Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows
The Beatles䀀 Lyrics
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It is not dying, it is not dying
We were talking about the space between us all
And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Never glimpse the truth, then it's far too late, when they pass away
We were talking about the love we all could share
When we find it, to try our best to hold it there with our love
Try to realize it's all within yourself
No one else can make you change
And to see you're really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you
The Beatles' song "Within You Without You" is a philosophical meditation on the nature of existence and the interconnectedness of all living things. The opening lines, "Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream / It is not dying, it is not dying," encourage listeners to let go of their preconceptions and allow themselves to be carried along by the current of life. The song goes on to explore the concept of the "space between us all," which represents the barriers we construct to separate ourselves from one another.
The reference to "the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion" speaks to the idea that we often create elaborate facades to protect ourselves from the truth of our own vulnerability and mortality. It is only when we are faced with the end of our lives that we may come to regret the time we spent hiding behind these illusions. The song then shifts to a more hopeful message, urging people to recognize the power of love to unite us all and save the world from destruction.
The closing lines of the song, "Try to realize it's all within yourself / No one else can make you change / And to see you're really only very small / And life flows on within you and without you," suggest that the key to finding meaning and purpose in life is to look inward and recognize our own place in the grand scheme of things. It is only when we shed our illusions and embrace our true selves that we can begin to fully appreciate the beauty and interconnectedness of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream
Free your mind of stress and relax, letting yourself go with the flow
It is not dying, it is not dying
The feeling of death that you experience when you open your mind is not actually dying physically
We were talking about the space between us all
Discussing the emotional distance between people and how it affects our ability to connect with each other
And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Referring to people who create delusions to hide from reality and avoid confronting their own issues
Never glimpse the truth, then it's far too late, when they pass away
People who avoid the truth will never understand it, and it may be too late for them to realize their mistake when they die
We were talking about the love we all could share
Discussing the universal concept of love and how we can all experience it and share it with each other
When we find it, to try our best to hold it there with our love
Once we find love, we should do everything in our power to keep it alive
With our love, we could save the world, if they only knew
Believing that the power of love has the ability to change and improve the world, if people only understood its true potential
Try to realize it's all within yourself
Encouraging listeners to understand that everything they need to find peace and happiness is already within themselves
No one else can make you change
Reminding people that change comes from within and cannot be forced upon them by others
And to see you're really only very small
Encouraging listeners to recognize that they are just a small part of the universe and to maintain a humble perspective
And life flows on within you and without you
Life continues and flows through everything, both inside and outside of you, reminding you of your connection to the world around you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE HARRISON, JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind