I'm only sleeping
The Beatles䈀 Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)

Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Running everywhere at such a speed
Till they find there's no need (There's no need)

Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping

Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time

Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling...

Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping

Ooh yeah

Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)





Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping

Overall Meaning

"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by the Beatles, written by John Lennon, and was released on the album Revolver in 1966. The song has a dreamlike and floating quality, highlighting the peaceful and lazy nature of a person who simply wants to rest and escape from the chaos of the world. The lyrics revolve around sleeping and dreaming, and depict a person who feels out of touch with the world, and prefers to stay in their own world of slumber. The song has a psychedelic tinge, with the sound of a reversed guitar solo and a backward tape loop of Paul McCartney singing "Yes, he's dead" in the fade-out section, adding to the song's surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.


The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, where the singer sings about waking up in the morning and still feeling sleepy. He describes how, even as he dreams, he floats up a stream and prefers to stay in bed instead of facing reality. The singer demands not to be woken up, dismissing the idea that he is lazy and instead pointing out that other people are crazy for running around in such a hurry. He wants to keep his distance from the world and let it pass him by while he lies in bed, looking out the window, and dreaming.


One possible interpretation of the song could be that it is about Lennon's drug use, specifically his experimentation with LSD. The song's dreamlike quality could represent the altered state of consciousness that drugs can induce, with the singer drifting between waking and sleeping states. The song's lyrics demand to be left alone and not to be disturbed, indicating that the singer wants to remain in his own world, free from the external pressures of society.


Overall, "I'm Only Sleeping" is a tranquil, dreamy song that invites listeners to escape into a world of slumber and float along with the current of their dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

When I wake up early in the morning Lift my head, I'm still yawning
Even after waking up in the morning, I'm still tired and not fully awake.


When I'm in the middle of a dream Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
When I'm dreaming, I like to stay in bed and let my mind float away with the dream.


Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
I want to be left alone to sleep peacefully and not be disturbed by anyone or anything.


Everybody seems to think I'm lazy I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Even though people think I'm lazy, I don't care about their opinion and I think they are wrong.


Running everywhere at such a speed Till they find there's no need (There's no need)
People often run around quickly and aimlessly, only to realize there was no need to rush in the first place.


Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away And after all I'm only sleeping
I'm in my own world right now and I just want to sleep, so please don't bother me or ruin my mood.


Keeping an eye on the world going by my window Taking my time
I'm observing the world outside my window at my leisurely pace, without feeling rushed or pressured to do anything.


Lying there and staring at the ceiling Waiting for a sleepy feeling...
I'm just lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling and waiting for my mind and body to feel sleepy enough to fall asleep.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@ReviewHandphone

I’m Only Sleeping

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (float up stream)

Please, don't wake me
No, don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping

Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Runnin' everywhere at such a speed
'Til they find there's no need (there's no need)

Please, don't spoil my day
I'm miles away
And after all
I'm only sleeping

Keepin' an eye on the world going by my window
Takin' my time

Lyin' there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling

Please, don't spoil my day
I'm miles away
And after all
I'm only sleeping

Keepin' an eye on the world going by my window
Takin' my time

When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (float up stream)

Please, don't wake me
No, don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping



All comments from YouTube:

@Yakkymania

this is my favorite track off of Revolver, it’s very relatable to me as i’ve always used sleeping as a way to get away from the world when i’m stressed, and even when i’m not stressed i’m always tired. And just like John, people call me lazy.

@cosmo8366

Same

@richardraffanello3759

It was on Yesterday and Today here in the US and it fits very well on Revolver as well as Dr. Robert And Your Bird Can Sing. The American version of Revolver didn’t have those songs as they were already released on Yesterday and Today.

@Yakkymania

@@richardraffanello3759 interesting stuff! i’m American myself, but i tend to listen to the British versions of albums because for a lot of bands they’re the original versions

@richardraffanello3759

@@Yakkymania Definitely

@JayFal68

It's my alarm clock tune for that reason. I'm mostly asleep too 😴 😂

20 More Replies...

@ArminArlertJosephJoestar1999

John Lennon isn't dead, he's sleeping.

@brennerarruda5824

sleeping, f o r e v e r...

@guitarraman1237

I dont think he will wake up though

@amb1962

Just like Monty Python's Parrot.

More Comments

More Versions