This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
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
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
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 all right
That is, I think, it's not too bad
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Always, no, sometimes think it's me
But you know I know when it's a dream
I think, er, no, I mean, er, yes
But it's all wrong
That is I think I disagree
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
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
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
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 all right
That is, I think, it's not too bad
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Always, no, sometimes think it's me
But you know I know when it's a dream
I think, er, no, I mean, er, yes
But it's all wrong
That is I think I disagree
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by arin3, Ryuhza, eptakyrios, marclindsey
Strawberry Fields Forever Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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It seems to me that John wrote this song as a representation of a place that he goes in his head to escape his troubles. When he was younger, he often took refuge in Strawberry Field. This song is using Strawberry Field as a metaphor for a place he mentally wanders to forget his stress.
The song opens with the chorus, "Let me take you down cos I'm going to, Strawberry Fields, nothing is real, and nothing to get hung-about. Strawberry Fields forever."
It was written during the time of the Beatles, and has both figurative and metaphorical representations. One, it is an actual place John went to visit often - Strawberry Fields being an orphanage near John's home in Liverpool where he went as a young boy to escape his troubles — And two, this song is also using Strawberry Fields symbolically - a place he mentally wanders to forget his stress - yearning for simpler times. He also is frustrated and disillusioned with those who go through life blind to things going on around them, and too there are indications of Lennon's own insecurities about his genius. John invites us to come on "down" and join him into a world where there is no fussing, fighting, or killing.
"Living is easy with eyes closed. Misunderstanding all you see.
This is so true when you deliberate about how easy life is when you accept things superficially and don't utilize research. However, John knew that living life shallowly is not really living at all.
"It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out."
John finds seeing things as they really are is no easy task, but he trust that in the end it will all work out.
"It doesn't matter much to me."
And John figures if things don't work out "it doesn't matter much..." because there is no way he is turning back and giving up on the road less traveled.
The next verse begins, "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low."
It's apparent John is struggling with the notion that maybe he is not a genius after all. There's a saying, "There's a fine line between genius and insanity," and John may, at that point in time, have questioned his sanity even for a brief time.
"That is you can't you know, tune in, but it's all right. That is I think it's not too bad."
John lets us know that the mental state he is in is not a place where many minds "tune in," "but it's alright." John's okay with knowing his psychic state is not for everyone, but hopes that there are enough intelligent and well-informed people to acknowledge brilliance and a greater message. Lennon tapped into primal emotions that never left his consciousness.
"Always, know sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream."
I don't have the facts here in front of me, but I'm guessing John's confused about who he is at times. He reassures us though that even when he may be in doubt and "thinks it's him," he is quite certain he "...know when it's a dream."
Before repeating the chorus one last time, John ends with, "I think I know I mean a yes, but it's all wrong. That is I think I disagree."
Again, the fine line of genius and insanity is gripping. John want's to agree with society, but he knows society is "all wrong," forcing him to disagree with it's direction and conditions. John felt mankind could build reality from it's dreams.
Great explanation :)
Just another idea:'it doesn't matter much to me' a bit amotivational"? And "I know when it's a dream' may mean recognize hallucinations or illusions as what they are figments of his imagination, projections.
@Kenny5271957 I think you have a good interpretation. Not sure Lennon ever thought he was a genius though. I'm more inclined to think he found it amusing that people thought he was a genius, but I didn't know the man so that's just speculation. I wonder also, who's to say that living superficially isn't really living? It's living differently than taking the time and effort to care about others that are suffering, for instance, but is that not living?
Living is easy with eyes closed Misunderstanding all you see You won't find any better lyrics! John Lennon was a Genius!
poor john was never truly satisfied
Um, you guys know that "strawberry fields" is a slang term for acid, right? You know, LSD?
@nancy_smith Um, not at the time.
@nancy_smith i think that came from this song...<br />
Take a good dose of lsd and listen to this and all will become clear.
:)
Great Lyric...I think this song speaks of yearning for simpler times and frustration/diillusionmeet with those who go through life blind to things going on around them. There is also an indication of Lennon's own insecurities.
I think SV here is close to the meaning of the song. But John was really writing about the Vietnam War that was going on around the time of Magical Mystery Tour. John actually wrote this song while he was on the set in the movie "How I Won the War."
If speaking in general, I would want to go with this interpretation as well.
There is no metaphors and stuff, Lennons method was to right a straight prose then mix it up randomly so it would not seem trite and obvious, and make him look deep like Dylan. if he didn't know there was no heaven he would be up there laughing at us all trying to sort out meanings that aren't there and bullshitting each other.
@mart101 Now that sounds like Lennon for sure!
Strawberry Fields was an orphanage near John's home in Liverpool. He went there alot as a young boy.
it was the orphanage he stayed in
this song is very deep and a classic beatle favorite. its one of those songs that john wrote that make you think, wow he WAS a genius. i really enjoy the orchestration and arrangement of sounds in this masterpiece. no matter what meaning it supposedly had in real life, it can mean many cool things depending how you want to see it. thats why it rocks so much