The Beatles - Across the Universe - Let It Be... Naked - 2003

All sound recording and images are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners.
Copyright: Apple Corps Ltd., EMI Records Ltd., Parlophone (UK), Capitol Records (USA)
Members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Writer: Lennon/McCartney
Producer: Paul Hicks, Guy Massey, Paul McCartney, and Allan Rouse

The Beatles Official Web Page: http://www.thebeatles.com/
EMI Music: http://www.emimusic.com/
Parlophone Records: http://www.parlophone.co.uk/
Capitol Records: http://www.capitolrecords.com/

A remixed version of the original February 1968 track, with keyboards and maracas mixed out, and without orchestral overdubs

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon/McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be, the group's final album to be released.

Composition:

One night in 1967, the phrase "words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup" came to Lennon after hearing his then-wife Cynthia, according to Lennon, "going on and on about something." Later, after "she'd gone to sleep—and I kept hearing these words over and over, flowing like an endless stream," Lennon went downstairs and it turned into a song. He began to write the rest of the lyrics and when he was done, he went to bed and forgot about them.

In the morning, Lennon found the paper on which he had written the lyrics and took them down to his piano, where he began to play chords, and find pitches to match the words. The flavour of the song was heavily influenced by Lennon's and The Beatles' interest in Transcendental Meditation in late 1967 -- early 1968, when the song was composed. Based on this he added the mantra "Jai guru deva om" (Sanskrit: जय गुरुदेव ॐ) to the piece, which became the link to the chorus. The Sanskrit phrase is a sentence fragment whose words could have many meanings. Literally it approximates as "glory to the shining remover of darkness," and can be paraphrased as "Victory to God divine", "Hail to the divine guru", or the phrase commonly invoked by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi "All Glory to Guru Deva."

The song's lyrical structure is straightforward: three repetitions of a unit consisting of a verse, the line "Jai guru deva om" and the line "Nothing's gonna change my world" repeated four times. The lyrics are highly image-based, with abstract concepts reified with phrases like thoughts "meandering", words "slithering", and undying love "shining". The title phrase "across the universe" appears at intervals to finish lines, although it never cadences, always appearing as a rising figure, melodically unresolved.

In his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon referred to the song as perhaps the best, most poetic lyric he ever wrote. He also expressed pride in the metre of the main verses, commenting on how unique it was to his compositions and how he could not duplicate it.

Recording and version history "Let it Be" version:

The Beatles took the song up again during the Get Back/Let It Be rehearsal sessions of January 1969; footage of Lennon playing the song appeared in the Let It Be movie. Bootleg recordings from the sessions include numerous full group performances of the song, usually with Lennon/McCartney harmonies on the chorus. To ensure the album tied in with the film it was decided the song must be included on what by January 1970 had become the Let It Be album. Also, Lennon's contributions to the sessions were sparse, and this unreleased piece was seen as a way to fill the gap.

Although the song was extensively rehearsed on the Twickenham Studios soundstage the only recordings were mono transcriptions for use in the film soundtrack. No multitrack recordings were made after the group's move to Apple Studios. Thus in early January 1970 Glyn Johns remixed the February 1968 recording. The new mix eliminated the Lizzie Bravo and Gayleen Pease vocals as well as the sound effects on the World Wildlife Fund version. As neither of the Glyn Johns Get Back albums were officially released, the version most people are familiar with came from Phil Spector, who in late March and early April 1970 remixed the February 1968 recording yet again and added orchestral and choral overdubs. Spector also slowed the track to 3:47, close to its original speed.

Lennon remained bitter about the recording of the song for the rest of his life. In 1980 he accused Paul McCartney of "subconscious sabotage" of "Across the Universe", blaming Paul for "this atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation." He said of the song that "The guitars are out of tune and I'm singing out of tune 'cause I'm psychologically destroyed and nobody's supporting me or helping me with it and the song was never done properly.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Beatles
• Across
• the
• Universe
• Let
• It
• Be...
• Naked
• Disc
• 2003
• Remastered
• Remaster
• Remix
• Stereo
• Mono
• Paul
• McCartney
• John
• Lennon
• George
• Harrison
• Ringo
• Starr

[PopRockArt]

I really love this version of the song, Thank you very much, Emmanuel!

You've been so kind and generous ;)

Rod

[CapitanArgentario]

@PopRockArt

This is my favorite version of this song too, the version of Let it Be is a bit slow and the one in Past Masters is faster, this version is in the original speed... and without a doubt is the best.

[LadyNikita10]

i love the beatles...thanks very much friend..the beatles forever...

[CapitanArgentario]

@LadyNikita10

De nada Mika!! :)

[A01202644]

Who needs Spector

[akeel456]

@cubfan369 Well the only released variations are the Past Masters, Let It Be, Let It Be... Naked and Anthology 2 versions. I reckon it's the original Let It Be version you're referring to, since it's the most common and the vocals are quite similar to the untrained ear.

[cubfan369]

@akeel456 I checked and it is not the version from Past Masters. To the ear, it seems to be the exact same speed as this, and in fact the exact same recording except with more instrumentation. I've never heard it anywhere else and I'm still totally perplexed.

[akeel456]

@cubfan369 Is it possibly the version from Past Masters? If it's slower than this, it'll be the version from the original Let It Be album. 

[515742617000027]

जय गुरुदेव ॐ

[cubfan369]

I have a version on my iPod that sounds almost exactly like this except with more instrumentation. I have no idea where that version came from.  Does anyone have an idea?

[chrisjohnfan]

its like John singing in your living room! Great!

[cesarmanuel51]

@kiddymama12 r u single :D jk jk

[MrOrangobango]

incredibile come questa canzone riesca a cullarti e a farti sentire in pace

[martipin12]

where do you find that pictures?

[909kong]

This is absolutely beautiful...