Yer Blues Lyrics



Lennon/McCartney


Yes I'm lonely wanna die
Yes I'm lonely wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why.

In the morning wanna die
In the evening wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why.

My mother was of the sky
My father was of the earth
But I am of the universe
And you know what it's worth
I'm lonely wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why.

The eagle picks my eye
The worm he licks my bone
I feel so suicidal
Just like Dylan's Mr. Jones
Lonely wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why.

Black cloud crossed my mind
Blue mist round my soul
Feel so suicidal
Even hate my rock and roll
Wanna die yeah wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why.

 
Lead Singer: John

Recording: 8/13/68, 8/14/68, 8/20/68
Mixing: 8/14/68, 10/14/68
Length: 3:58
Take: 17

Anomalies

0:51 * NEW * ,1:05-1:08, 1:20, 1:26, 1:49
Feedback
1:31-1:40, 2:00-2:07
Someone shouts out lyrics behind John's singing. Most obvious here, but is there throughout. Sounds like maybe Paul? [1]
2:25-2:27
(Left channel) yells
2:29-3:16
(Left channel) faint guitar (original, right channel is overdubbed?)
3:16
The supposed "instrumental" verse at the end has some bleedover from the vocals of another track. This segment was spliced in from another take, according to Lewisohn. The edit can be heard in a clipped guitar note.

* NEW * [1] Daniel Caccavo explains
The "someone shouting lyrics" behind john in "yer blues" is John. It's the leftover leakage from his live vocal (which he replaced).

Tom Hartman (who was outside the room as the boys left the session) recounts that John said, "as long as you got the vocal" to the engineer, which cracked everybody up. If you listen to that shouting, and think of that as the vocal that John referred to, it's pretty funny....

Just to be clearer, I can hear a second vocal, clearly John, throughout the song. Occasionally, what sounds like a 3rd voice, singing a harmony to the "Girl you know the reason why" parts sticks through. At the referenced time, someone is shouting (not singing) words which do not fit the main lyric at all, not even the alternate (original) lyrics.

John Lennon wrote this in India while The Beatles were on a retreat learning meditation with the Maharishi.
John used "yer" instead of "your" in the title so as not to be taken too seriously.
A 9 minute version with Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell was performed on the Rolling Stones' Rock 'n' Roll Circus. Taped as a British TV special in 1968, it never aired but was released on video in 1995. This was Lennon's first performance without The Beatles.
The only Beatles song Lennon performed at the Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival concert in 1969. Eric Clapton joined him for this on guitar.
After playing with him at the Toronto show, Lennon asked Clapton to join his Plastic Ono Band. Clapton considered it, but had other obligations.
The song is a good-natured jab at the British blues scene.
Ringo's count-in was edited from another take.
The line "Feel so suicidal, just like Dylan's Mr. Jones" is a reference to Bob Dylan's song "Ballad Of A Thin Man."

 
The White Album Lyrics   

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