The piano playing on this song was inspired by 1950s rock/blues pianist, Fats Domino. McCartney recalled in 1994, "'Lady Madonna' was me sitting down at the piano trying to write a bluesy boogie-woogie thing ... It reminded me of Fats Domino for some reason, so I started singing a Fats Domino impression. It took my voice to a very odd place." Domino himself would cover the song later in 1968, and it would become his most recent U.S. Hot 100 hit (peaking at exactly #100).
The song and in particular the introduction are similar to Humphrey Lyttelton's "Bad Penny Blues" from 1956.[3] John Lennon helped write the lyrics. The line "see how they run" was included after his suggestion (and was a theme that had been used in the previous year's "I Am the Walrus").
Lady Madonna
Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who find the money when you pay the rent
Did you think that money was heaven sent
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
Pa pa pa pa,
See how they run
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night you stocking needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
The lyrics to the Beatles' song "Lady Madonna" describe the struggle of a single mother who is trying to make ends meet while taking care of her children. It opens with the line "Lady Madonna, children at your feet, wonder how you manage to make ends meet," suggesting that the singer admires the strength and resilience of this woman. The next line, "Who find the money when you pay the rent" highlights the financial difficulties she faces, while asking "Did you think that money was heaven sent" implies that there is some sort of religious aspect to her struggle.
The song then goes on to describe the mundane routine of her week. Friday night arrives without a suitcase, maybe implying that she doesn't have the luxury of going away for the weekend. Sunday morning creeping like a nun may make reference to the fact that she doesn't have a day off to rest, and the line "Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs, see how they run" could indicate that her children have learned to fend for themselves and become more independent.
The description of Lady Madonna holding her baby in her arms, "wonders how you manage to feed the rest", shows the struggles of a single mother and how she must provide for her children, even when resources are scarce. Through the rest of the week, a series of tasks and chores are presented, suggesting a life that is filled with hardship and difficulties.
Overall, "Lady Madonna" is a tribute to single mothers (and perhaps, even Mother Mary) as it depicts the day-to-day struggles, sacrifices, and hardships that they endure to take care of their children.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Addressing an overworked, overwhelmed mother with children gathered around her
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Her admirers are curious about the ways she survives, being the only breadwinner of the family
Who find the money when you pay the rent
When she pays the rent, everyone wonders from where she manages to find that much money
Did you think that money was heaven sent
People tend to believe that the money which the woman receives is nothing but a miracle from heaven
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
The end of the week is so sudden that the mother is unable to prepare for it with her usual luggage
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
The weekend ends slowly and religiously as if it is taking its time to end
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs
The children have become responsible enough to handle their own chores
See how they run
The kids run and play around, innocent and carefree
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
A mother with a newborn child latches the baby onto her chest
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
Even while feeding her baby, the mother ponders how she manages to feed her other children as well
Pa pa pa pa,
The baby makes nonsensical sounds while nursing
See how they run
The other children run around playfully
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
A tired mother rests on her bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
She listens to the music inside her head, maybe reminiscing about the days she was carefree
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Even an ordinary workday seems endless and mundane
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
The morning papers do not arrive on time, which disrupts the mother's routine
Thursday night you stocking needed mending
With so much work around the house and for the children, the mother forgets to mend her stockings till the very last minute
See how they run
The kids still run around, still innocent and carefree
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
The song comes back to the mother and her children
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
The question returns because people can only wonder, but not fathom the strength of a mother who makes ends meet with a smile, despite all the chaos around her
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE HARRISON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RockNRollStar504
Lyrics
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money when you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was heaven sent?
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlace
See how they run
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
See how they run
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night your stockings needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
@ZalejoZ
Lyrics :D ─
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money? When you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was Heaven sent?
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creep in like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlace
See how they run
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonder how you manage to feed the rest
See how they run
Lady Madonna, lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night you stockings needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
@strathman7501
Where did you get "John's surrealistic lyrics" from? He certainly didn't write the lyrics. He may have offered a word or suggestion here or there, but the evidence even for that is poor.
In 1972 "Lennon attributed Lady Madonna directly to Paul McCartney . . . with no comment." (Hit Parader 1972)
Eight years later he can't remember so well. Asked by Sheff who wrote it he said flatly, “Paul." But then he adds "maybe I helped him on some of the lyrics," but he seems to be just guessing. "I'm not proud of them either way," he said. (All We Are Saying)
In Many Years From Now, Paul said "'Lady Madonna' was me", mentioning no input from John.
In "McCartney 3,2,1," Paul says that he wrote the song at home (7 Cavendish Ave, St. Johns Wood) with no mention of John.
That's corroborated by Ringo's comment back in 1968 that Paul brought it into the studio finished: "I couldn't really say what the lyrics mean, because only Paul knew what he had in his mind. Paul composed the song at home." (Beatlesebooks)
I can't find any source that adds any meat to John's very vague "maybe I helped" from 1980.
@RCCola339
I like that they're pretty obviously not playing Lady Madonna
@KimSenior
Right! It’s Hey Bulldog.
@diogo_barros
Hey Bulldog
@pemo2676
@@diogo_barros Looking through, you can clearly see them say the lyrics/screaming
@thedrummerpro6455
Um
@thedrummerpro6455
It’s nicsterv
@Sam-nl8ie
Fun Fact: in this record they are actually playing Hey
Bulldog instead of Lady Madonna
@fergalhughes165
And in the video for Hey Bulldog, they are actually playing I Am The Walrus
@carterthacker5837
@@fergalhughes165 and in the walrus video they're actually playing Hey Jude!
@accam6734
And in the Hey Jude video they are actually
playing It’s Now Or Never.