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2.00am
24 August 2012
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What is interesting to me is the Anthology version, not sure whether this is a home demo or extremely embryonic studio version, but essentially this version is actually easy to copy and play with two vocalists, as Paul does a more standard (for them not planet Earth!) lower harmony in the verse and a higher one in the chorus. I’ve done many an acoustic gig trying to emulate that pretty damn fine pacy acoustic version and the song at that point sounds extremely Kinks-influenced, if indeed Sunny Afternoon was out then? Or maybe the Lovin’ Spoonful whom I knew they admired and knew personally in 66.
The acoustic I’m Only Sleeping is perhaps my favourite of all items on Anthology 2 , but I am biased because I’m Only Sleeping in general would be in my top 5 all-time favourite Beatles songs; it has all the melodic ‘feel-good-ism’ of McCartney, with his harmonies and obviously the very ‘overt’ tuneful melody line being extra catchy for John (any period) but with the hypnotic (and I mean almost literally hypnotic) Lennon vocal, coupled with the trance-like, psychedelic instrumentation with the *second* best backwards overdubs on Revolver (second to TNK) and a production that kind of came-and-went, another trick the Beatles dropped on a gaping mouthed world, incredible production they invent, then move on from!
All up, this would be, alongside TNK on same album, my highlight of Revolver and psychedelic era Beatles, I love the entire album more than Pepper as do many others, in fact there’s a very detailed Podcast on Youtube discussing just that- the fact that Revolver is a better album. And I’m Only Sleeping is a torchbearing heavy hitter that makes this a Lennon masterpiece. I’m also happy that unlike on later albums where subsequent interviews have shone divisive and ambivalent hindsight onto the supposed lack of unity in the band (especially from 1970’s Lennon interviews), this song and indeed this album show such pulling together of talents and a ‘oneness’ that make me so profoundly sad that I have never and will never hear I’m Only Sleeping live by John Lennon or better still, by a 1970’s or 80’s (or 90’s) BEATLES.
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Couldn’t have said it any better myself, @ziggysawdustman. 
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10.49pm
24 June 2019
Offline If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
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12.07am
18 December 2017
Offline JW OBoogie said
If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
all that meditating can really take a toll.
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1.25am
24 March 2014
Offline JW OBoogie said
If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
I’m So Tired is a prequel to I’m Only Sleeping 
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9.19am
14 June 2016
Offline Shamrock Womlbs said
JW OBoogie said
If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
I’m So Tired is a prequel to I’m Only Sleeping
Doing the prequel later…. I think he must have stolen that from Star Wars.
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12.58am
24 June 2019
Offline Perhaps he was playing his song order backwards, along with his guitar.
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1.13pm
26 January 2017
Offline Don’t prequels always come after the original (in terms of chronology of release not canonical chronology)? If they came before, then the original would end up being the sequel.
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1.39pm
15 November 2018
Offline JW OBoogie said
If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
Drugs and insomnia, probably.
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7.40pm
24 June 2019
Offline 50yearslate said
JW OBoogie said
If John was only ever sleeping, why did he sing he was so tired later on?
Drugs and insomnia, probably.
That would have made a good album title. “The Beatles: Drugs and Insomnia”
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10.22am
15 November 2018
Offline Or “drgs nb hnsmnis”
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9.31am
28 March 2014
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I remember playing this song over and over and over and over. It was a b!tch getting up to change the record all the time.
Easily my fav from this album….. 
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms!
6.24pm
12 December 2019
Offline I’ve never heard a mono British Revolver to know which version is used on it; however, my favorite is the one on the Capitol mono Yesterday & Today. The backward effects just rise up in the background like an eerie ghost at 1:23 (following “taking my time”) and they seem the most neatly placed through the remainder of the song (by contrast: the least-common true stereo, Capitol mix used after 1967 is the sloppiest…the fading just randomly darts in-and-out and leaves a big gap between the last verse and end chorus).
The mono Yesterday & Today version, also, doesn’t have such a Mickey Mouse-sounding pitch increase to the vocal either.
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5.25pm
8 August 2019
Offline hol up
Does John yawn at 2:00?
I’ve never noticed it until today.
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5.53pm
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20 August 2013
Online Jules said
hol upDoes John yawn at 2:00?
I’ve never noticed it until today.
Wow! Just gave it a listen. I think you’re right!
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6.24pm
7 November 2010
Offline Jules said
hol upDoes John yawn at 2:00?
I’ve never noticed it until today.
It’s so funny what some people hear and some miss, I’ve always known about the yawn there! (But it took me years to realise that Paul sings the bridges in A Hard Day’s Night , not John. Seems clear as day now but I just never registered it. 
)
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8.35pm
26 January 2017
Offline I don’t hear it but I wouldn’t be surprised as he says “I’m still yawning” in the third line
Great song by the way. Every since I first realized what a masterpiece it was it hasn’t left my top 5. I remember leaning back, closing my eyes and singing along in absolute bliss, realizing just how deeply layered and psychedelic Revolver actually is.
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1.36am
11 April 2016
Offline Jules said
hol upDoes John yawn at 2:00?
I’ve never noticed it until today.
Indeed, I have heard it, though I always thought it sounded like Paul. 
Regardless, I think it’s a really neat little detail!
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1.52am
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27 November 2016
Offline Yeah, neat little detail.
I’ve always thought it was Paul, because at 1:57 you can hear some very quiet chatter, and I always thought it sounded like John saying ‘yawn Paul’
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4.08am
7 November 2010
Offline The Hole Got Fixed said
Yeah, neat little detail.I’ve always thought it was Paul, because at 1:57 you can hear some very quiet chatter, and I always thought it sounded like John saying ‘yawn Paul’
Now that I hadn’t noticed!
Even the book “All The Songs” isn’t sure but thinks it’s Paul! And Mark Lewisohn’s Complete Beatles Recording Sessions doesn’t mention the yawn.
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