Main Writer: Lennon
Recorded: November 24, 28 and 29, December 8, 9, 15, 21 and 22, 1966
Released: February 13, 1967
9 weeks; no. 8

About The Song

In September 1966, John Lennon penned “Strawberry Fields Forever” while in Spain during the filming of “How I Won the War.” This moment marked a rare break from Beatles’ responsibilities, allowing him the freedom to delve into his innermost thoughts and childhood memories. As Lennon recounted in a 1968 interview with Rolling Stone, the song’s inspiration came from his attempt to capture the essence of Liverpool, where he casually listed appealing names. Nevertheless, the visions of Strawberry Fields, which could be anywhere one desired, haunted him. Strawberry Field (with Lennon’s addition of the “s”) was a children’s home in Liverpool near where he grew up under the care of his Aunt Mimi. In his youth, having been abandoned by both parents, Lennon would scale the orphanage wall and play in its untamed gardens.

In Lennon’s words from 1980, “I was hip in kindergarten. I was different throughout my life.” The second verse of the song, “No one I think is in my tree,” reflected his shyness and self-doubt, implying that he felt different from others. He believed that no one else could relate to his unique perspective, leading to the conclusion that he must be either crazy or a genius, as indicated by the line, “I mean it must be high or low.” Lennon grappled with the idea that there was something inherently different about him, allowing him to perceive things that eluded others.

After composing the song on a Spanish beach, Lennon returned to England and shared it with the rest of the Beatles. Engineer Geoff Emerick recalled a moment of awe and silence, interrupted by Paul, who praised the song as “absolutely brilliant.” Initially, it was an acoustic-guitar ballad, reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” However, during studio sessions, the Beatles transformed it into something entirely new. Having retired from touring earlier that year, they had the freedom to experiment with the song, resulting in dozens of takes over the next two weeks. The introduction was created by McCartney using a Mellotron, a rudimentary synthesizer.

Lennon’s vision was to combine the first part from one take (Take 26) with the second part from another (Take 7), even though they were in different keys and tempos. Producer George Martin achieved this by slightly altering the speed and pitch of each part. This manipulation of time and key enhanced the haunting and ethereal quality of Lennon’s vocals, lending the entire song an aura of timeless surrealism. The final take concluded with a fragment from a lengthy jam session in which Lennon uttered “cranberry sauce.” This led to speculation by “Paul Is Dead” enthusiasts, who believed he was saying, “I buried Paul.”

“Strawberry Fields” was the first track recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions. The innovative studio techniques used by the Beatles in creating this song, along with McCartney’s “Penny Lane,” which also drew from childhood memories of a Liverpool landmark, signaled the band’s new artistic direction. The lyrics of both songs reflected the influence of psychedelic experiences. These tracks were meant to be the highlights of the Beatles’ seminal album, but due to pressure from EMI to release a new single (it had been six months since their last one), both songs were issued as a double A-side in February 1967. George Martin later regretted the decision to exclude these tracks from Sgt. Pepper, considering it the biggest mistake of his career.

Lennon once described growing up as “scary because there was nobody to relate to.” Strawberry Field, both the place (which closed in 2005) and the song, served as a representation of those haunting childhood memories. With “Strawberry Fields” the song, Lennon managed to conquer those memories and express them to the world.