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| This final version splices together the introduction, and first chorus and verse from Take seven to the remainder of Take 26. Take 7 was recorded at about the key of A and Take 26 around the key of C. (Because the Beatles and their production staff used a variety of tape speeds, the real "keys" are more speculation than fact.) In order to match the two recordings, Take 7 had to be sped up and Take 26 slowed down. The tempi of the two recordings then almost match. |
| The free-form improvisation of the Coda is probably a partial result of McCartney's interest in the music of the avant garde (he attended concerts and a lecture by Luciano Berio around this time) as well as the psychedelic extemporizations of bands like Pink Floyd who were just beginning to become well-known in London in the fall of 1966. George Harrison had just returned from India where he had been studying music and brought with him both a surmandal (a trapezoidal zither) and some new ways to ornament a melody. John was open enough to let others contribute their ideas to his recording, although in later years he regretted surrendering control. |
| Section | Time | Meas. | Description | Text | |
| (B) | intro | 0:00 | 7 | Mellotron solo on verse material. Material from Take 7. | - |
| A | chorus | 0:11 | 15 + 4 | Voice
with Mellotron, guitar, bass, marracas, and drums. End of chorus has two measures of 3 beats. |
a |
| B | verse | 0:35 | 16 | As above. | b |
| A | chorus | 0:57 | 15 + 4 | The
first three seconds are from Take 7. Splice at 1:00 to material from Take 26. Add celli and trumpets and additional percussion. Surmandal at transition to next verse. |
a |
| B | verse | 1:21 | 16 | Voice with trumpets and backwards cymbols; add celli. | c |
| A | chorus | 1:42 | 15 + 4 | Voice
with trumpets, celli, drums and percussion. Surmandal at transition to next verse. |
a |
| B | verse | 2:07 | 16 | Voice
with trumpets; drop trumpets; voice with celli; add trumpets and backwards cymbols. |
d |
| A | chorus | 2:27 | 15 | Vocal
(begins with harmony). Trumpets and celli with heavy percussion. |
a |
| A' | bridge | 2:46 | 14 | Vocal with heavy percussion; closes with electric guitar phrase. | a' |
| C | coda | 2:58 | -- | Guitar
answering celli accompanied by heavy percussion. Piano octaves on Bb. Guitar emphasizing Eb. Flute/Melotron tape loops fade in and out. |
- |
| Text | |
| Let
me take you down 'cause I'm going to... Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about. Strawberry Fields Forever. |
a |
| Living
is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see. It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out. It doesn't matter much to me. |
b |
| No
one I think is in my tree; I mean it must be high or low. That is, you can't, you know, tune in, but it's alright. That is I think it's not too bad. |
c |
| Always—no,
sometimes— think it's me. But you know, I know when it's a dream. I think I know, I mean, oh yes! But it's all wrong. That is I think I disagree. |
d |
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Go to | |
| Beatles in the Studio | Outline | Strawberry Fields Forever |
| 10-Apr-2008 |