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Author Topic: How Do You Sleep  (Read 5205 times)

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Hombre_de_ningun_lugar

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #20 on: April 21, 2018, 06:41:05 PM »

Didn't Paul quip, at the time, that he was going to write a rebuttal song called, "Very Well, Thank You"? (Or something like that?)

I've always felt that "Let Me Roll It" was a kind of response to John, though the lyrics are not too obvious. In fact, the song has a John's style. John seemed to like it, since he used a similar riff in the instrumental "Beef Jerky".
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zipp

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2018, 08:38:46 PM »

However, "you" in the song is clearly Paul.

No, no, no. That's the whole point of the discussion. The "you" in this song is not the same all the time.
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Hombre_de_ningun_lugar

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #22 on: April 21, 2018, 10:40:19 PM »

No, no, no. That's the whole point of the discussion. The "you" in this song is not the same all the time.

Well, that's a matter of interpretation, but I think it's something very forced changing the meaning of the word "you" throughout the song. I see the song as a letter, a direct message to someone, so I think "you" always means "Paul".
« Last Edit: April 21, 2018, 10:45:47 PM by Hombre_de_ningun_lugar »
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zipp

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #23 on: April 22, 2018, 10:10:57 PM »

Well, that's a matter of interpretation, but I think it's something very forced changing the meaning of the word "you" throughout the song. I see the song as a letter, a direct message to someone, so I think "you" always means "Paul".

Yes, it's a very direct message to Paul. But the first two lines are apart. They're a kind of introduction.

I think it's very forced to interpret 'that motherxxxxxx's eyes' in any other way than as a condamanation of McCartney's way of seeing things.
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Hello Goodbye

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #24 on: April 23, 2018, 04:44:57 AM »

^

I agree, zipp.
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Bobber

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #25 on: April 23, 2018, 12:44:51 PM »

Songs from John to Paul and from Paul to John:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FA6T7Ilp9o" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FA6T7Ilp9o</a>
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Hombre_de_ningun_lugar

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #26 on: April 23, 2018, 10:24:34 PM »

Yes, it's a very direct message to Paul. But the first two lines are apart. They're a kind of introduction.

I think it's very forced to interpret 'that motherxxxxxx's eyes' in any other way than as a condamanation of McCartney's way of seeing things.

I respect your interpretation, it actually makes sense if we take the first two lines separately; but I don't agree that the word "you" should change its meaning after those lines.

I think "Sgt. Pepper" and "mother" are figures referring to the same thing, though I'm not sure what thing it is. I thought about Paul's conscience, but I admit that's a very free interpretation of mine.

Sgt. Pepper could also be taken as Paul's alter-ego, which was actually Paul's idea about the album, creating an alter-ego band. That alter-ego would have taken the original Paul by surprise and "kill" him, so that the original Paul was dead and replaced by Paul's alter-ego. This would be the mistake occurring in Paul's head.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2018, 10:53:10 PM by Hombre_de_ningun_lugar »
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Hello Goodbye

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2018, 12:37:46 AM »







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Hello Goodbye

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2018, 12:39:22 AM »




 ;D
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Mr Mustard

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #29 on: April 29, 2018, 11:56:35 PM »

My interpretation of this acerbic classic's opening two lines:

"So Sgt. Pepper [the album, Paul's brainchild] took you [the listening public] by surprise,
You'd better see right through that mother(f*****)'s [=Paul's] eyes."

So John begins with a "Let me tell you the truth about your beloved goody-goody Paul" to the music fans.

Thereafter, having invited us in as witnesses, he consciously switches the narrative directing it straight at/to Paul himself whilst we look on....

It's laced with all sorts of clever and viscious barbs, with John's trademark peerless vocals and that hypnotic, serpentine rhythm - even the snake-like hiss: "sleep at nightssssssss" hints at Paul's perceived (by John) underhand, sneaky attitude. How can you sleep at nights, Paul? How can you look yourself in the mirror? was what a wounded John seemed to be saying. Lennon always covered his pain with anger. But this was the early 70s and as we all know, there was a LOT of paranoia and bad blood around at the time. George and Ringo tended to side with John in seeing Paul as manipulative and selfish, secretively cutting publishing deals, re-polishing his tracks alone in the studio after sessions wound up, timing press announcements about the band's break up etc. Of course it wasn't really like that, but the long shadow of Klein was still very much in evidence.

I've never held this song against John. It's too glib to dismiss him as being nasty. At the time he (wrongly) thought Paul was being a c**t and didn't shy away (did he ever?) from spelling out the truth as he saw it. Remember when it seemed they'd "rumbled" the Maharishi? it was always left to honest John to blow the lid off these things ("Sexy Sadie"). Also, let's not selectively overlook the fact that it was Lennon's confrontational battering-ram determination (that same "nastiness"?) which smashed through those conventional barriers which would otherwise have prevented such a cheeky, provincial, unconventional group ever having made their big breakthrough back in deferential, forelock-tugging 1962.

I've never seen "Let Me Roll It" as McCartney's reply to be honest. In fact you COULD argue that "How Do You Sleep?" was in fact Lennon's reply to the pointed lyrical references in "Too Many People" from "Ram", which pre-dates "Imagine" by a few months and contains a few veiled needles of its own, with references to "going underground" (remember John & Yoko's support for Oz?) and "eating too much cake" (the chubby diet regime of Primal Scream therapy) etc...

They were daggers drawn back then.

Happily, this didn't last.
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Hello Goodbye

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #30 on: April 30, 2018, 11:33:24 PM »

I think John sucked a bit too much monkberry moon delight before he recorded the song.
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Bingo Bongo

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #31 on: May 01, 2018, 11:54:01 PM »

I sleep well, thank you...... icon_good
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zipp

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Re: How Do You Sleep
« Reply #32 on: May 05, 2018, 10:31:08 PM »

My interpretation of this acerbic classic's opening two lines:

"So Sgt. Pepper [the album, Paul's brainchild] took you [the listening public] by surprise,
You'd better see right through that mother(f*****)'s [=Paul's] eyes."

So John begins with a "Let me tell you the truth about your beloved goody-goody Paul" to the music fans.

Thereafter, having invited us in as witnesses, he consciously switches the narrative directing it straight at/to Paul himself whilst we look on....

Yes this is my way of thinking. I'm so pleased you see it the same way.
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