APPRECIATION: “A DAY IN THE LIFE” BY THE BEATLES

Unfinished song by John  + unfinished song by Paul + multiple instrumental and tonal changes + a lingering last note = “A Day In the Life” by the Beatles.

I love this song. It’s the last song on the Sgt. Pepper’s Album. It’s downright cute to read that references to smoking, dreaming, and lines like “I want to turn you on” made this so controversial that many countries wouldn’t play it on the radio. Steve Turner’s The Beatles A Hard Day’s Write: The Stories Behind Every Song quotes Paul as saying that the song was written as a “direct provocation.” Paul continues, “But what we want to do is turn you onto the truth rather than on to pot.”

Noble goal. I like that. It’s also funny to compare what provocation meant in 1968 and what it means in 2016. Another “fun” comparison is the 1968 election to the 2016 election…

I’ve always liked the song, but never really stopped to figure out why. Apparently John’s contribution to the song was inspired by his “interminable newspaper reading.” The direct references to reading and watching films must hit my English teacher self in a positive way. The shift midway through the song that goes “Woke up, fell out of bed” was always exciting because I was waiting for it. I love the tone shift, and the instrumental dream sequences, and the lingering last note. And the lingering last note. And the lingering last note.