The Beatles – A Day in the Life – 1967

About The Song

“A Day in the Life” is a landmark song by The Beatles, featured on their groundbreaking album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” released in 1967. The song is a collaboration between John Lennon and Paul McCartney and is known for its experimental and avant-garde qualities. Here are five facts about the song:

1. Collaborative Effort: “A Day in the Life” is a unique collaboration between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Each contributed different sections to the song, with Lennon writing the opening and closing sections, and McCartney contributing the middle part. The combination of their distinct styles resulted in a rich and diverse musical composition.
2. Orchestral Arrangement: The song features a notable orchestral arrangement, conducted and arranged by George Martin. The use of a 40-piece orchestra was unconventional for pop music at the time and added a symphonic and cinematic quality to the track.
3. Inspiration from Daily News: The lyrics of “A Day in the Life” were inspired by newspaper articles that Lennon and McCartney read in January 1967. The stories, which included the death of Guinness heir Tara Browne in a car accident, influenced the surreal and reflective nature of the song’s lyrics.
4. Controversial Ending Chord: The final piano chord in “A Day in the Life” is sustained for over 40 seconds, creating a memorable and controversial ending. The chord was achieved by multiple pianos and harmoniums playing simultaneously, and the studio engineers manually increasing the sound level to create the extended resonance.
5. Critical Acclaim: Widely regarded as one of The Beatles’ masterpieces, “A Day in the Life” received critical acclaim for its innovative composition and thought-provoking lyrics. It is often cited as one of the greatest songs in the history of popular music and played a significant role in the evolution of the concept album.

Video

Lyrics

I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords

I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up, I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

I read the news today, oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I’d love to turn you on