). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
– Paul poses for photographers at his house.

1968 – Neil Aspinall and Stephen Maltz become Dandie Fashion's directors.
– BBC Television Rehearsal Rooms, Victoria Road, London. 

– Ringo rehearses his appearance on the Cilla TV show.

1969 – Yoko is divorced from Tony Cox. Yoko is granted custody of Kyoko.