In a 1968 interview, McCartney said that the song was "about the hole in the road where the rain gets in, a good old analogy – the hole in your make-up which lets the rain in and stops your mind from going where it will." He went on to say that the following lines were about fans who hung around outside his home day and night, and whose actions he found off-putting: "See the people standing there / Who disagree, and never win / And wonder why they don't get in my door."
The first of two recording sessions for "Fixing a Hole" was at Regent Sound Studios in London on 9 February 1967, in three takes. Regent Sound was used because all three studios at EMI's Abbey Road Studios were unavailable that night, so it was the first time that the Beatles used a British studio other than Abbey Road for an EMI recording. Also present at the session was a man who had arrived at McCartney's house in St John's Wood, shortly before McCartney was due to depart for the studio, and introduced himself as Jesus Christ. McCartney later recalled:
There were a lot of casualties about then. We used to get a lot of people who were maybe insecure or going through emotional breakdowns or whatever. So I said, "I've got to go to a session but if you promise to be very quiet and just sit in a corner, you can come." So he did, he came to the session and he did sit very quietly and I never saw him after that.
Fixing a Hole
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door
And kept my mind from wandering
Where it will go
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
And wonder why they don't get in my door
I'm painting a room in a colorful way
And when my mind is wandering
There I will go
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong
Silly people run around, they worry me
And never ask me why they don't get past my door
I'm taking the time for a number of things
That weren't important yesterday
And I still go
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ah
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
Where it will go
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
In "Fixing a Hole," The Beatles sing about patching up a hole in a roof. However, the song is more about fixing the holes in a person's life. The hole in the roof is compared to a hole in the mind that lets in distractions and prevents the mind from wandering freely. The singer is trying to fill the cracks in their door of perception to allow their mind to wander and explore different ideas and thoughts.
The singer declares that it doesn't matter if they are wrong or right, as long as they know where they belong. They see people who disagree and never win, and wonder why they don't get in their door. This represents people who are unable to think outside the box and are confined by strict rules and norms.
The singer also reveals that they are taking time for things that were not important the day before. This represents personal growth and the recognition that time is a valuable commodity. They want to fix the hole in their life, so their mind can roam free and explore new possibilities.
Overall, "Fixing a Hole" is a commentary on the importance of individuality and creative expression. The hole in the roof and door represent the stifling conformity of society, and the singer urges listeners to fix the holes in their lives and carve their own path.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
I'm repairing a flaw in myself that allows negative thoughts and events to impact me
And stops my mind from wandering
And prevents me from getting distracted and losing focus
Where it will go
Where my thoughts may lead me
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door
I'm mending the emotional wounds caused by past experiences that have left me vulnerable to negativity
And kept my mind from wandering
And prevented me from fully engaging with life
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right
I trust my instincts and decisions, regardless of others' opinions
Where I belong I'm right
I know my strengths and values and confidently follow my own path
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
Others who try to bring me down will never succeed
And wonder why they don't get in my door
And question why they can't understand me or get through to me
I'm painting a room in a colorful way
I'm exploring new perspectives and finding beauty in life's diversity
And when my mind is wandering
And when my thoughts are free to roam
There I will go
I will embrace the unknown and discover new experiences
Silly people run around, they worry me
Those who are overly anxious and narrow-minded frustrate me
And never ask me why they don't get past my door
And fail to understand that their negativity and judgement blocks them from truly connecting with me
I'm taking the time for a number of things
I'm prioritizing self-care and personal growth
That weren't important yesterday
That I may have overlooked or undervalued in the past
And I still go
And I continue to move forward, despite obstacles or setbacks
Where it will go
Wherever life takes me
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
I'm continuously improving myself and my mindset
And stops my mind from wandering
And prevents me from getting lost in negativity or distractions
Where it will go
Wherever my mind may wander
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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