How Do You Sleep? (John Lennon song)
| "How Do You Sleep?" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"How Do You Sleep?" is a song from John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, in which he attacks his former Beatles songwriting partner and close friend Paul McCartney. The song features a slide guitar part played by George Harrison.[1]
The song's lyrics refer to the Paul is dead hoax ("Those freaks was right when they said you was dead").[2]
The song begins with the words, "So Sergeant Pepper took you by surprise", referring to the landmark album that the Beatles made. Preceding this first line are ambient sounds evocative of those heard at the beginning of the Sgt. Pepper album.
The lyrics "The only thing you done was yesterday/And since you've gone you're just another day" are direct shots at Paul McCartney as well, the first lyric being a reference to the Beatles' 1965 song "Yesterday", McCartney's most popular song and technically the first Beatles' "solo" track because no other Beatle was involved in the recording. The second lyric could be considered a reference to McCartney's hit single "Another Day", released earlier in 1971.
Although Lennon receives the sole credit as the song's author, multiple reports indicate that Ono as well as Allen Klein, John's manager, also contributed lyrics.[2]
In addition to George Harrison on slide guitar, the song featured Lennon on piano and vocals, Klaus Voormann on bass, Alan White on drums, acoustic guitar played by Ted Turner, Rod Linton, and Andy Davis, as well as additional piano parts by Nicky Hopkins and John Tout (Hopkins likely contributing electric piano, as he had done previously on the Beatles "Revolution").[2]
Lennon felt attacked by McCartney, who later admitted that lines in the song "Too Many People" on the album Ram were intended as digs at Lennon[3] (Lennon thought that other songs on the album, such as "3 Legs," contained similar attacks).[4] Ringo Starr visited the studio during the recording of the song and was reportedly upset, saying: "That's enough, John."[2] Lennon and McCartney later reconciled.
A demo version of the song appears on John Lennon Anthology, released in 1998.
The Magnificent Bastards, a side project of Stone Temple Pilots by lead singer Scott Weiland, recorded a cover version in 1995 for the tribute album Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon.
Replicants, featuring members of Failure and Tool, covered the song on their self-titled debut.
Personnel
- John Lennon - lead vocal, rhythm guitar
- Klaus Voorman - bass guitar
- Alan White - drums
- Nicky Hopkins - electric piano
- George Harrison - lead slide guitar
- Flux Fiddlers - strings
References
- ^ Leng, Simon (2003). The Music of George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps. London: Firefly Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 0-946719-50-0.
- ^ a b c d Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen To This Book. Guildford, Great Britain: Biddles Ltd. p. 89. ISBN 0-9544528-1-X.
- ^ Playboy Magazine (1984). "Playboy Interview With Paul and Linda McCartney". Playboy Press. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Cadogan, Patrick (2008). The Revolutionary Artist: John Lennon's Radical Years. Morrisville, North Carolina: Lulu. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-4357-1863-0.