Log In
Register
Read the original blog post
1.49pm
18 November 2011
Offline
I feel like this is a “controversial” subject amongst Beatles fans, but is it known what exactly is being said at the beginning of the song?
I always believed it was “To your mother” with the guitar drowning out the “er” resulting in “TO YOUR MUTH-“.
Some folks seem to believe it was “To Jorma” as a shout out to the guitarist of Jefferson Airplane.
What say you guys?
1.58pm
2 April 2014
Offline
It’s probably not right, but I just hear “It’s All Too Much “.
2.03pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline 
I’ve always heard it as John saying “to your mother”.
Was wondering if it was a reference to Your Mother Should Know but IATM was finished up (bar mixing and editing) before they started YMSK so unlikely (tho Paul might have written Your Mother Should Know by then).
Without getting into debates or wanting to open one up why is this a controversial issue amongst Beatle fans?
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
Von Bontee"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.42pm
18 November 2011
Offline meanmistermustard said
Without getting into debates or wanting to open one up why is this a controversial issue amongst Beatle fans?
Perhaps “controversial” is a bit too much.
I was simply referring to the fact that I’ve never seen a proper consensus reached on the matter.
2.49pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Ah, i see and considering arguements can start up about what the title of their first Parlophone UK LP was then i can see folks debating this fiercely.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.49pm
16 September 2013
Offline meanmistermustard said
I’ve always heard it as John saying “to your mother”.Was wondering if it was a reference to Your Mother Should Know but IATM was finished up (bar mixing and editing) before they started YMSK so unlikely (tho Paul might have written Your Mother Should Know by then).
Without getting into debates or wanting to open one up why is this a controversial issue amongst Beatle fans?
Since Mother ‘s Day will be celebrated here in the US on May 11th, I think it is very sweet that John Lennon seems to be dedicating George’s song “to your mother.” There can’t be anything controversial about that.
I did Google “Mother ‘s Day around the world,” and I see that it is celebrated on different days in UK, and Australia, and other countries. But they all seem to be right around this time of year. So, in the spirit of John’s spoken intro to “It’s All Too Much :” Happy Mother ‘s Day. 
3.33pm
14 December 2009
Offline
meanmistermustard said
Without getting into debates or wanting to open one up why is this a controversial issue amongst Beatle fans?
Same reason the “aaahhs” are controversial! Beatles fans loving to argue about really trivial things that they (we) perceive as important & crucial to understanding.
I’ve always just assumed it was the beginning of “To your mother…” too, but never wondered too much what it was supposed to mean – just another Lennon non-sequitur like “Sugarplum fairy, sugarplum fairy” or “I dig a pygmy”. But I believe if you listen closely, you can hear that the dialogue continues for several seconds, almost inaudible behind all the feedback. Would love to hear the multitracks of that!
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
3.49pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline I have the 5.1 mixes isolated on my laptop which i get back tomorrow (away for repairs). One of those might reveal the answer so if no one else does so i’ll have a listen tomorrow night and get back to you.
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
Zig"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
5.21am
10 February 2013
Offline I don’t have much to contribute in the way of what John’s saying, but I have to say that this song vexes me to no end because I love the first minute of it & I never ceased to be disappointed by where it goes from there. Love the psychedelic intro & the groove, but then when it gets to “when I look into your eyes…” the melody is just so…I don’t know, it just doesn’t gel with the beginning. It frustrates me.
Sorry for the tangent, I promise to now 
The following people thank Monkey Finger for this post:
IveJustSeenAFaceo6.37pm
15 August 2013
Offline MrMoonlight said
It’s probably not right, but I just hear “It’s All Too Much “.
I´m Hear “It´s All too much” too
From The Cavern To Candlestick Park
And From Sgt Pepper To Break Up
8.50pm
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline Monkey Finger said
I don’t have much to contribute in the way of what John’s saying, but I have to say that this song vexes me to no end because I love the first minute of it & I never ceased to be disappointed by where it goes from there. Love the psychedelic intro & the groove, but then when it gets to “when I look into your eyes…” the melody is just so…I don’t know, it just doesn’t gel with the beginning. It frustrates me.
Sorry for the tangent, I promise to now
Totally agreed. I LOVE the intro, and the rest doesn’t live up.
(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
9.27pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline IveJustSeenAFaceo said
Monkey Finger said
I don’t have much to contribute in the way of what John’s saying, but I have to say that this song vexes me to no end because I love the first minute of it & I never ceased to be disappointed by where it goes from there. Love the psychedelic intro & the groove, but then when it gets to “when I look into your eyes…” the melody is just so…I don’t know, it just doesn’t gel with the beginning. It frustrates me.
Sorry for the tangent, I promise to now
Totally agreed. I LOVE the intro, and the rest doesn’t live up.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
8.21pm
14 June 2016
Offline In my journey of listening to my whole Beatles collection this song of course came up recently. This is one of my absolute favorite George songs, or Beatles songs in general. I’ve honestly always heard “To your mother” at the beginning. My question is what is said after the “With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue” bit? He says “It’s All Too Much ” and then something that sounds like “We are dead”. I remember looking up the lyrics to this song a few years ago and the lyrics said “we are dead”, however when I looked them up again recently I couldn’t find a site that said “we are dead”. So what does George say there?
The following people thank William Shears Campbell for this post:
Beatlebug, The Hippie Chick, Von BonteeHere | There | Everywhere
It's ya boi! The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)
"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon
6.06am
17 January 2016
Offline Isn’t it GEORGE, there at the beginning saying “To Jorma!” … as in Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane? I can’t be 100 percent certain though. There seems to be a “myth” about the guitarists being friends and hanging in San Fran, but I’m darned if I can confirm it.
And @William Shears Campbell , I THINK he’s singing “we all get too much…” there from listening. And then from double checking Google Lyrics at least, I was correct in my thinking.
“She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” - J.D. Salinger
6.40am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Is it not John who says “To your mother” at the beginning? Sounds like John to me. I love the long intro.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.54am
14 June 2016
Offline @meanmistermustard said
Is it not John who says “To your mother” at the beginning? Sounds like John to me. I love the long intro.
@The Hippie Chick said
Isn’t it GEORGE, there at the beginning saying “To Jorma!” … as in Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane? I can’t be 100 percent certain though. There seems to be a “myth” about the guitarists being friends and hanging in San Fran, but I’m darned if I can confirm it.
It sounds a lot like George, but it sounds like he’s saying “to your mother,” at least to me it does.
The Hippie Chick said
And @William Shears Campbell , I THINK he’s singing “we all get too much…” there from listening. And then from double checking Google Lyrics at least, I was correct in my thinking.
Yeah, that’s what it’s changed to on all the lyric sites. I vividly remember it saying “we are dead” a few years back on multiple sites. It must have been updated because I can’t find one site that says that.
Here | There | Everywhere
It's ya boi! The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)
"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon
7.13am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline meanmistermustard said
I have the 5.1 mixes isolated on my laptop which i get back tomorrow (away for repairs). One of those might reveal the answer so if no one else does so i’ll have a listen tomorrow night and get back to you.
Forgot I ever wrote that so not surprising I never did it nor replied.
The center channel of the 5.1 sounds very much like John to me who is saying “To your muv” (which may have been his pronunciation of “to your mother” but never completes) before it cuts out and the guitar crushes in. I’m not saying i’m correct as someone else will probably hear George and think i’m mad.
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
The Hippie Chick"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.41am
17 January 2016
Offline meanmistermustard said
meanmistermustard said
I have the 5.1 mixes isolated on my laptop which i get back tomorrow (away for repairs). One of those might reveal the answer so if no one else does so i’ll have a listen tomorrow night and get back to you.Forgot I ever wrote that so not surprising I never did it nor replied.
The center channel of the 5.1 sounds very much like John to me who is saying “To your muv” (which may have been his pronunciation of “to your mother” but never completes) before it cuts out and the guitar crushes in. I’m not saying i’m correct as someone else will probably hear George and think i’m mad.
Interesting on whether John/George… hopefully someone can come in and confirm that completely.
“She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” - J.D. Salinger
6.53pm
6 July 2016
Offline Just had a listen to this and to me it definitely sounds like John but he is putting on a much thicker scouse (Liverpool) accent – you know the voice he would occasionally do for a laugh.
Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
2.08am
14 June 2016
Offline John and George are the Beatles that sound the most similar. I know when I was an early Beatle fan I thought a couple of early George songs were actually John signing. This makes it really dificut here because it’s only a few seconds of audio. When I first heard this song, I heard John saying “To your mother, but that was back when I was an early Beatle fan. Now listening to it about 3 times in my Beatles marathon with this question on mind, I hear George. I still hear “To your mother” and not “To Jorma” or anything else, though. I’ve googled it and a lot of places say that it’s George saying “To Jorma,” but who knows.
Here | There | Everywhere
It's ya boi! The one and only Billy Shears (AKA Paul's Replacement)
"Sometimes I wish I was just George Harrison" - John Lennon
