First Time Reaction | The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever | YEAH Beatles Don’t Miss!

[@JimiBurleigh]

Strawberry Fields actually refers to a very real place. It was a Salvation Army orphanage and school with a playground where John used to play as a boy in the Merseyside. The Salvation Army closed the orphans home years and years ago, but as far as I know it's still a Salvation Army owned property, although I have long lost track of what they use it for now. I was raised in Ayrshire Scotland by Salvation Army parents and I went there many times as a wee laddie. There is a great story about the iron gates of the playground being stolen and how they were recovered.

[@pairofpints]

It's now a money making Beatles shop. The gates are still there though.

[@papercup2517]

@@pairofpints IIRC, They also put up a new building (the gorgeous old one was sadly beyond repair structurally) which is some sort of education and support place for disadvantaged youth. The money from the Beatles souvenirs presumably goes to help support the work.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Don't be fooled, this is one of the greatest Beatles songs of all times and it was a huge hit and a massive fan favorite. It is highly representative of their later part of the 60s decade, and the Psychedelic thing was a new thing in the Beatles were experimenting with all the new technology and just breaking barriers right and left. I love the ambience and the textures that they managed to create for this and everything about it is great. Ringo is doing this really kind of a light fast swing thing, but with that plodding steady forward beat underneath, so it really anchors it but it really gives it this feeling of bounciness.

[@treetopjones737]

Tape loops were not something the Beatles invented.

[@NBKenC]

Strawberry Fields was an orphanage in Liverpool

[@tombeyerlein3813]

Yes, though it is actually Strawberry Field with no "s".

[@davesigmon8144]

Truly a masterpiece written by John. He stumbles on to the truth here knowing he can never go back to childhood. It's intangible.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Andrew, I hope you end up listening to it multiple times. There is so much there to unravel. It's unbelievable. It's such a vibe.

[@willswomble7274]

It is VERY complex, in the times long before digital recording/composing. Stick with your learning journey, mate, it will repay you!

[@threethymes]

Yes indeed. It's a track that rewards listening to it many times.

[@geraldharkness8830]

Yes it needs to played over and over to appreciate how amazing this song is!

[@CherylHughes-ts9jz]

I always love it when they have cellos in their songs 💃🏼❤️🌹

[@jnagarya519]

One of the greatest recordings of all time.

[@Bekka_Noyb]

agreed!

[@tombeyerlein3813]

It's nearly impossible for me to pick my favorite song, but if push came to shove, I'd pick this one!

[@dougrigel1997]

I like your reactions. All of us who heard it for the first time in 1967 had the same. WOW! what was that! The whole world said that.

[@Stacy55ish]

The Beatles didn't shy away from surreal lyrics and experimental music.

[@kympeplau1635]

The orphanage story that was already posted about is correct. After John Lennon died they made a memorial, called Strawberry Field, to him in Central Park across from the Dakota where John and his family lived and where he tragically died. I’ve been there. It’s a place where you get positive vibes and sing Beatles songs with other people and remember John as well as the rest of the Beatles.

[@JimiBurleigh]

I've been to both and you're spot on correct about the vibe/feeling at the NYC memorial. You might know this already, but there is now a memorial to John and the Beatles at the original Liverpool location. According to family living in Nottingham and still part of the SA, Strawberry Field is still a Salvation Army property.

[@jnagarya519]

Written and performed by John Lennon. Nothing to do with drugs. It's about John's childhood. He called it "psychological autobiography".

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

This song is about John Lennon's childhood, when he played at an orphanage called "Strawberry Fields." The other side of the single was "Penny Lane," which is about Paul's memories of his childhood. Both songs were very popular. Record companies liked to combine a "hit" with a less popular song to increase record sales, but in this case both sides were huge hits. Generally, the more surreal the song, the more likely that John wrote it.

[@treetopjones737]

Yes, on 45's there was the "A" side, the hit single, and the "B" side, another song. For decades the only way you could buy one song ( though you got two ). Oh the struggle of getting the spider into it...

[@nathanclarke2777]

My favorite Beatles song ever!

[@themadcow71]

Magical Mystery Tour is so underrated. One of their best.

[@jnagarya519]

The "Magical Mystery Tour" LP is a COMPILATION. The Side 2 tracks were SINGLES -- NOTHING to do with "Magical Mystery Tour".

[@akadros310]

Most Beatles fans love it. Its just that since it isn't an official album but a compilation as @jnagarya519 stated that it isn't discussed as one of their greatest albums. Still it has some of their greatest songs.

[@jnagarya519]

@@akadros310 I explain that it's a compilation because most fans don't know that. They mistake the brilliant Side 2 as being part of the weak Side 1.

[@akadros310]

@@jnagarya519 Oh I understand. They put all those great singles on the second side of course side one isn't going to be quite as good. Even though it is has some really great songs.

[@chrisofnottingham]

Yes, it's kinda sad that a whole era of their best ever work wasn't part of purpose made studio album. We have Revolver, Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road that all deliberately capture what the Beatles were like at different times but the phase that gave us Penny Lane, Fool on the hill etc. somehow gets pushed into this weird no man's land that is nominally a film sound track and that no one ever even thinks about as an album.

[@futuregenerationz]

Ringo's beats are off the chain.

[@DJBilodeau]

THAT was the Beatles! They definitely catch you off guard!

[@mikelistman5263]

The outro shows the Beatles' interest in abstract / atonal music.

[@DannyD714]

Today, October 9,2024 , is John Lennon's birthday. He would have been 84 if some monster hadn't taken him from us. RIP

[@willswomble7274]

In the USA, of course!

[@MsAppassionata]

@@willswomble7274Yeah well, George was attacked and almost killed in England, so…?

[@zoostew8354]

He promoted peace n love..and millions agreed with him,they had to get him out of there bcuz that does not fit the agenda...same thing with MLK....RIP to both

[@Linda-q3u8q]

@@MsAppassionata I was wondering the same thing.

[@charlesroberts8803]

You should have seen people trying to dance to it on American Bandstand. They never heard it before and then the fade out and in. Hilarious.

[@echopryme]

And people STILL say "Ringo was JUST the drummer"...

[@vpardi1]

Ringo alwas plays more freely on John's songs.Or should I say on non Paul songs.And how he plays a part that fits perfectley within the song wothout stepping on other intrumental parts or vocals, is perfect.

[@emichael4393]

The story goes that when Brian Wilson (Beach boys) heard the song he had a nervous breakdown saying "They finally got the perfect song". One of their best.

[@tenjed4224]

On 12/9/1980 thousands of NYers and others gathered around what would be called Strawberry Fields in Central Park, in Manhattan NY, to say goodbye to John Lennon. I was in a string orchestra at the time, in JHS and we had been crying, while preparing to learn this song we had planned for our winter concert. My teacher was a huge The Beatles fan. We were naive at the time and did not know what John and Paul were really saying at the time, for many songs beyond 65. And yes, while Strawberry Fields was inspired by a childhood memory, it certainly had major drug influences in the way it was played.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Alright! (rubbing hands together with anticipation) 😂

[@richardkint6531]

Maybe high on best of lists is because it was a breakthrough into psychedelic music and a departure from their earlier pop sound. The use of many different instruments in the recording also made it unique at the time. Great tune!

[@brianfisher6165]

Fantastic Dead tune!!! 👌 The 80’s was a magical time frame for the Dead!!! ❤ I miss Brent so much, he left the planet way too soon 😢✌️

[@Agi420]

HAPPY 84TH BIRTHDAY JOHN, MY FAVORITE LENNON SONG 😢🎹🎤😢

[@edgarsnake2857]

Loved your reaction to this Beatles' classic.

[@DJBilodeau]

Not far from the Dakota, where John used to live with Yoko, in Central Park in NYC, is a park commemorated in his memory-Strawberry Fields. Just wanted to let you taste the gravity and emotional gravitas that surrounds this song. John came from a broken home (fortunately his Aunt Mimi raised him) filled with tragedies. Strawberry Field (no "s", unlike the title of the song) was an orphanage that he sat outside of as a little boy, watching the children play on the grounds inside.

[@CherylHughes-ts9jz]

It's hard to go wrong with the Beatles ☮️

[@IAMisLove]

👍👍Old School Awesomeness!! 🖖❤

[@Bekka_Noyb]

one of my all time fave songs! dbl ♥ Last summer I went to NYC. On 1st full day there I visited the Dakota building. Also walked across the street & paid homage to Lennon at the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park 🥺

[@blitztim6416]

‘Penny Lane’ is also about a place in Liverpool. It’s a Paul song. And was a hit too. Helter Skelter has two false endings.

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

To me, "Strawberry Fields" is everyone's personal childhood happy place.. where you feel secure and hopeful... and John is inviting us to visit his... Ringo really adds to this song.... it wasn't The Mob going after the Beatles in the Philippines... it was "a" mob... as far as being number 7, as much as you liked it the first time, it's the kind of song that rewards repeated listens

[@DJBilodeau]

Great job on the reaction! You have to admit, your Beatles journey is taking us all far away from home on an epic journey! Thank you for making it possible!

[@DJBilodeau]

Dude, love your outfit! That's a really good look on you!

[@terrenceplunkett]

There is a very simple formula. Whoever sings the song, wrote the song - over 90 percent of the time. John and Paul wrote some songs for Ringo and George(before he started writing his own sons), but the formula still stands. P.S. That’s John singing his song

[@callmeishmaelk767]

Strawberry Fields was literally just a park John hung out at as a little kid

[@marilyndurham738]

Strawberry Fields is an orphanage, park now in Engand...

[@mikerichards67]

Very frustrating when people always say that songs from this era are about drugs, particularly The Beatles.

[@JimiBurleigh]

Agreed! The whole "Lucy In the Sky" thing always makes me roll my eyes 👀 But some were, of course 😊 ☮️

[@snakeinthegrass7443]

They don't realize the difference between a song being about drugs vs. a psychedelic song influenced by drugs.

[@Bigdong-kl2fh]

​@snakeinthegrass7443 I love dropping LSD and listening to MMT, Revolver and Sgt Peppers all weekend long.

[@thecreepyllama]

Like it or not man, this song would not exist without LSD. Yeah it's about childhood memories. It's also a total fucking acid trip.

[@JimiBurleigh]

@@thecreepyllama It's probably fair to say that everything they did from at least Revolver, if not Yesterday and Today, was influenced &/or informed by their use of LSD and marijuana. We'll, okay, and Yoko 😉😂🤘 LL&P 🖖

[@in6087]

I love the way this song is used in the LOVE album

[@dilandilanjoao4310]

Hi there 😊 I liked your reaction because you were sincere and honest, so i did subscribe. Ok. About the song... "strawberry fields forever " is a place were John used to play in his childhood. When kids start exploring the surrounding areas of his neighborhood. It was a huge abandoned field with a building,ancient hospital from the 2nd world war. They could run and roll there. It was filled with wild strawberry fields. The drugs they used here were LSD and weed. Expanding the mind it took him back to his childhood memorys. IF you want Psychedelic George and mindfulness listen to "within you and whitout you " or "it's all too much " ... ✌peace

[@FrançoisGuèdenet]

"No one I think is in my tree, I mean he must be high or low", starts a stanza that I interpreted 50 years ago, as everyone is different and similar, but we all are entitled to our own opinion and that's okay, "I think."

[@theG-man-p2h]

No, my friend, it wasn't "The Mob" chasing after them, but a mob of angry Philippines who felt that The Beatles had snubbed their First Lady. 😊

[@zimbo65a]

is this the new "hide the slip under your cap" trend? It makes the weearer looking very smart.

[@chercee]

Trippy song!

[@DJBilodeau]

PS-Can't wait to see your reaction here. You pulled a monster of a song.

[@keymack2477]

I stand to be corrected but I believe Ringo was on the drum kit for the vast majority of Beatles songs. I know Paul was drumming on at least two tracks, and I have never heard of John drumming on a record for the band. Thanks for the reaction!

[@danm.2229]

Depends on what you mean by drums. They all play percussion like tambourine, bongos and maracas, etc. all over the catalog. For Instance on this song McCartney (and maybe George too) is playing timpani, the big orchestral drum. In terms of a traditional rock drum kit, yeh, Ringo is on the drums for a large majority of songs. There's definitely a handful of songs where Paul is the drummer on the White Album. Dear Prudence for instance the basic track was recorded with Paul on drums, and then John and George overdubbed more drums. On "I Will" most of the percussion is Lennon, you could call it him playing drums if you'd like, or not.

[@toddkurzbard]

He was always the drummer, the only exceptions being when he was indisposed (like when he was sick and had to be replaced for a short time by Jimmy Nichol), or the ultra-rare incidents (when he quit The Beatles for a few days during the White Album) when he was unavailable.

[@danm.2229]

@toddkurzbard I like how you say he was always the drummer, but... then point out some exceptions. However, there is at least one example where Ringo was in the studio and didn't play the drums on a song. Yes it is, features Ringo on rhythm guitar and John on drums.

[@vincentvancraig]

nice reaction, man...wow, this was awesome.

[@jnagarya519]

Capitol, in the US, released "Magical Mystery Tour" -- which was a double-EP in England -- as an LP. Side 2 of the LP consisted of already-released singles having nothing to do with "Magical Mystery Tour".

[@catherinenoble8091]

Strawberry Field is now a Salvation Army centre that helps young people and others with learning difficulties into employment. The centre is partly funded by a Beatles museum which includes memorabilia donated by family and friends of the Beatles and includes the piano that John Lennon used to write his hit 'Imagine'. The piano is on permanent loan to the museum from the estate of George Michael who purchased it in the early 2000's and used it as a peace exhibit certainly around England, and might have been around the world?

[@Odinsagoodboy]

Usually who ever is singing lead is the primary songwriter.

[@racing2cat]

Thanks for reacting to my fave Beatles song!🙂❤ For a drug-inspired song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

[@x189player4]

Strawberry Fields = offering a trip

[@snakeinthegrass7443]

Ringo is such a perfect drummer for the Beatles. Like Gilmore said about his guitar, I'm paraphrasing but he said something like, 'it's not the number of notes you play, it's the quality of the notes you play'. I probably botched the hell out of it, but if you know David Gilmore's playing, you know. Same principal applies to Ringo. His tone and texture ALWAYS fit the songs!

[@barriehull7076]

Gilmour.

[@SM-ri2df]

THEY RETIRED FROM TOURING TO CONCENTRATE ON WRITING AND RECORDING ... THEY ARE THE BIGGEST AND BEST BAND IN HISTORY HAVING OVER 900 MILLION IN SALES WORLD WIDE , NOBODY ELSE HAS EVEN COME CLOSE TO HALF OF THAT... CHECKOUT THE 25 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY CALLED A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BEATLES , IT WILL LEAVE YOU STUNNED WHEN YOU LEARN HOW MUCH THEY CHANGED EVERYTHING..

[@kbrewski1]

It's JOHN as lead vocalist. And usually the lead vocalist is the primary writer. So this is a LENNON song.

[@capsdude4838]

They slowed the tape down though, which is why his voice sounds lower and sort of drags a bit (perfect effect for a psychedelic masterpiece like this). If I remember correctly, they couldn’t agree on the arrangement so they took the two primary ideas that were under consideration and pieced them together

[@valjean86]

Subscribe! Very cool reaction. I’m jealous that you get to listen to these amazing songs for the first time.

[@samguberman2288]

You realise it's almost compulsory to listen to the Beatles on headphones, it's a treat for the ears. It's a psychedelic masterpiece. Maybe try I am the walrus or Helter skelter next.

[@DJBilodeau]

You know what? I prefer a straight audio track. That's what we had, old school, was just the audio track. That alone should set the audio landscape. And I find often that videos, even Beatles videos, do distract somewhat your attention from the music just a bit. Personally, I'm glad you're reacting to the audio track only.

[@DJBilodeau]

You know George Martin arranged that amazing group of cellos. . .such an amazing effect with Ringo's drumming in the background sounding almost like a marching band or drumming competition. Sounds so good!!! And the song keeps layering, bringing in new instruments as it goes along. That high note instrument that sounds a little like a guitar played at it's highest notes is an Indian instrument called a Swarmandala, and is played by George. Brilliant little musical accent by George!

[@ktrsBklyn]

You really listen to a later Beatles studio album with headphones so you can hear the isolated instruments and how and when they come in. Ups the experience.

[@pattiemarano2665]

john

[@daveking9393]

If you don't understand Beatles fadeouts or that's the first one you've heard, that's unique then you've got a lot ahead of you and I know you've only touched upon some of the discography, but you have to understand how deep it is. And for those that have listened to dozens and dozens of their songs, you'll find out than many of them have unique endings, so please don't ever cut a Beatle song off early

[@richardkint6531]

Yes, he needs to checkout Helter Skelter with the fade in & outs.

[@braudabo]

The Beatles generated unprecedented enthusiasm all over the world with their charisma and music, but also hostility in mostly conservative and dogmatic religious circles. The "long" hair alone was a reason for many of the older generations, to declare the Beatles a kind of "enemy of the state". I recommend reading the article about "Beatlemania" on Wikipedia.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Strawberry Fields was also a particular type of acid tab.

[@mikelistman5263]

Fun to hear you take a stab at who wrote the song...good on you!

[@spitfirenutspitfirenut4835]

These Guys are good. Who are they? I love strawberries and cream.❤️

[@Steve-vl5mg]

John wrote this. Strawberry Fields is a real place in Liverpool

[@mitchellbatchelor1594]

The ending. “I Buried Paul”. Led to speculation that Paul was dead & replaced by an imposter. A part of Beatle history.

[@louisme5411]

“Cranberry sauce”

[@danm.2229]

​@@louisme5411Can we stop with this "cranberry sauce" nonsense? Obviously John Lennon himself buried Paul McCartney, and this song was his way of letting everyone know. Also John Lennon was literally a Walrus who could transform into a human, and the Beatles lived together in Yellow Submarine for quite some time.

[@mikelistman5263]

Think he says "I'm very bored" (listen again and see what you think).

[@mikelistman5263]

This song is two versions pasted together (originally at slightly different speeds and keys) by genius George Martin...you can actually hear where the sound changes and cadence picks up...amazing!

[@parkiwi4787]

The song was inspired by a field where as a child John Lennon grew up. It refers to a salvation armies orphanage named Strawberry Fields.

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 written by John.

[@rewquioprewquiop]

Think childhood...greatest single ever perhaps...both songs about childhood...Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever... The orphanage/children's home near Lennon's childhood upbringing shares the moniker. Apparently John would go on their grounds and meet other youth...including climbing a nearby tree. The state of a mind of a child...

[@dougsusie2319]

Still regarded by music historians and critics as the greatest single ever recorded even 57 years later. This song sounds as weird and wonderful now as it did in 1967.

[@debjorgo]

If you just read the lyrics, they are pretty straight forward. It's the music that makes it sound so trippy. Poetic, yes. But poetry does not equal drugs.

[@nickvlachos575]

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is about LSD. Lucy Sky Diamonds.

[@timbaker6540]

I love the psychedelic stuff I am the Walrus is my fav

[@matthechler5718]

The song is more like an abstract painting than a photo.

[@davidfeltz8697]

Listening to the Bearles without headphones is insane. Get some headphones!

[@limpopulaire]

The rythm is hip hop before he was born

[@bryanhale5254]

It was an Orphanidge John used to hang out in the yard inside the fence of the orphanidge

[@barriehull7076]

Like a coledge you mean, my misspelling of a word.

[@callmeishmaelk767]

I'm 56, I've always loved the Beatles, but I really like these reacts to Beatles channels, this now give credence to certain 1960s music as actually heing new classical, whereas 40 years before the Beatles Bolero was considered new classical but it was frowned upon as if it kinda sucked. Now clearly Bolero and the Beatles truly are timeless music.

[@Struwwel2]

During this period John Lennon was using LSD, but he was also trying to make sense of his traumatic childhood. "Living is easy with eyes closed Misunderstanding all you see It's getting hard to be someone But it all works out." The production of this song is a really interesting story. The Beatles had two versions in different keys. Because he wasn't fully satisfied with either, Lennon asked their producer George Martin if he could combine them somehow. Which really irritated Martin; Lennon, as usual, was expecting him to work miracles. And then Martin worked a miracle. He realized was one version was faster and slightly sharp compared to the other. So, he slowed that track down until the two matched. The two mixed together resulted in a song with a fluid, dreamy quality, which is just what it needed.

[@toddkurzbard]

To this day, I ALWAYS hear the "splice" where the 2 versions "come together". Have since first hearing it in '79, still do today. Same as with "She Loves You" [1:23]. I can't unhear them after all these years).

[@charliecochran3035]

He's speaking like a child, or in the manner of a child's erratic thought processes, about a place he remembered as a kid. They set out to write two songs about places from when they were kids and it became the double A side Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane. Oh and that's all John writing the lyrics. This was his song. You should watch the video it's pretty goofy and one of the first of its kind.

[@joerosenman3480]

I love the fact that you’re doing the Beatles-Penny Lane is a fun song! Really different from Strawberry Fields. I still have a stack of various 45s… (I be old… my grand-poppy (passed 4 months shy of 97) would say, it beats the alternative. 😀) Wanted to let you know about a gift we all received. McCartney recently released the “last Beatles Song ever to be released. Titled “Now and Then.” For those of us of a certain age, it absolutely brought a tear to the eye. But how could this be? Lennon recorded a new song on cassette tape, intending it for the group. Good enough to hear the music and lyrics but nowhere near good enough to release-the quality was awful. So it got filed, and passed to Paul. Then decade’s later… Peter Jackson made the Lord of the Rings movie. (Say, what?) To do so he developed new CGI technology and a new pro studio to independently create and apply these new CGI techniques-called WETA. This tech made heavy use of AI amongst other things. As such, it’s been in a constant state of improvement and evolution. Moving ahead. The tech to clean up the Lennon tape has been around for a few years-and has been perfected within the last two (basically the voice and guitar are independently subtracted from the original onto separate tracks, complete with performance nuance. The original is discarded. Lennon’s singing voice is replicated with AI; the guitar sound is likewise replicated with AI. The two (well, four-stereo) are regenerated with the AI generated Lennon voice and Guitar, producing a recording without noise, identical to the original as if recorded in a studio. To that… Paul and Ringo created a music video that-with WETA recreations-took older film segments with actors playing parts, then they overlayed age-appropriate avatars of each of the Beatles as required with (live action) intercut with historic footage and some modern Paul/Ringo footage… The total result is incredibly moving, nostalgic, emotional-a profoundly personal farewell. We never got to say goodbye to the group, they just stopped and went their separate ways amidst rumors and general dismay. This is so healing by comparison. Yes it is heavily dependent on AI but, IMHO, it shows the **good** that can come from the technology. We’ve heard all about the bad-and it IS bad-here’s the other side of the coin. The Beatles: Now and Then Insane number of views Entirely react-able if you choose so to do Enjoy!

[@toddkurzbard]

It's John. George developed most of his songwriting skills later. He had a few during Beatlemania, but this wasn't one of them.

[@zenpuppy6025]

I believe this song was released as a double a side single along with the song written by Paul called Penny Lane

[@cuebj]

The actual song says 'Strawberry Field', no 's'. As others have said, that was (is?) the name of a Salvation Army orphanage close to where John Lennon lived and where he played and chilled out as a boy. Strictly speaking, one should understand it as "Strawberry Field's Forever" as in Strawberry Field is forever. Absolutely nothing to do with drugs. It's reflects wistfulness, sort of "a la recherche du temps perdu". He was also utterly in thrall to Lewis Carroll's fantasy writing like Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. In UK, it was released as a double-A side with Penny Lane, by Paul. That was a mistake because sales were counted and split between the two. As a result, they missed the No 1 spot to Englebert Humberdink's 'Please Release Me'. Of course, they did make other songs that were very tightly linked with drugs, eg 'Got to get you into my life' was Paul saying that he had to get into LSD

[@richardmartin9565]

Strange lyrics are likely John.

[@lathedauphinot6820]

The Beatles got to the Philippines in the middle of the night and they were exhausted. Their manager took a call from the palace, ordering them to be at the palace at 8 o’clock in the morning to meet the First Lady. The manager, Brian Epstein, said they can’t make it. They’re exhausted. He didn’t even tell them about the call, and let them sleep in. But you don’t say no to the palace. Their security was withdrawn and the radio and newspapers announced that the Beatles had snubbed the first lady. They had to make it to the airport on their own. The bodyguards got beat up and The Beatles all got hit. They weren’t sure they were going to make it until the plane actually took off. That’s when they stopped touring. They swore they‘d never go back to the Philippines and none of them have.

[@megdelaney3677]

🍓🍓🍓🍓

[@KenoshaKarl]

Richie Havens did a fine version of this song. You may enjoy checking that one out as well.

[@toddkurzbard]

I loved his "Freedom" at the opening of (the REAL) Woodstock.

[@HaleksMTL]

Haha good impression (08:13)

[@HaleksMTL]

Good guess btw, it had to be John or George cuz they were both the most abstract thinking members of the band, both most into diving into spiritual and drug experiences too.

[@AP-gb3eh]

Not everything was drugs , the orchestration is experimental as I remember it was about the dreamlike memories of his childhood

[@CherylHughes-ts9jz]

🌹❤️john❤️🌹

[@sabredesatanas518]

Well you got 50% right!

[@RobONeill-b5e]

Definitely informed by LSD. Just like Lucy in the Sky, the title has a subject with a separate relevance. But it's obvious that the confused ramblings of the lyrics and musical hallucinogenics are a nod to that particular drug

[@edcliffe2988]

What is 'strawberry fields'? Well, don't worry about it. It's nothing to get hung about.

[@BronyDanProductions]

You now need to listen to ‘Penny Lane’, which is the companion piece to this song, and is of course, a Paul song where he is also writing about his childhood and nostalgia, but while John’s childhood view is clouded in the psychedelic style, Paul’s is much more clearer and upbeat.

[@jnagarya519]

They did a world tour in 1966, which included a concert in the Philippines. The "mob" was regular Filipinos that physically hassled them as they were leaving the country. The "More popular than Jesus" issue was John in interview talking about UK youth. That was taken out of context in the US and the religiofreaks burned "Beatles" records and memorabilia. And they were threatened by the KKK. Nothing to do with Mafia.

[@lindseyholl8821]

It was written by John

[@castle07dw]

I think strawberry fields is an ironic take on a situation where you think you will be worry free when in fact you can get hit with some real ish