Lennons disastrous meeting with her didnt take place until 1968, in London. Actually, it seems that she and her husband lived in the first floor of the house where John and Cyn lived until 1964 or 65 in London. Another Hard Days Night was the recording which soundtracked the films restaurant scene. And he and his wife were close friends of Brian Epstein and socialized with him frequently. Johns being treated in a way he may perhaps of treated some others after a one-night stand. The sitar was manually double-tracked. [39] Harrison's sitar playing is still at the forefront, alongside heavy drumbeats. in guitarist Peter Asher's bedroom). Knowing she would, that sounds kinda erotic lol, but I like it. Because it ruined the song for me. But that lyric is definitely pretty ambiguous. He also said the song marked a pivotal moment in Lennon's use of surreal lyrics, following on from the songs "Ask Me Why" and "There's a Place". Bardot was the blowing mind sexual fantasy of Lennon during his life. The lyrics and music work together to evoke a picture. Sounds like something John would do, knowing his love and mastery of wordplay. When recording the track, Harrison chose to add a sitar part after becoming interested in the instrument's exotic sound while on the set of the Beatles' film Help!, in early 1965. Love David Bowie? This was my favourite song of theirs at the time. It'll help with server costs, research material etc About | Privacy policy | Advertise on this site, It was during this time that John was writing songs for, Norwegian Wood is my song completely. Lol. It was written mainly by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership. You're welcome to have whatever opinion you like. This was the Beatles firing on all cylinders. [57], Although droning guitars had been used previously to mimic the qualities of the sitar, "Norwegian Wood" is generally credited as sparking a musical craze for the sound of the novel instrument in the mid-1960s. Hence, the opening line: I once had a girl or should I say she once had me. In that line, the word had is used in two opposing senses: (1) vulgar slang for a sexual conquest, or so the guy was hoping, (2) informal for being deceived or led on. It was the inspiring line of the song, and it contains irony. Can anyone help? "Norwegian Wood" demonstrates Lennon's continuing acuity on acoustic guitar and a growing maturity in his lyricism, polished off with a fine McCartney harmony vocal and other-worldly sitar from Harrison while on the other side Harrison deftly puts the Byrds back in their cage with the glorious "If I Needed Someone". [70] For the remainder of his career, he evolved his understanding of Indian musicianship, particularly in his slide guitar playing.[71]. The lyric, Isnt it good, Norwegian wood seems to be a play on words: Isn Tit good, Norwegian wood. The same principle applies here. How bout this: Sugar Ray redoes it as a mashup with his song, Every Morning; Stating: Norwegian Wood, Isnt it good? And then she said, Norwegian Wood A song 'Norwegian Wood' by The Beatles - Stems. It must have been very difficult to be a genius but to unquestionably play second fiddle in the greatest band of all time. The cheekiness of the last line is definitely part of it, but also it's really the beginning of their experimentation, incorporating the Sitar. Funny, I never heard that line that way. Im 67. love i. I always thought the lady with which Lennon had an affair was Norwegian, and that the phrase was, uh, a bit more pedestrian than that. John plated the theme from that great movie perfectly on guitar! Im going to go sleep in the tub.. Release view [combined information for all issues], My Beatles Collection: America~U.S.A.~Singles Color Series [31], Evergreen Top 1000 in The Netherlands 2016 [work is in progress], 1,000+ favourite A & B side singles by simple maths, Okay, but now give me your favourite singlespart 2, comment on the last five rated albums by the user above you. Dont beat yourself up over it. P2 . If you've learned something new about the band and wish to show your appreciation, why not make a small donation via PayPal? They'd come onto my turf, got there before me, and they were kings of it, overnight. All images their respective owners. She led him on, then said, 'You'd better sleep in the bath'. I dont think you need to look for a solid narrative as much as a montage of experience, image and ideaas well as stream of consciousness. Why couldnt it mean both? Sonny Drane (sometimes erroneously referred to as Sonny Freeman Drane) was born in 1939 as Sonnhild Spielhagen. John Lennon was the primary writer, and finished writing the words and middle eight with Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon-McCartney). I love the song, always have. You have no idea what he knew and what conversations he had with each of the Beatles. Deconstructing Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown / Isolated Tracks) . Long time Beatles fan here. You Won't See Me 4. album was issued in August 1965, four months prior to Rubber Soul. But he goes one further and says he doesnt have to work the next day he turns it around on her. In 1959 landed a job as a recording assistant at EMI studios on Abbey Road. [33] Titled "This Bird Has Flown", the song was extensively rehearsed by the group, who then taped the rhythm track in a single take,[33] featuring two 12-string acoustic guitars, bass, and a faint sound of cymbals. She once had me. I find it sad in a way, that they wrote so much great material and could never really do all of it justice. De. I hesitate to enter the fray with people more knowledgeable and articulate than I, but has no one noticed that Norwegian Wood is an anagram of a womans name, Rowena Goodwin? Easily one of the best songs of Johns career, and a great example of band collaboration as well. The statement suggests, in typical Lennon style, that he got no tit because the woman was a cold, hard, teaser only, like wood.possibly she was Norwegian?? The song is often identified as the first example of raga rock,[58] while the trend it initiated led to the arrival of Indian rock and formed the essence of psychedelic rock. Norwegian Wood is a fake wood that was used to make cheap furniture. Oh, I guess that this song was quite a tribute to a girl named Sonny, a german woman who liked to say that she was born in Norway. Liverpool I think that John was just word playing with us in this one trying to be sophisticated about an affair as he says. I hope so. The song is about John meeting up with a girl who he thought he could seduce, and being invited to go home with her. Heard this story/theory at another great blog : HeyDullblog. This is a timeless classic as another contributor said. Norwegian Wood by The Beatles: Song Analysis , Download Views 985 The song opens with a sweepingly catchy acoustic melody that seamlessly evokes a sense of nostalgic longing. By the way, is it really suitable for 12-year-old kids to learn something like knowing she would in the class? So they, both, had to lit the fire that was never lit because of too much wine and dope. When Gauleiter Karl Hanke declared Breslau a fortress in January, 1945 and forbid its citizens to flee the Red Armys advance, Spielhagen, wanting to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, opposed the decision and recommended capitulation instead. And the way he sings it,, that is 100% Dylan. Art, that is really a revelationvery defensible based on the text. It's light, almost airy. When she won't let him into her bed, he sleeps in the tub. The reason why Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) is so important is because it was the first time that George Harrison played the sitar on a Beatles track. I'm Looking Through You 11. So I picked it up at the second verse, its a story. I understand that John Lennon enjoyed word play. We would usually start looking through the cupboard to see if we could come up with something, a new sound, and I picked the sitar up it was just lying around; I hadnt really figured out what to do with it. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Norwegian would sounds quite plausible for the chorus, but other parts of it could be inspired by the journalist he was also sleeping with (had to work in the morning). The first comment about Sonny is found in the Philip Norman book John Lennon The Life. Sonny is actually Sonny Freeman, the wife of Robert Freeman, photographer of the Beatles during the early years (including the Rubber Soul album cover). George Harrison had an immediate attraction to the sitar and the Indian culture so he decided to study with Ravi Shankar and introduce the western world to this spectacular instrument. How much bullshit is said about the hidden meanings is astounding. It was about an affair I was having. Any thoughts on this? [24] The discussion took place in Los Angeles on 25 August, during the Beatles' 1965 American tour. It gives me a greater appreciation of my very first album, a Christmas present from my brother Dean when I was a very little girl. Hes hoping (and she may be too) for the hook-up, but it doesnt happen. Den utgavs fr frsta gngen 1987 och utkom p svenska, i versttning av Eiko och Yukiko Duke, 2003. [64] Harrison developed a fascination for Indian culture and mysticism, introducing it to the other Beatles. But now hes starting to feel kind of kept (shes coming to have him). A record of all-Beatles material is surely a natural! 11 terms. Do tell us more! At first, I thought it was a piece of furniture being referred to, that he burned the next morning, but then I reread, there wasnt a chair, and the outside context that it was actually cheap wall paneling that inspired it. Last album he recorded was rubber soul. It was translated into English, by Alfred Birnbaum, but that edition was basically only made available in Japan itself. So youre just making up lyrics to fit your idea? Dylan wanted to take ownership of "Norwegian Wood" in . In 1970, when he obviously felt acrimonious toward McCartney, he gave Paul partial credit. And Lennon has admitted he was trying to hide the true meaning of the lyrics to hide his infidelity. But its about a certain kind of affair, or woman: the easy score, the guaranteed lay as it were. She was known to speak of herself as Norwegian.. I sat on a rug, She once had me means she was the aggressor. "[72] In his book The Beatles Through Headphones, Ted Montgomery comments: "Perhaps no other song in rock and roll history captures a feel and nuance more succinctly and powerfully in 2:05 than 'Norwegian Wood'. Or could it have been just lyrics (as in Pauls posthumous contribution of lyrics to a middle melody John already had on Free as a Bird)? In the end, its probably just the craft of songwriting that turns it into a single story. Its great both ways! We'd all been outflanked. Paul is obviously wrong. Very interesting idea. Youre funny. In 2006, Mojo placed "Norwegian Wood" at number 19 in the magazine's list of "The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs", as compiled by a panel of music critics and musicians. The band were unsatisfied with the recording, however, and decided to return to the song later in the sessions. The music was sublimely different. The aural landscape designed by the Beatles, with George Martin at the helm, is ably reproduced here, entirely a cappella, of course. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Harrison made a pilgrimage to Bombay, India with his wife Pattie, where he continued his studies with Shankar and was introduced to the teachings of several yogis. The different meanings of Please in Please Please Me, the double meaning of the same sounding Belong in It Wont Be Long till I Belong to You, the two different potential meanings of Come Together with the moaning at the end of the song, the double meaning of the puns in Because. I once had a girl, It was written by the songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and was first released on the album Rubber Soul on 3 December 1965. Imo, the lyrics are about a guy who thought he was going to get lucky, but didnt. Don't use this space to complain about the average rating, chart position, genre voting, others' reviews or ratings, or errors on the page. On the song also known as "This Bird Has Flown", George Harrison . Note: maracas and finger cymbals were only played in earlier takes not in the final master take. Rock Quiz 5. But in such a smoke . The Word 7. For the past two decades, I have helped shape, grow and communicate the personal brands of truly remarkable individuals. It was pine really, cheap pine. (Improvisation)Husemoen Guitars Norwegian Wood Series J-Style Olsson Amps Carl Martin SoulmNorwegian Wood cover-The BeatlesAntoine Boyer & Gustav Lundgren Trio - NuagesNorwegian WoodAntoine Boyer - ArabesqueNorwegian wood . That bit about burning the place downnever would I have come up with that; took me totally by surprise when I read Many Years from Now. I see NorwegianWood as a movie theme, too. 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