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This song is about marijuana. Paul McCartney cleared this up in his 1998 book Many Years From Now when he explained that it was not about a particular person, but his desire to smoke pot.
Session musicians played trumpets and sax. It was the first time horns were used in a Beatles song.
Earth, Wind & Fire recorded a funky new version for the 1977 movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Beatles producer George Martin was in charge of the music, and the soundtrack was a success, but the movie, which starred Peter Frampton, The Bee Gees and Aerosmith, was a huge flop. Earth, Wind & Fire's version of this hit #9 in the US.
This didn't chart until 1976, when it was released as a single backed with "Helter Skelter."
John Lennon thought this was some of McCartney's best work.
In the '60s, Joe Pesci was an aspiring singer known as Joe Ritchie. He recorded a version of this that can be found on Rhino's "Golden Throat" Series. His version merits the "Stick to Acting" award. (thanks, Barry Kesten - Bellmore, United States)
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And it took the Beatles a while to get Paul's ode to pot, together in the studio, go figure. ou'll find the version they laid down on day 1, on the Beatles Anthology 2. The version that came on Revolver came on day 2 and later came the brass and woodwinds and tambourine and organ.
And it took more than four Beatles to get THIS distinctive Motown influenced sound, the Beatles brought in a couple members of Georgie Fame's group The Blue Flames, who John and Paul knew from the clubs, and they helped nail the almost jazz feel the band was after.
And while there was nothing actually written out for them to play, Paul sat at the piano and basically showed them what he wanted. They tried it a few times, and then John came from out of the control room and gave them the thumbs up. And Got to Get You Into My Life, was born.
don't believe faul and all his bull$#!+.
this song is about love.
Do want you want to do, go where you're going to, think for yourself because I won't be there for you...
Weed influenced every album from Help to Let it be which are all excellent and wouldn't exsist, as they are in there present state without grass!Pre Pot Beatles Albums are excellent but the sound changed for the better with the herb, markedly on RUBBER SOUL which to my mind was never bettered although equalled with Abbey rd.
The guitar solo is a bit pyschedelic and is was achieved by putting the guitar through a leslie speaker.
Sal, Bardonia, NY
Macca was very much a pothead of the first order...from the very first time he and the other Fabs were turned on to cannabis by Bob Dylan in August '64 (see my entry under "Doctor Robert"), he was sold on its (generally) beatific effect, so much so that on that first night, he seemed to something akin to an out-of-body experience...in fact, he felt as if a new door of higher perception was prised open and whilst flyin' high, he seconded their roadie, Mal Evans, to take a written note of his answer to the meaning of life. Paul's answer--"There are seven levels". Ok, a bit naff but it does tie in with a lot of mystical concepts that have exist since time immemorial, of which prior to that he had no interest in. From there on in, he was a cannabis convert. For Paul, this was to play a huge role in the creation of some of his finest works, including the song reviewed here, of which he has quoted on the record (in both his semi-autobiography "Many Years From Now", written by Barry Miles with his own specific inputs, and "The Beatles Anthology" book) as being particularly about pot.
McCartney had often been assumed as the group's diplomat and a goody-goody-two-shoes to boot. However, of all of The Beatles, he's the one who's been busted for mull more than any of the others: he and his wife Linda (of whom too herself was a major pothead) had fallen foul of the law between them six times: in 1972 for possession in Gothenburg, Sweden and cultivation at their High (no pun intended) Park farm in Scotland; Linda was bailed up in Los Angeles in 1975 when their hire car was pulled over for running a red light and the cop smelt that unmistakably pungent odour from when one burns a spliff; the infamous 1980 bust in Japan whereby Paul spent 11 days as a Japanese jailbird in Tokyo; fined for possession in Barbados in 1984 and Linda was nabbed upon arrival in London the next day for having some in her bag (clearly, the Barbados police didn't search their baggage thouroughly enough!). Paul over the years has often spoken in favour of the legalisation of cannabis, as he feels that it is less harmful than many other perfectly legal substances such as alcohol, tobacco, painkillers and solvents (i.e. glue) and I, for one, am inclined to agree.
He remained virtually a daily toker from the Dylan initiation through to the mid 80s, and still regularly smoked right up until about his 60th birthday, around the time he was to be married to Heather Mills. He finally felt compelled to give up, as he said that was a bit "silly" having to duck of the toilet to pull a cone or smoke a joint when they were out somewhere at his age. I personally suspect that he was somwhat cajoled into giving up the ganja by Heather.
All of the appreciated the mindbending qualities of marijuana, and George too was especially keen of using it, but ultimately it was Paul who remained totally enamoured of it for such a long time. Another song of his is often interpreted as an ode to pot as well, "Let Me Roll It", from 1973's "Band On The Run" album.
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Why would Paul lie about "Hey Jude" when he openly admits that this number is about drugs?