I'm Only Sleeping

"I'm Only Sleeping"
"I'm Only Sleeping"
Song

"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by The Beatles that appeared on their studio album Revolver (in the US on the Yesterday ... and Today album). Though the song-writing credit is Lennon-McCartney, the song was written solely by John Lennon. It is unique because it features a dual guitar solo by George Harrison played backwards and an electronically compressed rhythm guitar track. The solo is consistent with the rest of the song because Harrison took great pains to practice the entire melody of his solo backwards, so that when reversed and mixed in, it would fit the overall dreamlike mood of the rest of the song.

This hazy, disjointed mood on top of the lyrics suggest a drug-induced state rather than actual dreaming, and this is the most widely accepted interpretation of the song. However, the first draft of Lennon's lyrics for "I'm Only Sleeping", written on the back of a letter from 1966, suggest that he actually was writing about the joys of staying in bed rather than any drug euphoria. In fact, Lennon loved staying in bed, and when he wasn't sleeping, he would sit in it and read, write, or watch television. In fact, in a March 1966 interview with Maureen Cleave, the same interview in which Lennon stated, "We're more popular than Jesus now," Cleave said, "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England."

Interestingly, during the break before the second bridge at about 1:57 minutes into the song, a barely audible voice (probably John's) can be heard saying, "Yawn, Paul." Following this, the slightly more audible sound of Paul yawning can be heard at about 2:00 minutes into the song.

"I'm Only Sleeping" was covered by British singer Suggs for his 1995 solo album The Lone Ranger. In 2001, the song was covered for the movie I Am Sam by Australian alternative rock band The Vines. The song has also been covered by Elliott Smith as part of a series of unofficial live recordings.