Here's my analysis of Strawberry Fields (probably my favorite Beatles song):
First off, I don't think it's "about" drugs. It might contain references to drug-induced experiences, or been written either under the influence of them or as a result of having been, but that really doesn't mean anything. Use of pot or hallucinogens will affect your outlook on the world and influence your creative endeavors, as will many other experiences, but to say that "this song is about drugs" is extremely simple-minded.
With that out of the way, I believe this song is about the concept of building one's own reality out of dreams (both literal and figurative dreams), fantasies, and delusions. Retreating into one's own dream-world is a concept that's hardly unique to this song. What makes Strawberry Fields unique, however, is that it takes the conept a step further, by not only retreating into a fantasy, but by actually realizing it to the extent that you can invite someone else to join you, hence the chorus:
"Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout
Strawberry Fields forever"
However, the song also deals with the inherrant issues with the idea of dream-reality-living, which is that, over time, the lines between your fantasy and the real world can erode, leaving behind feelings of contradiction and confusion. What's more, it ultimately proves impossible for another to live entirely within your own fantasy world (though she might try), as he realizes over the course of the song. In each verse, this progression is evident as the singer's views become more confused and unsure of himself.
"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 "
The first verse clearly acknowledges that he is not living in the "real world", and that he's even losing his "real world" identity, but that it scarcely matters, because the world he IS living in is an easy one to grow accustomed to and enjoy, and this is all he really needs.
"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"
He realizes in the second verse that he's more lonely here than originally intended. The one he wants to share his dream world with can't entirely tune into it, and he finds himself alone there. What mattered little in the first verse is now noticed, but bearable. "that is, I think it's not too bad"
"Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream
I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree"
These lyrics make little sense, and I'm fairly certain the lyrics listed on this site are innacurate, as I've always seen (and heard) this final verse as:
"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"
Assuming the latter lyrics are the correct ones, the final verse shows the singer's final acknowledgement that his reality is nothing but a dream, and one that he can't feel fulfilled living in exclusively. His confusion in this verse is very blatant, as he stammers over lines and corrects himself, trying to remain positive, but in the end, admitting that it's all wrong.
What is left up to conjecture, of course, is how it ends, whether he comes back to true reality or whether he's too far gone. The repeated "strawberry fields forever" at the end of the song might imply the latter. As for "Strawberry Fields" itself, I think the fact that it's an orphanage in england is fairly irrelevant, because for the purpose of the song, it's simply a symbolic place or state of existance, and dwelling on why he chose it as his symbol rather than some other place is a mundane excercise.
Interestingly, Paul's "Penny Lane", released as the B-side on the strawberry fields single, is about a similar concept. However, where Strawberry fields is about the singer actually attempting to live in his dream world, and dealing with the benefits, challanges, and consequences of doing so, Penny Lane simply takes the form of an idle daydream. "There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit and meanwhile back, on Penny Lane...", "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes" and "And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway" all drive the concept home. IMO, Strawberry fields is a much more powerful song due to the extent to which it delves into the idea of waking dreams, whereas Penny lane takes a very superficial (though also inspired and catchy) view of daydreams.
Here's my analysis of Strawberry Fields (probably my favorite Beatles song):
First off, I don't think it's "about" drugs. It might contain references to drug-induced experiences, or been written either under the influence of them or as a result of having been, but that really doesn't mean anything. Use of pot or hallucinogens will affect your outlook on the world and influence your creative endeavors, as will many other experiences, but to say that "this song is about drugs" is extremely simple-minded.
With that out of the way, I believe this song is about the concept of building one's own reality out of dreams (both literal and figurative dreams), fantasies, and delusions. Retreating into one's own dream-world is a concept that's hardly unique to this song. What makes Strawberry Fields unique, however, is that it takes the conept a step further, by not only retreating into a fantasy, but by actually realizing it to the extent that you can invite someone else to join you, hence the chorus:
"Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout Strawberry Fields forever"
However, the song also deals with the inherrant issues with the idea of dream-reality-living, which is that, over time, the lines between your fantasy and the real world can erode, leaving behind feelings of contradiction and confusion. What's more, it ultimately proves impossible for another to live entirely within your own fantasy world (though she might try), as he realizes over the course of the song. In each verse, this progression is evident as the singer's views become more confused and unsure of himself.
"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 "
The first verse clearly acknowledges that he is not living in the "real world", and that he's even losing his "real world" identity, but that it scarcely matters, because the world he IS living in is an easy one to grow accustomed to and enjoy, and this is all he really needs.
"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"
He realizes in the second verse that he's more lonely here than originally intended. The one he wants to share his dream world with can't entirely tune into it, and he finds himself alone there. What mattered little in the first verse is now noticed, but bearable. "that is, I think it's not too bad"
"Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree"
These lyrics make little sense, and I'm fairly certain the lyrics listed on this site are innacurate, as I've always seen (and heard) this final verse as:
"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"
Assuming the latter lyrics are the correct ones, the final verse shows the singer's final acknowledgement that his reality is nothing but a dream, and one that he can't feel fulfilled living in exclusively. His confusion in this verse is very blatant, as he stammers over lines and corrects himself, trying to remain positive, but in the end, admitting that it's all wrong.
What is left up to conjecture, of course, is how it ends, whether he comes back to true reality or whether he's too far gone. The repeated "strawberry fields forever" at the end of the song might imply the latter. As for "Strawberry Fields" itself, I think the fact that it's an orphanage in england is fairly irrelevant, because for the purpose of the song, it's simply a symbolic place or state of existance, and dwelling on why he chose it as his symbol rather than some other place is a mundane excercise.
Interestingly, Paul's "Penny Lane", released as the B-side on the strawberry fields single, is about a similar concept. However, where Strawberry fields is about the singer actually attempting to live in his dream world, and dealing with the benefits, challanges, and consequences of doing so, Penny Lane simply takes the form of an idle daydream. "There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit and meanwhile back, on Penny Lane...", "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes" and "And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway" all drive the concept home. IMO, Strawberry fields is a much more powerful song due to the extent to which it delves into the idea of waking dreams, whereas Penny lane takes a very superficial (though also inspired and catchy) view of daydreams.