Album: Abbey Road (1969)

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

Comments: 85

• Luke from London, UkThis song sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.
• Trebor from TexasJohan-How could Paul get the credit for John's compositions when they shared the song writing credits? And it was John who insisted that it be Lennon-McCartney and not the other way around. John even gets equal credit for perhaps the most recorded song in history: Yesterday. Where is your outrage over that injustice?
• Susan from Cleveland, OhioThis song is a great play on words. Because the world is ROUND it TURNS me on. Because the sky is BLUE, it makes me CRY. Because the WIND is HIGH it BLOWS my MIND. The best way to enjoy this song is with high end head phones or laying on the floor with the speakers on each side of you head. Remember doing that?
• Miles from Sd, CaDrink in the sublime interpretation ala. Melody Gardot from Live at AR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd_j3GCObyk
  
  Grab an instrument you know and play along:
  
  Cm Fm G
  Ab Cm Ab
  Db Dbm
• Johan from Stockholm, Swedenin October 2012 a book with Lennon's letters - "John Lennon Letters" - was released. And there Lennon "smacks the producer George Martin for giving McCartney too much credit for some of the songwriting".
  Two years after the split, 1971, McCartney said about the music, that "it was all mine" (!!) despite the fact that in the total Beatles production, Lennon - according to Ian MacDonald - composed some songs more than McCartney! All those points is an interesting thing for media scholars.
• Johan from Stockholm, SwedenThe last time the four Beatles were together in the studio, was when they made "Because", August 1969. Some weaks after that, Lennon left the Beatles. He could no longer bear that McCartney got the credit of all what he composed. See the long interview with Lennon from 8th of December 1970. And the end of the Chapter "Paul Grinds Pepper" about the impression McCartney wanted to give, and the Chapter "The Beatles Go Broke" about most people thought
  it was all Paul, in Albert Goldman´s book about Lennon.
  See even Article by Ned Rorem in "New York Review of Books" January 1968,
  "Readers Digest" about the Beatles 1968, and "The Penguin Stereo Record Guide"
  first edition. In all these, McCartney is appointed the only composer in the Beatles
• Johan from Stockholm, SwedenLennons composition "Because" is really a masterpiece. This harmony singing song has some similarities with the madrigal "Il bianco e dolce cigno" by Jacob Arcadelt from the mid-1530 s. But I am sure, Lennon has never listened to it.
• Olivia from Philadelphia, PaExcuse me but the monkees are spelled with two e's. Not a y!
• Ron from Santa Barbara, Cathat's funny, i always read that george harrison's "wonderwall music" album was the first pop record to have a moog on it. which, peter tork of the monkeys plays banjo on. i assume this is where the monkey's got the idea to use a moog on their "Pisces Aquarius Capricorn Jones Ltd." album.
• Rick from Belfast, MeThis song helps to prove why side 2 of Abbey Road is the best rock music ever made!
• Phil from Guernsey, United Kingdomthe harmonies on this song is the best i have heard ever
• Jack from Ames, IaYes - I see the immediate connection between the Bach piece you mentioned and 'Because.' Even more of a connection than "Moonlight Sonata backwards" that gets thrown about sometimes. The timing of the Bach piece is more similar too - notes in groups of 4 rather than in groups of 3 like Moonlight. Great connection Rueben of Amsterdam. The thread of Love that the Beatles so "effortlessly" wove from Day 1 until Day done is an undeniably wonderfulbody of work - and I'm so glad that George, Paul and Ringo saw fit to make sure the Anthology and remasterings etc. have responsibly gone on. Any money this stuff has generated for the remaining Beatles is Love money. No where near Wallstreet, War, or any other form of blood money. The more Beatle noises out there - the better psychological condition the human race will find itself in, in 300-400 years. Right alongside, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven ... this is miracle medicine at its best.
• Reuben from Amsterdam, NetherlandsI also love the song. It sounds a lot like Bach's guitar piece 'Prelude in C major'. Check it out.
• Jack from Ames, IaI learned the entire guitar chord arpeggios throughout (George's guitar part in C#m) - and one notices Georges incredible pinky finger reaching ability - something he also used for the F# major clustered 2nd chord in "With a Little Help from my Friends" up the neck. Because reminds me of deep Summer... 3 Beatles singing 3 times each is bound to spell-bind. Listen to George's chordal hints in "It Won't be Long" bridge ... just a great sense of harmony without giving away too much, ever - just hints and allegations of the infinite... never in your face.
• Given from Los Angeles, CaJonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan...from PA-----Please, do me a favor....smoke a big fat one, wait 20 minutes, then play the song again.
  .....now there, isn't it a beautiful song?
• Christy from Morristown, TnThis is my favorite song from Abbey Road and I think it is the best example of harmonies The Beatles ever offered to the world!
• Howard from Wakefield, United KingdomIf you listen to 'I'm Mandy Fly Me' by 10CC (the bit when they say 'the world is spinning like a ball, & then it wasn't there at all'), you can hear the influence of 'Because'.
• Kinscin from L, AntarticaAlso, some people tend to get part of the lyrics wrong. It says 'Love is old, love is new' and then 'Love is all, love is you'. For some reason, a lot of people get that part mixed up. If you pay enough attention in the song, it's evident. c:
  
  And, has anyone actually researched it and found out if it actually is the chord progression backwards?
• Roxu from Washington D.c., DcIn order to clear up the 'pun' thing...
  
  Because the world is round, it turns me on:
  All right, the world spins around on the axis, right? It turns.
  
  Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry:
  The sky is blue. Blue can also mean sad. What do people do when they're sad? They cry (not everyone, but it's just a point).
  
  Because the wind is high, it blows my mind:
  People often say the wind is blowing hard outside. That's where they get the word 'blow' from.
  
  I'm not sure exactly what is meant in the lyrics, but those are the so-called 'puns' in them.
• Bob from Schenectady, NyFrom what I have read, this song is not Moonlight Sonata 'backwards' but the chord progression in reverse.
• Roscoe B from Munich, GermanyBritish Singer-Songwriter, Lynsey de Paul, did a great cover of this song on the soundtrack to the film "All This and World War II". She was Ringo's girlfriend around the time and also a good friend of George Harrison.
• Wilsonpantufla from Bariloche, ArgentinaCheck out the version from Pedro Aznar, an argentinian musician.
• Linc from Beaumont, TxI thought it was McCartney who asked Yoko to play the Sonata backwards...
• Sam from Hipsville, CaThis song has the most superb harmonies!
• Rick from London, OnThis is such a great song. It conjures such an intuitive dreamy kind of vibe.
• Denise from Lakeland, Fli have to say that this song by the beatles is one of the best. i love the lyrics, and the music that goes with it. excellent!!!! denise esposito
• Linc from Beaumont, TxI think everyone reads way too much into the Beatles' lyrics - the sky is blue because that's what color the sky is...and yes it is ok to sing about it just for the sake of it being the sky and being blue. Has no one ever felt inspired by a sunset or a cloud just because it is what it is? This has a lot to do with the notion of letting Nature Nurture Man in the quest for the Infinite. This is a concept largely running through English Romantic Era poets - people who the Beatle's were very familiar with and felt inspired by...and no, the Beatles were way too clever and creative to make every song lyric a hidden drug reference. Look up the Lake Poets.
• Chloe from St. Louis, Moso incredible.....i guess yoko did ONE good thing for the band....
• Kaylah from Stoneville, NcThis song gives me chills everytime i hear it. The harmony and the moog is just awesome! The Love album has this song without any music, still good, but not as powerful.
• Russell from Rochester, NyI suppose you could call them puns, but they are just plays on words/concepts. The first one is unclear, but it has to do with the world turning with him on it, that is the idea.
  
  Because the wind is high, it blows my mind. This one is self-evident. Winds are stronger higher in the air, and the wind blows. It plays on being high in the sense of off a drug, "blowing your mind".
  
  Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry... as in feeling blue, or gloomy.
• Ken from Louisville, KyIn an Anthology Director's Cut DVD interview, George said they spend several days getting the harmonies to be perfect. On the Anthology CD, George Martin used just the harmonies, without the music, to show just how good they were.
  
  
• Mike from Kansas City, MoLooked it up-The first phonograph record to feature a Moog synthesizer was Strange Days by The Doors, released in September 1967[3], followed by Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. by The Monkees and Cosmic Sounds by The Zodiac[4], both released in November 1967, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers by The Byrds in January 1968.
• Lindsay from Coweta, OkI NEED the sheet music for this. I can generally pick up melodies based on what I hear, but I just can't hear George's middle part. :/
• Roy from Granbania, MaIn my opinion The Beatles were some of the best harmonizing vocalists of all time (at least in popular music). Also, well said by Sal from NY and George from NJ.
• Colleen from Copiague, Nyhaha, Colleen from Allentown! verrry true. :)
  and this song is simply amazing<3
• Glenna from Gilbert, AzBecause is a musical wonder. I have some background in music, instrumental and vocal, and I still can't quite catch that middle harmony. George did that, and it's not something you just "pick up". That's complicated vocal harmony.
  Love it.
• Colleen from Allentown, PaBest damn thing Yoko ever done for the band XD
• Sammy from Gleneden Beach, OrThe things above say that it was one of the first uses of a Moog on a recording, not that it was the first
• Eric from Buffalo, NyThis over-dubbed three part harmony is as close to heaven as voices can get.
• Vickie from Long Beach, Cai love this song. it's one of the beatles' coolest songs.
  
• Vickie from Long Beach, CaThis song is awesome! i love it. it's so easy to sing and it's just awesome
• Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiThere's a version of this song without any instruments. Wow.
• Sara from Cleveland, OhThis song is so beautiful. Does anyone know which member sings which part? I thought Paul sings the highest part, but I'm not really sure..
• Patrick from Raleigh, NcFirst use of a Moog synthesizer? No. Here's a shocker: Thie first use of the Moog on a pop album was 2 years earlier The Monkees used the Moog on their "Pisces Aquarius Capricorn Jones Ltd." album.
• Andrew from Clarkston, MiAh, nevermind I figured it out.
• Andrew from Clarkston, MiI don't see where there are puns used in this song. What words are actually being substituted to mean something else?
• Mary from LondonThe song sounds kind of scary but it is great and I love the guitar! The version on the Beatles Compilation CD Love from the Las Vegas show Love is totally jacked up, way different that the real version - in fact, a lot of the songs on that CD are messed up, because they mixed songs together and most of them don't sound like the original anymore.
• Joe from DublinJerry, from Portland, did you just make that up?
  
  This completely demolishes that "quote"...
  http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/because.asp
• Nasser from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, OtherI got goosebumps everytime i heard this song. It's so wonderfully cosmic.
• Joey R from Boston, MaIf you like this song and the beatles, do whatever you need to do , rob, steal, kick, scream, but get a ticket to Vegas and go see the Beatles LOVE. Unfrickin believable!!!!
• Joey R from Boston, MaElliot Smith Does this song justice. Excellent version.
• George from Belleville, NjThis song shows why the Beatles never diminished in their ability to write timeless masterpieces throughout their career.Another classic,it shows a sensitive side to their rock image.The harmonies were some of the best i've heard,the lyrics were seemingly simple but acually deep and meaningful,the music was melodic,overall it is a haunting beautiful song.
• Andre from Cape Town, South AfricaJust my two cents worth. The harmonies are fantastic and sound wonderful on their own. Yet, the chordal arrangement is awesome. I play guitar, and the chord at the end of the first section (just after "round") is totally weird, I've never seen or heard it used in any other song - it just shows the awesome creativity - why the Beatles are the greatest.
• George from Yonkers, NyAn early symphonic progressive rock song with great vocal harmonies.
• Mistergreg from Evanston, IlThe accapella version on "Anthology 3" is nothing short than stellar! I don't why JL dosen't like this arrangement.It's perfect.
• Anne from York , EnglandA song based on classical music and it's pulled off with no classical instruments plus the vocals sound like a choir.
• Ariadne from Porto Alegre, BrazilI feel like I'm floating everytime I hear this song. Absolutely hypnotizing, love it! One of the best songs ever, at least for me...
• Sal from Bardonia , NyOne of the best harmony vocals by a self contained rock group you will hear.The song is classically influenced song wih the moog, harpsichord and guitar as its main instruments. It has no strings but it still sounds classical in some way. A song that sounds nothing like what rock groups were doing at the time.
  Sal, Bardonia,NY
• Lee from Clearwater, Flfantastic song, loved the album
• Kenz from Salt Lake, UtI love this song it is so mysterious and cool, after you hear it you want to play it over again because it is a beutiful song. Abbey road is my favorite beatles album.
  But those are just my opinions. lol.
• Cameron from Bainsville, CanadaThis song is scary, the harmony and everything. But once you start you can't stop listening to it. It takes you away, somewhere far out. I really like the singing in it. This is John, Paul and George singing the harmony, right? Whoever it is, it sounds fantastic!
  
• Moi from Mountain View, CaThis is one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. I love that it is so psychadelic...and like someone already said, it does kind of make you feel stoned.
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScSome of the puns are "Because the world is round it turns me on" "Because the wind is high, it blows my mind" etc. Get it now? Another one is "Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry."
• Danny from New City, NyCan someone explain to me what the puns are?
• Jerry from Portland, OrIn one of his interviews, John Lennon said that he came in late one night stoned on LSD, and accidently put a tape of "Moonlight Sonata" on backwards, and was very confused by it at first. No mention of Yoko playing it on piano.
• Steve from Fenton, MoThis is not my favorite song on Abbey Rd, but I like it pretty well. The harmonies are great and I like that all three of the lyrics are subtle puns.
• Jonathan from Johnstown, PaThis Song Ruins(That's right RUINS!) Abbey Road!!! It's cruddy and So filler!!
• Grunge=dead from Nowhereville, CaOne of my favorite Beatles songs, pure harmony, love it. It is one of those Beatles songs where you think of the world as a much better place, "love is old, love is new," what a great lyrics, I agree with Harrison and McCartney, this was the best track on Abbey Road
• George from Itaberaba, BrazilJohn was the best musician of 20th century, but he didn't like great Beatles' songs. I just can't understand.
• Lee from Clearwater, FlThose voices, in the beginning, wow. What harmony.
• Busta Juss from Sopo, NjElliot Smith did an AMAZING cover of this!Check it out if you can , you WONT be disappointed...i listened to it in awe , that he was able to recreate every single harmony the way that he did.
• Nessie from Sapporo, JapanThe a capella version is better. The synth distracts from what is otherwise a melodic masterpiece.
• Lee from Nowhere Land, Njthis is one of my dad's favorite songs.
• François from MontrÃ?al, CanadaOn the Anthology Vol 3 version, all the instrumentations has been stripped avay to reveal the nine voices (the vocals were recorded once and then overdudded twice more by the three beatles) in isolation. It is realy interesting to hear the exquisite vocal harmonies.
• Jude from Los Angeles, CaI love this song.. I first heard it on American Beauty and I KNEW IT WAS A BEATLES SONG It felt like it was beatles song and it was such a creepy beautiful song I just got it in mp3 player!
• Sam from Philadelphia, Pawhenever the beatles harmonized their voices together, it was pure gold
• Jo from Toronto, CanadaThe first time I really listened to the words I ROFL. A series of puns set to music! Yet the words and ideas work beautifully on multiple levels. Brilliant writing!
• Loretta from Liverpool, EnglandThere's an urban legend that this is actually the Moonlight sonata backwards with dubbed guitar and vocals. That is nothing more than an urban legend-- the piano sounds much different when played backwards.
  
  Also, Don, it says that is is ONE of the first recordings to use Moog synthesizers.
• Rj from Rockville Centre, NyLike Kay mentioned, this song is beautiful and haunting. "Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry..." Man, that Lennon dude sure was a genius. One of my top-10 favorite Beatles songs.
• Jessa from Brampton, On, Canadathe track on the american beauty soundtrack was by elliot smith, a cover of this song. and its even more creepy and haunting than this version. elliot smith was really influenced by the beatles apparently
• Mia from Elk River, MnThis song sounds incredible. No one else could do it as well! kudos! Listening to this song makes me feel like im stoned, the effects of it on you are quite interesting.
• Adrian from Wilmington, DeThe most progressive track on Abbey Road and probably the best example of John, Paul and George's superior ability to harmonize with one another ("This Boy" and "Yes It Is" are also great examples).
• Whitnee from Portland, OrThis song is on the American Beauty soundtrack. I love it.
• Don from Rapid City, SdThis is definitely NOT the first use of a Moog on a recording. The album "Switched on Bach" came out at least a year earlier.
• Kay from Wakefield, MaI love this song. The harmony is so creepy and haunting.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Do you remember the first time you heard "email" in a song? How about "hater" or "Facebook"? Here are the songs where they first showed up.

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.