Across the Universe

From BeatlesWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Across The Universe is a song by The Beatles, released on their last album, Let It Be. John considered it to be one of the best songs he wrote.

Contents

[edit] Inspiration

The song was written in late 1967, after Cynthia Lennon had been talking endlessly to John. As John said, "It started off as a negative song and she must have been going on and on about something. She'd gone to sleep and I kept hearing, 'Words are flowing out like endless streams...' I was a bit irritated and I went downstairs and it turned into a sort of cosmic song rather than, 'Why are you always mouthing off at me?'..." John recalled that, like In My Life, he "wrote the lyrics first and then sang it." The lyrics "Jai Guru De Va" were written about the first time The Beatles saw the Maharishi, in England. Maharishi's guru was with him. He was called "Guru Dev." John liked the name and decided to use it in his song. The phrase "Jai Guru De Va, Om" roughly translates to "Victory To God Divine." John said of the song, "It's one of the best lyrics I've written. In fact, it could be the best. It's good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin' it. See, the ones I like are the ones that stand as words, without melody. They don't have to have any melody, like a poem, you can read them." He also said, "This was one of my favourite songs, but it's been issued in so many forms that it's missed it as a record. I gave it at first to the World Wildlife Fund, but they didn't do much with it, and then we put it on the Let It Be album."

[edit] Recording and Release

[edit] Original 1968 Single Session

It was recorded during the Lady Madonna sessions, but was put away for a while because they had no idea what to do with it. It was suggested it be a single, a B-Side, or on an EP. John wanted it to be a single, but Paul's Lady Madonna was chosen instead. John also blamed Paul for "subconsciously trying to destroy a great song, by encouraging an atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation." For example, John wanted a small group of women to sing the backing vocals, instead of hiring professional singers, Paul just had people he found on the street sing. Engineer Martin Benge recalled, "There was a whole crowd of girls outside and Paul went out to find a couple of suitable ones. They were so excited. They couldn't believe they'd actually been invited by Paul not just inside the building but into the studio itself, to sing with The Beatles." John said "We’d always play experimental games with my great pieces, he said, like Strawberry Fields Forever – which I always felt was recorded badly. That song got away with it and worked. But usually we’d spend hours doing little detailed clean-ups of Paul’s songs; but when it came to mine, especially if it was a great song like Strawberry Fields or Across The Universe, somehow this atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation would creep in." He later called the track "a real piece of shit, (which seems a bit harsh) I was singing out of tune and instead of getting a decent choir, we got fans from outside… Apple Scruffs or whatever you call them. They came in and were singing all off-key." The two female singers, Lizzie Bravo and Gaylen Pease, became the first women on a Beatles record (although The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill and Revolution 9, which both included lines by Yoko Ono were issued first, this was the first to be recorded). Unsure of how to release the track, The Beatles gave it to a charity album for the World Wldlife Fund. Spike Milligan, who was in the studio on February 8 when they recorded it, asked them to contribute to the charity album, entitled No One's Gonna Change Our World. John said of the 1968 version, "'Across The Universe' was first recorded at the end of the 'White' album. I couldn't get it on because we'd done so much material. It wasn't a very good recording. By the end of the double album we were really sick of the recording. It's a shame because I liked that song."

[edit] Get Back Sessions

Seeing that it was not released yet, John did several quick run-throughs of the song during the Get Back sessions in January 1969. On one particular performance, John recalls Paul not being pleased by him playing it. He said, "....in the movie (Let It Be), when I got to do 'Across The Universe,' Paul yawns and plays boogie, and I immediately say, 'Oh, does anybody want to do a fast one?' That's how I am. So year after year that begins to wearyou down." When doing the Let It Be album, Phil Spector liked the song, so he removed the animal sounds on the intro of the song, slowed it down and added orchestra and choir overdubs. John commented on Spector's mix, "I tried to do it again when we were making Let It Be, but anybody who saw the film saw what reaction I got with it when I tried to do it. Finally Phil Spector took the tape, and did a damn good job with it and made a fairly reasonable sound out of it, and then we released it again." Spector's 50-piece orchestra was set to record two parts on April 1, 1970. Engineer Peter Brown recalls, "Out of the blue he distributed these extra parts, without intimating that there would be any extra payment. I warned Phil that he'd never get away with it, and of course the orchestra got up and walked out. I worked with these musicians often and knew them well, so I went into the control room, put a wedge under the door and tried to keep out of it. I got home very very late, well after midnight, and took the phone off the hook because I knew Spector would try and call. The moment I put it back Spector was on the line, asking me to return to the studio and continue, which I did. The musicians got their extra payment. This session was on the first of April 1970 - but it was one April Fool's joke which did not come off." John thought Spector really improved the song, saying, "The original track was a real sorry piece of shit. I was singing out of tune, and instead of getting a decent choir, we got fans from outside, the Apple Scruffs or whatever you call them. They came in and they were singing all off-key. Nobody was interested in doing the tune originally... The tune was really good, and I think that, subliminally, people don't want to work with you sometimes. It got screwed up. That happens... I've been the cause of a situation like that too, so it isn't all one-sided. Phil slowed the whole tape down, added the strings... he did a really special job."

[edit] Recording Sessions


[edit] Personnel

[edit] The Beatles

[edit] Guest Musicians

  • Organ: George Martin
  • Backing Vocals: Lizzie Bravo
  • Backing Vocals: Gaylen Pease
  • Uncredited - 18 violins, four violas, four cellos, harp, three trumpets, three trombones, two guitarists, 14 choristers

[edit] Available Versions

[edit] Available On

[edit] Cover Versions

  • Fiona Apple
  • Bono
  • David Bowie
  • Norah Jones
  • Alicia Keys
  • Sean Lennon (With Rufus Wainwright)
  • Lydia
  • Seether
  • Slash
  • The Smiths
  • Jim Sturgess
  • Suede
  • Steven Tyler
  • Roger Waters
  • Stevie Wonder

[edit] Sources

Retrieved from "http://www.beatleswiki.org/wiki/Across_the_Universe"
Personal tools