McCartney described the song as a children's sing-along with the title phrase inspired by the music hall tradition of asking the audience to join in. He also described a "subcurrent" in the song, a dual-meaning where "we are all together now." According to music critic Tom Maginnis of AllMusic, McCartney created the song "to match the same light-hearted spirit" of "Yellow Submarine".
The track was recorded on 12 May 1967 at EMI Studios and mixed the same day, but was not released until 13 January 1969, when it appeared on the soundtrack album. George Martin was absent from this session, leaving recording engineer Geoff Emerick in charge of the control room. The song took less than six hours to record and was recorded in nine takes, the last of which was selected for overdubs.
All Together Now
Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I have a little more
Five six seven eight nine ten
I love you
A B C D
Can I bring my friend to tea
E F G H I J
Bom bom bom bompa bom
Sail the ship Bompa bom
Chop the tree bompa bom
Skip the rope bompa bom
Look at me
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
Black white green red
Can I take my friend to bed
Pink brown yellow orange and blue
I love you
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
Bom bom bom bompa bom
Sail the ship Bompa bom
Chop the tree bompa bom
Skip the rope bompa bom
Look at me
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
All together now
The song "All Together Now" by The Beatles is a cheerful and upbeat tune that invites people to come together and celebrate their love and friendship. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, emphasizing the message of unity and togetherness. The song starts with a counting sequence, which leads into a series of requests to bring friends to tea and bed, and then goes back to another round of counting, this time combined with a set of verbs that encourage physical activities such as sailing, chopping, and skipping.
The song seems to be about the joy of companionship, regardless of differences in color, gender, or age. The lyrics celebrate the universality of love and the power of human connection. The repetition of the phrase "I love you" underscores the emotional bond that the song seeks to create. The use of nonsensical words such as "bompa bom" adds to the playfulness and childlike quality of the song.
Overall, "All Together Now" is a simple but effective call for people to come together and share their happiness and affection. It reminds us that even in difficult times, we can find solace and comfort in the company of others.
Line by Line Meaning
One two three four
Counting and asking for more
Can I have a little more
Asking for more
Five six seven eight nine ten
Counting and expressing love
I love you
Expressing love and affection
A B C D
Singing the alphabet to ask for a favor
Can I bring my friend to tea
Asking if it's okay to bring a friend
E F G H I J
Continuing the alphabet song to express love
Bom bom bom bompa bom
Making a beat with nonsensical syllables
Sail the ship Bompa bom
Creating a playful, imaginary scenario
Chop the tree bompa bom
Continuing the playful imagery
Skip the rope bompa bom
Encouraging playfulness and physical activity
Look at me
Drawing attention to oneself
All together now
Encouraging unity and togetherness
Black white green red
Listing different colors
Can I take my friend to bed
Asking if it's okay to share a bed with a friend
Pink brown yellow orange and blue
Listing more colors and expressing love
Bom bom bom bompa bom
Repeating the playful beat
Sail the ship Bompa bom
Continuing the imaginative scenario
Chop the tree bompa bom
With the same playful rhythm
Skip the rope bompa bom
Encouraging physical activity and playfulness
Look at me
Drawing attention again
All together now
Once again encouraging unity and togetherness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind