DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Songs => Topic started by: Buttmunker on November 08, 2007, 07:47:35 PM
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There's either "a" voice or voices at the very beginning of George Harrison's "It's All Too Much." Is that because the song before it just ends when that is starting, or is it a glitch that they just decided to keep in?
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I've always wondered what John shouted at the beggining of that song, i
assumed it was John.
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It's backwards. When I had a phonograph and the Apple LP, I was curious, so I put the speed switch in "neutral" and revolved the record in the wrong direction. I heard George Harrison saying "I'm Irish!" in a funny voice. I tried it a few times, just to be sure.
So it's George being silly. Just more smart-ass Beatle fun that they made sound "weird" so listeners would wonder what the hell it was! Cheeky.
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Really cool info, Chris. Thanks!
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It's backwards. When I had a phonograph and the Apple LP, I was curious, so I put the speed switch in "neutral" and revolved the record in the wrong direction. I heard George Harrison saying "I'm Irish!" in a funny voice. I tried it a few times, just to be sure.
So it's George being silly. Just more smart-ass Beatle fun that they made sound "weird" so listeners would wonder what the hell it was! Cheeky.
I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I just did the same test, but digitally. I'll agree it sounds more like George than anyone else. I think it sounds like 'I'm Irish' by association, because you said it was. When played backwards the I'm Irish' bit sounds itself like it's backwards. Meaning that it was the right way round to start with. I think what's at the beginning is just a snippet of conversation that was going on when the song started.
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It sounds like 'To Your Mu...' and there's some more spoken words a bit further, but it's impossible to hear what's being said.
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On further listening I think he's probably saying 'To your mother'. There is some whispering afterwards that goes: Paul "What was that, George?" and George responds, "I don't know".
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I agree that he doesn't say anything backwards though it still sounds like John!
I don't think he's saying 'To your mother' because that's an Americanism and the final word can't really be heard.
It's been suggested on another site that Lennon is just fooling around with the words of the song, so 'All too much' has become 'Too your mu..ch'.
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I agree that he doesn't say anything backwards though it still sounds like John!
I don't think he's saying 'To your mother' because that's an Americanism and the final word can't really be heard.
It's been suggested on another site that Lennon is just fooling around with the words of the song, so 'All too much' has become 'Too your mu..ch'.
It could be. Nothing I said was meant to sound definitive. But it's definitely not backwards. Probably. ;) And yes, it could be John. It could be anyone, to be honest!!
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i'm actually sure that it's george & i listened to it backwards and it sounds nonsense.
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I slowed it down to 50%, and it really is nonsense.
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I've always wondered what John shouted at the beggining of that song, i
assumed it was John.
yeah me too...sounds like "To your mother" LOL
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It's backwards. When I had a phonograph and the Apple LP, I was curious, so I put the speed switch in "neutral" and revolved the record in the wrong direction. I heard George Harrison saying "I'm Irish!" in a funny voice. I tried it a few times, just to be sure.
So it's George being silly. Just more smart-ass Beatle fun that they made sound "weird" so listeners would wonder what the hell it was! Cheeky.
that's cool, Chris..I did the 'ol backwards thing many times back then (on stuff like the proverbial Strawberry Fields fade--who didnt ? and that little bit at the end of "I'm So Tired") but NEVER thought of trying it for "All Too Much"...cool..it that what George seems to be saying?? Makes sense in a way, because George DOES have Irish blood--so do ALL the Beatles.) thx 4 info. (but it definitely sounds like Lennon--the "to your mother" part lol)
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sounds like "To your mother" LOL
Yes it does :P
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that's cool, Chris..I did the 'ol backwards thing many times back then (on stuff like the proverbial Strawberry Fields fade--who didnt ? and that little bit at the end of "I'm So Tired") but NEVER thought of trying it for "All Too Much"...cool..it that what George seems to be saying?? Makes sense in a way, because George DOES have Irish blood--so do ALL the Beatles.) thx 4 info. (but it definitely sounds like Lennon--the "to your mother" part lol)
Hard to tell...knowing the Beatles' penchant for funny voices, they might've just been screwing around in the studio, and decided to reverse a snippet of anything random to start the song in a surprising way. For all we know, it's half of one thing and half of another (such as how they assembled the babble on the Pepper run-off groove by splicing together a bunch of fraction-second bits of conversation).
Who knows. Either way, the song's underrated. :)
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It
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The song's underrated but that doesn't mean George is saying anything backwards.
"To your mother" still seems likely.
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Mentioning that the song was underrated was a separate thought.
And it's "I'm Irish" in a silly voice, backwards. :P
(Since I heard that while spinning a record by hand, you guys have made me curious about how it sounds in perfect time -- i.e. digital. I'm going to do that this weekend and see if it's really anything backwards besides "amoomshhhht.")
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It could say anything. Like a lot of the Beatles backwards stuff, we read that such-and-such played backwards says this, or that. And once we have that phrase in our head, we can hear it. Otherwise it's just mumbo jumbo.
Here's one for you. About 25 years ago, a bloke I worked with was playing 'Bad Moon Rising', and he said when it gets to the bit where he sings 'there's a bad moon on the rise', in your head say: 'there's a bathroom on the right'. That song has never sounded the same since!!
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At least it's a very helpful lyric now!
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At least it's a very helpful lyric now!
Ive never been caught short since!
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"I'm Irish" sounds backwards to me - I think the intro was played straight.
Judge for yourselves - I edited the clip and reversed it: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.end5/irish.mp3
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I hear it! Clear as a bell. It says, "Oh my wissst." This is amazing! *plans rest of life around this message*
(Actually, it's kind of a "whooisht" sound on the last word. I think the word Worcestershire was definitely coming out. I think George was urging us to cook with Worcestershire sauce! Either that or he was informing us he was hungry...)
And no one asked, but it sounds like John saying "To your mo---" at the beginning to me.
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If you play it backwards, turn it upside down and inside out, you can clearly hear him say: 'Yoko, She Devil'. ;)
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I hear "Paul is de..." ;)
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I hear "Paul is de..." ;)
I second that 8)
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sounds like " too damn much " too me although i also hear " to youre mum " which sounds a lot closer than " to youre mother"
but it couls also be " too youre mush" with mush slang meaning face. like " shut yer mush "
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I second that 8)
I third it! We have a winner. SOLD to the Paul is dead crowd!
but it couls also be " too youre mush" with mush slang meaning face. like " shut yer mush "
*gasp* I also hear this as well! That's pretty cool.
If you play it backwards, turn it upside down and inside out, you can clearly hear him say: 'Yoko, She Devil'. ;)
I'm still working on this one, Paul. I think I need an old-fashioned tape deck and a mobius strip.
This is all causing me great anxiety. How am I to live the rest of my life, without this settled? *repeatedly plays the dog whistle at the end of Sgt. Pepper to tide me over*
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The only part of the song which seems to be backwards to me is towards the end when George sings something round about 4.33
Maybe T.E. can give us that part backwards.
Maybe he says "No I'm not Irish I was just joking".
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The only part of the song which seems to be backwards to me is towards the end when George sings something round about 4.33
Maybe T.E. can give us that part backwards.
Maybe he says "No I'm not Irish I was just joking".
It sounds like nonsense. Unfortunately, when played in reverse it also sounds like nonsense. I actually expected to hear:
'It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around you
Everywhere, it's what you make
For us to take, it's all too much'
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"I'm Irish" sounds backwards to me - I think the intro was played straight.
Judge for yourselves - I edited the clip and reversed it: [url]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.end5/irish.mp3[/url]
I can't make anything out of that. It's backwards!
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It sounds like nonsense. Unfortunately, when played in reverse it also sounds like nonsense. I actually expected to hear:
'It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around you
Everywhere, it's what you make
For us to take, it's all too much'
That doesn't make any sense at all, Paul. That would mean that George was singing, as part of the song, the lyrics. :o ;D
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The only part of the song which seems to be backwards to me is towards the end when George sings something round about 4.33
Maybe T.E. can give us that part backwards.
Maybe he says "No I'm not Irish I was just joking".
I agree - however it actually sounds backwards when played backwards!
Here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.end5/toomuch.mp3
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Thanks T.E.
It seems to me he sings " A Pint of Guinness is all you need..ahhhh, do it Ireland "!
This song has now taken on an all new meaning for me...
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Hard to tell...knowing the Beatles' penchant for funny voices, they might've just been screwing around in the studio, and decided to reverse a snippet of anything random to start the song in a surprising way. For all we know, it's half of one thing and half of another (such as how they assembled the babble on the Pepper run-off groove by splicing together a bunch of fraction-second bits of conversation).
Who knows. Either way, the song's underrated. :)
I always thought it was George saying "To Your Mo ..."
It's not underrated in my book - one of my favorites!
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I am confused with that introduction but it sounds great.Thanks for the clips The end.
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Maybe he says "No I'm not Irish I was just joking".
;D
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It sounds a bit like 'to/do your most', but I really can't tell. What do you think?
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it sort of sounded backwards
or it could possibly be in hindu
i thought he said 'to your mo-' 2ch
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I hear "Paul is de..." ;)
We discussed this a couple of years ago here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=6894.0 (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=6894.0)
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^Haha, Hello Goodbye!
To me, it always sounded like, "To your moo." Like a cow. I think that's just me...
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It sounds a bit like 'to/do your most', but I really can't tell. What do you think?
May I direct you to the Search facility. Very easy. Instructions here:
http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=9780.0 (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=9780.0)
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http://youtu.be/z2QKEXykBH0 (http://youtu.be/z2QKEXykBH0)
00:06
We haven't discussed this in a while. What do you hear and who's saying it?
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No reply.
;)
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According to the Beatles Anomalies List:
Often pointed out, "To your mu..." vocal is cut off by the guitar. However, the vocal continues to about 0:04, but is unintelligible due to the guitar. The vocal is not "All too much".
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Most interpretations suggest the first word is "to". But I hear a sibilance "tss" right at the start. As if it's the end of another word that had been cut off.
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Most interpretations suggest the first word is "to". But I hear a sibilance "tss" right at the start. As if it's the end of another word that had been cut off.
I tend to agree. So it's pretty impossible to know what he's saying since we may not have the beginning and certainly don't have the end.
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The first few times I heard this song I thought the line in question was "To young love. Then I heard "To your mother" like a lot of others have said.
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The first few times I heard this song I thought the line in question was "To young love. Then I heard "To your mother" like a lot of others have said.
Yes, but you don't actually hear the word 'mother' do you?
Certainly not on the clip recently put up in any case.
It really could be anything, but myself I see it as being a one-syllable word.
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Yes, but you don't actually hear the word 'mother' do you?
No, zipp, not actually. Not with my ears, anyway.
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I listened to the song just now and I immediately thought of John when I heard "to your ?" before the song started. I guess no one was paying attention to him because they started playing right over him. It's a cool psychedelic guitar song though. I mean that opening guitar is really non-Beatle like (for most fans of the time). I think the Beatles could have played some really raunchy stuff if they wanted. I wonder if they were keeping tabs on their crossover appeal and consciously decided to play it safe and not play too much heavy stuff.
I didn't care for this song when it came out. I just thought it was there to fill out the album and give George a part in it. I don't know but I think the Beatles held themselves back in many ways. They didn't play all the stuff they wanted to because of that whole universal appeal thing they had.
Paul kept things nice with all his pretty songs and for probably most fans that was what they primarily wanted from the Beatles. Wasn't it around Sgt Pepper that a lot of fans abandoned them? They wanted the sweet stuff not the deep harder-to-understand stuff.