I had breakfast at MacDonald's this morning.  An instrumental version of Norwegian Wood came over the system.  It was like going home, like putting the pieces of my mind back together after they they had been ripped asunder by all this other crap music played in restaurants.  Beatle songs are perfect.  They should go back to the charts and be heard regularly on radio stations.  

With Norwegian Wood, Beatle fans know that it was originally titled "Knowing She Would," a little too risque for 1965.  And that part about "I lit the fire," what does it mean?  Does it mean he started a fire in the fire place, lit up a joint or burned her house down?  Or is it just John playing with words?

http://jimcolyer.com/papers/entry?id=61  

The house burned down:

PAUL 1985: "It was me who decided in 'Norwegian Wood' that the house should burn down... not that it's any big deal."

Quoted from Jim_Colyer

With Norwegian Wood, Beatle fans know that it was originally titled "Knowing She Would," a little too risque for 1965.  

I reckon I'm very knowledgeable about the Beatles, but I have NEVER heard that "Knowing She Would" was the original title to NW. Can you give a reliable source for this, Jim? I always thought that its original title was "This Bird Has Flown".

I have done a little internet search. If you're going by the "facts" at http://www.songfacts.com - forget it. Unreliable is the polite thing to say.

Quoted from Ydoll_Gwyn

I reckon I'm very knowledgeable about the Beatles, but I have NEVER heard that "Knowing She Would" was the original title to NW. Can you give a reliable source for this, Jim? I always thought that its original title was "This Bird Has Flown".

I've never heard of that 'working title' either. "Scrambeld Eggs", "That's A Nice Hat", etc., yes, but never 'Knowing She Would'.

With John it was probably just wordplay.  But I've always thought that Norwegian Wood was a reference to pot and that he was lighting up a joint.  The more paradoxical statement or thought that John could come up with I think the more he enjoyed it.  He was a bit of a genius with words.

There's nothing deep about Norwegian Wood, you know. In the mid sixties it became a vogue thing to make cheap furniture out of a type of pinewood - from Norway. Norwegian wood, get it?

People in bedsits and cheap flats often had furniture made from the stuff. So the girl in this song had furniture made from Norwegian wood. Isn't it good?

It's got ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with pot!!

^., Well, if she was into flatpack furniture you think she would've at least bothered to get a couple chairs.

huum, i luv the song...neway, i thought the bit where he sang' i lit a fire', was where he lit the fire in the room..u know? like a typical english wood-fire, or something..

Quoted from kevin_b

^., Well, if she was into flatpack furniture you think she would've at least bothered to get a couple chairs.

Maybe she preferred to lie down with her guests rather than sit with them!

But then Johnny has to crawl off to sleep in the bath. In the bath?

Quoted from Frightwolf

The house burned down:

PAUL 1985: "It was me who decided in 'Norwegian Wood' that the house should burn down... not that it's any big deal."

I wish someone could tell me exactly where in the song the house (flat, watever) burns down. People have been saying this for years - including Paul McCartney. (I think Paul is fibbing: he went with the flow, and got it wrong.) Here's the relevant lyrics:

And when I awoke
I was alone,
This bird has flown,
So I lit a fire,
Isn’t it good?
Norwegian wood.

I agree with lennonlegend, just above. I've always thought it meant a fire to get warm by. Remember, Johnny has slept from from 2 am in a bath!

Quoted from Ydoll_Gwyn

I wish someone could tell me exactly where in the song the house (flat, watever) burns down. People have been saying this for years - including Paul McCartney. (I think Paul is fibbing: he went with the flow, and got it wrong.)

I agree with lennonlegend, just above. I've always thought it meant a fire to get warm by. Remember, Johnny has slept from from 2 am in a bath!

Mind you, if an ember landed on that bloody rug.......

I've read in several different places that NW was a song John wrote about having an affair... then he changed the ending so Cynthia wouldn't catch on.

(PS, I find it funny how people who smoke pot think EVERY song is about pot )

Quoted from Ydoll_Gwyn

And when I awoke
I was alone,
This bird has flown,
So I lit a fire,
Isn’t it good?
Norwegian wood.

Whatever way you look at it he's not just making an ordinary fire.Either he's burning the Norwegian wood furniture in the fireplace or he's burning the furniture and the house.
In some way Lennon seems to be used by this girl and he wants to get his own back.
I think he's saying that she wanted to sleep with him because of his fame.
He probably accepted and regretted it, but he changed the story to save his marriage.

My point here was that he doesn't say he's burning the house down!

Quoted from Ydoll_Gwyn

My point here was that he doesn't say he's burning the house down!

No, he doesn't.But it's a possibility.

In the usually reliable book A Hard day's Write, Steve Turner says :

John later asked Paul for help with the ending and Paul said he should add some lines about the apartment burning down.Pete Shotten thought this could have referred to John's habit of burning furniture in the fireplace at Gambier Terrace in Liverpool.While he was there, John would sometimes ask guests to sleep in the bath ...

Quoted from Mairi

I've read in several different places that NW was a song John wrote about having an affair... then he changed the ending so Cynthia wouldn't catch on.

(PS, I find it funny how people who smoke pot think EVERY song is about pot )

Yeah, I've read that too. I think it might be true.

You're right about pot Mairi BTW! I also think that every song is about pot!   Just joking.