The Beatles – I'm Only Sleeping

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  General Comment:One of My Favorite songs! Tho I listen to the one where John

  Flag rock83on September 22, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:If you look at the cover of "Beatles for Sale" you will see what somoking dope and promoting the Beatles across the world does to a young Beatle. John was plain knackered. We all know the feeling of needing just 5 more minutes, that's all the song is about.

  Flag meansongon September 21, 2012   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:I haven't read many comments on this, but I agree that this is not about any lazy person. I think that it is about someone who is unconscious to the world as a whole and all the beautiful things that expanding your perceptions can bring. In short, I think it's about ignorance and how some people see it as bliss.
  
  What I thought was really fun about this song was that at about 2:03, the backwards guitar is playing at the end of the chorus and then you can hear one of them yawn. When I heard this for the first time I yawned after I heard it. I think that the Beatles were trying to make the listener yawn.

  Flag andronarcoon September 21, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:lol @ mamboman ur mixing 2 different songs together the line 'turn off your mind , relax and float downstream' is from 'tomorrow never knows' and not from 'i'm only sleeping' :p but ur right though both those songs are not just what they appear to be many beatle fans who never used drugs just can't see the deeper druggy meanings or relate to it but we know better and we understand the beatles words maybe a little more ;):p

  Flag mattlaureyson April 30, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I agree with wilburmeloncholy. On the surface the song appears to be about a lazy person- but I think it goes much deeper. It is in that relaxed, medidtative state that one really ecperiences life to its fullest. "Everyone running everywhere at such a speed till they find there's no need..." illustrates the senselessnees of the chaos life. This seems to be early flirtings of eastern religion - "Turn off your mind relax and float downstream." As patknows points out - a similar theme is found in Wathcing the Wheels. And as druby points out, you can achieve this frame of mind while smoking pot... (if you try any of the later beatles songs can be about drugs).

  Flag MamboManon March 26, 2012   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:this song almost made me cry the other day. i don't think it was the lyrics. i think it was john lennon's voice.

  Flag TheMoonTellsMEaSecreton July 27, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:hey is there anybody who cares for the animated clip to this song, made in the same year of 1966?
  The one where cartoon Lennon falls asleep and is made to sing this song to put a fire-breathing dragon to sleep while the dragon keeps adding to the musical score a lot of roaring?
  I have just time-coded subtitles, but I could not catch some words and I am not sure of the words I did caught.
  See for yourselves:
  My subtitles are here opensubtitles.org/ru/subtitles/3709744/…
  The cartoon is the last of The Beatles сartoon TV series by Jack Stokes (season 3 episode 6 = Wait/I'm Only Sleeping), the wrap-around story of I'm Only Sleeping begins at 13:00.
  
  

  Flag vphion July 26, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:catchy rock-n-roll about sleepiness, unthinkable thing made real.
  I could not resist to use it commenting on an animated gif anaglyph of a cat being disturbed
  flickr.com/photos/ur4chun8/3683200315/in/set-72157617909798584/
  

  Flag vphion July 18, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think they're crazy
  Running everywhere at such a speed
  Until they find there's no need (there's no need)
  
  ...same thing still going on in our world, we go to work, after than run around somewhere else then go back into our homes but we have to unfortunately to eat in our society

  Flag Jangabooon May 16, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Once, my mother said to me, "I think you can be quite lazy at times," and I replied with, "I don't mind, I think you're crazy," Haha, good times. xD
  
  Anyway, I relate to this song, because it's sorta like, "Just let me sleep," Like, anytime you try to have a good lie-in, there's always some reason you have to get up. Your phone is ringing and you left it downstairs, your parents insist that you have to clean the house, and worst of all, school. I just want some time to dream.
  
  It's awesome how John Lennon could take something that a lot of people feel, and make it into a great psychedelic rock song.

  Flag MetaphoricalMarmaladeon June 20, 2009   Link

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