The song had been written and recorded as a demo by John Lennon in 1977. Paul McCartney asked Lennon's widow Yoko Ono for any unreleased material by Lennon, and "Free as a Bird" was chosen as being the song all three remaining Beatles could be involved in, as they could finish the arrangement and write extra lyrics. Jeff Lynne of The Electric Light Orchestra was asked to co-produce the record as he had worked with George Harrison as part of The Traveling Wilburys.
The music video for "Free as a Bird" was produced by Vincent Joliet and directed by Joe Pytka (Space Jam) and depicts, from the point of view of a bird in flight, many references to Beatles songs, such as "Penny Lane", "Paperback Writer", "A Day in the Life", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Helter Skelter". "Free as a Bird" later won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and was The Beatles' 34th Top 10 single in America. It was the first of two singles by the group to become a Top 40 hit in the 1990s [the other being "Real Love" in 1996]. It was the first time a new recording had been released under The Beatles' name since "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970. The promotional video was broadcast during episode one of "The Beatles Anthology" that aired on ITV in the UK and ABC in the U.S
Free As A Bird
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home
Home and dry
Like a homing bird I fly
As a bird on wings
Whatever happened to the life that we once knew?
Can we really live without each other?
Where did we lose the touch
That seemed to mean so much?
It always made me feel so
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home
Home and dry
Like a homing bird I fly
As a bird on wings
Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Always made me feel so free
Ah, ah, ah
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Free
Made for John Lennon
The lyrics of The Beatles' song Free as a Bird are simple yet thought-provoking. With just a few lines, the song captures the yearning for freedom, nostalgia for the past, and the pain of losing a meaningful connection. The opening lines "Free as a bird, it's the next best thing to be" express the desire to be as unencumbered as a bird and the realization that true freedom may be hard to attain. The idea of home, presented in the subsequent lines, symbolizes security and stability, something to come back to after a long journey. The singer compares himself to a homing bird, suggesting that he too has a longing for a place that he can call his own.
The next few lines pose some existential questions. The singer wonders what happened to their old life and laments the loss of the connection they once had. The lines "Where did we lose the touch, that seemed to mean so much?" express the pain of not understanding where things went wrong. The recurring lines "It always made me feel so free" and "Free as a bird" highlight the main theme of the song. To feel truly free is a rare and incredible experience, and the singer yearns to regain that feeling. In conclusion, Free as a Bird is a song that evokes complex emotions of longing, nostalgia, pain, and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Free as a bird
To be unrestricted and autonomous like a bird.
It's the next best thing to be
Only surpassed by actually being a bird.
Home
Returning to a familiar and comfortable place.
Home and dry
Safe and secure at home.
Like a homing bird I fly
Navigating towards the place I call home.
As a bird on wings
Feeling light and unencumbered like a bird in flight.
Whatever happened to the life that we once knew?
What caused us to drift apart from the life we used to have together?
Can we really live without each other?
Is it truly feasible for us to go on living without one another?
Where did we lose the touch
At what point did we begin to lose our connection?
That seemed to mean so much?
The connection we had was so important to us, what happened to that?
It always made me feel so
Being together always gave me a sense of freedom and happiness.
Ah, ah, ah
Vocalization conveying a sense of nostalgia or sadness.
Free as a bird
To be unrestricted and autonomous like a bird.
Free as a bird
To be unrestricted and autonomous like a bird.
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Vocalization conveying a sense of emotion.
Free
To be unrestrained and unburdened by external forces.
Made for John Lennon
Dedicated to John Lennon, a founding member of the Beatles who had passed away before the song was produced.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Starkey, Paul Mccartney, George Harrison, John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TelecastPropellor96
0:07 - portraits of Beatles as children on mantle (from left to right,
John, George, Paul. Ringo in front)
0:14 - more portraits (left to right, Paul, John, Ringo, George)
0:38 - Beatles walk through dock workers
0:48 - Cavern Club (club where Beatles played many shows before becoming
famous)
0:52 - Beatles performing at Cavern Club
1:06 - Strawberry Field ("Strawberry Fields Forever")
1:18 - Eggman appears ("I Am the Walrus")
1:27 - Beatles begin to walk off curb behind eggman
1:33 - Pretty nurse selling poppies from tray ("Penny Lane")
1:42 - Barber shop, with pictures of every head he's had the pleasure
to know, including the Fab Four ("Penny Lane")
1:47 - Sign on wall reads "Help" ("Help!")
1:49 - Boy holds up hand to whisper to girl ("Do You Want to Know
a Secret?")
1:50 - Ringo jumps from doorway
1:54 - Beatles stand by car
1:56 - Window has Beatles montage. First third looks like
Anthology 1 cover. Other panels may be covers of other two
volumes. [They Are, ed.]
2:02 - Birthday cake ("Birthday")
2:02 - Cake has a 6 and a 4 on it ("When I'm Sixty-Four")
2:07 - George appears on street
2:13 - George walks into office (In reality, Apple headquarters) with
sign that reads "Dr. Robert" ("Dr. Robert")
2:18 - Ringo runs by
2:22 - John in crowd scene at car wreck, craning neck while others
turn away ("A Day in the Life")
2:26 - Car wreck ("A Day in the Life" definitely, "Don't Pass Me By"
possibly)
2:27 - Fire engine ("Penny Lane")
2:29 - Policemen in a row ("I Am the Walrus")
2:32 - Fireman ("Penny Lane")
2:38 - Helter Skelter slide (It looks like a lighthouse, but you can
see the slide circling the building. "Helter Skelter," of course.)
2:38 - Kite ("Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite")
2:42 - Children run by in pig masks ("Piggies")
2:43 - Someone enters house through window from ladder ("She Came in
Through the Bathroom Window")
2:51 - Writer working at desk ("Paperback Writer")
2:54 - Beatles walk behind children in pig masks (It's small, but it's
obvious it's them)
3:00 - Sir Walter Raleigh portrait ("I'm So Tired")
3:05 - Beatles on TV
3:06 - John sitting in chair
3:08 - Copy of Daily Mail on table ("Paperback Writer") which reads 'Ten Thousand Holes in Blackburn, Lancashire' ("A Day in the Life")
3:08 - Bowl of green apples (reference to Apple Corps, Ltd.)
3:08 - Box of Savoy Truffles sits on table (kind of hard to make out,
but that's what it says: "Savoy Truffle")
3:10 - Picture of Chairman Mao in window ("Revolution")
3:13 - Workers repairing hole in roof ("Fixing a Hole")
3:13 - Blue Meanie pops his head through hole (the film
"Yellow Submarine")
3:18 - Newspaper taxi appears ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds")
3:22 - Woman leaves home ("She's Leaving Home")
3:22 - Picture of Mao being carried across street ("Revolution"
definitely, "Carry That Weight" possibly)
3:22 - John and Yoko waltz by (taken from film "Let It Be" and
probably representing "The Ballad of John and Yoko.")
3:23 - Blue Meanie pops head up from out of sewer (the film
"Yellow Submarine")
3:25 - Magical Mystery Tour bus passes in far background (Hard to see,
but it's there)
3:31 - Big game hunter leads procession, including elderly lady and
elephant, out of party ("The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow
Bill," who always went hunting with his elephant and gun and
always took his mum.)
3:33 - Ringo at table near door
3:45 - Brian Epstein begins to put on his scarf
3:47 - Head of Stu Sutcliffe on body of James Dean from "Sgt Pepper"
cover
3:48 - Flowers, drum and tuba from "Sgt Pepper" cover
3:49 - H.G. Wells and Lawrence of Arabia from "Sgt Pepper" cover
chat (I know other guests are supposed to be rest of people on
the cover, but they aren't as clearly identifiable as these two)
3:58 - Eleanor Rigby headstone ("Eleanor Rigby")
4:00 - Priest walks from grave ("Eleanor Rigby")
4:01 - Sheepdog runs through cemetery ("Martha My Dear" definitely,
"Hey Bulldog" possibly)
4:04 - Long and winding road in background ("The Long and Winding Road")
4:05 - Paul romps on hill ("The Fool on the Hill")
4:12 - Zebra-crossing from the cover of "Abbey Road"
4:14 - Meter maid with bag across her shoulder steps onto curb
("Lovely Rita." She's definitely wearing a uniform and
carrying a little white book.)
4:30 - Beatles walk into theater (taken from "A Hard Days Night")
@pwbfirdaus2193
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home, home and dry
Like a homing bird, I'll fly
As a bird on wings
Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Can we really live without each other?
Where did we lose the touch
That seemed to mean so much?
It always made me feel so—
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home (Home), home and dry
Like a homing bird, I'll fly
As a bird on wings
Whatever happened to
The love that we once knew?
Always made me feel so free
(Ah)
(Ah)
(Ah)
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Ooh
Free
Made for John Lennon
@user-ke1ew2to1k
[Chorus: John Lennon]
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home, home and dry
Like a homing bird I'll fly
As a bird on wings
[Bridge: Paul McCartney]
Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Can we really live without each other?
Where did we lose the touch
That seemed to mean so much?
It always made me feel so
[Chorus: John Lennon]
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Home, home and dry
Like a homing bird I'll fly
As a bird on wings
[Bridge: George Harrison]
Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Always made me feel so free
Ah
Ah
Ah
[Verse 2]
Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Oooooo
[Outro]
Free
Made for John Lennon
@leokimvideo
Considering there are now some amazing AI clean ups of John Lennon's demo tape of this song maybe it's time to polish up this song for a re release.
@cdz9400
I think the slightly scratchy recording of John's voice in this is actually perfect.
@YannD
Actually what you're hearing here is not the original 1995 mix but a remix done in 2015 (I'm surprised there's no mention of this in the video description) when the "Beatles 1+" video collection was released. The isolation of John's voice is slightly better than on the original mix, and among other things, they used a different take of George's lead vocal. But still, re-doing it with 2023 technology for an official release would certainly have been a good idea (there are some excellent "fan versions" available here and there).
@leokimvideo
@@YannD 2015 was sadly a long time ago now, The ability to make better is massive different now. If the song was fixed up to today's AI standards Johns voice would be completely crystal clear.
@barrybickel7474
Came here to say this… a remaster using the new tech they’re using on ‘Now and Then’ needs to happen
@1w72st
I think it provides a haunting quality to the song. One of those unintended special effects that The Beatles stumbled upon many times (as in Tomorrow Never Knows). It's perfect as is.
@TelecastPropellor96
0:07 - portraits of Beatles as children on mantle (from left to right,
John, George, Paul. Ringo in front)
0:14 - more portraits (left to right, Paul, John, Ringo, George)
0:38 - Beatles walk through dock workers
0:48 - Cavern Club (club where Beatles played many shows before becoming
famous)
0:52 - Beatles performing at Cavern Club
1:06 - Strawberry Field ("Strawberry Fields Forever")
1:18 - Eggman appears ("I Am the Walrus")
1:27 - Beatles begin to walk off curb behind eggman
1:33 - Pretty nurse selling poppies from tray ("Penny Lane")
1:42 - Barber shop, with pictures of every head he's had the pleasure
to know, including the Fab Four ("Penny Lane")
1:47 - Sign on wall reads "Help" ("Help!")
1:49 - Boy holds up hand to whisper to girl ("Do You Want to Know
a Secret?")
1:50 - Ringo jumps from doorway
1:54 - Beatles stand by car
1:56 - Window has Beatles montage. First third looks like
Anthology 1 cover. Other panels may be covers of other two
volumes. [They Are, ed.]
2:02 - Birthday cake ("Birthday")
2:02 - Cake has a 6 and a 4 on it ("When I'm Sixty-Four")
2:07 - George appears on street
2:13 - George walks into office (In reality, Apple headquarters) with
sign that reads "Dr. Robert" ("Dr. Robert")
2:18 - Ringo runs by
2:22 - John in crowd scene at car wreck, craning neck while others
turn away ("A Day in the Life")
2:26 - Car wreck ("A Day in the Life" definitely, "Don't Pass Me By"
possibly)
2:27 - Fire engine ("Penny Lane")
2:29 - Policemen in a row ("I Am the Walrus")
2:32 - Fireman ("Penny Lane")
2:38 - Helter Skelter slide (It looks like a lighthouse, but you can
see the slide circling the building. "Helter Skelter," of course.)
2:38 - Kite ("Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite")
2:42 - Children run by in pig masks ("Piggies")
2:43 - Someone enters house through window from ladder ("She Came in
Through the Bathroom Window")
2:51 - Writer working at desk ("Paperback Writer")
2:54 - Beatles walk behind children in pig masks (It's small, but it's
obvious it's them)
3:00 - Sir Walter Raleigh portrait ("I'm So Tired")
3:05 - Beatles on TV
3:06 - John sitting in chair
3:08 - Copy of Daily Mail on table ("Paperback Writer") which reads 'Ten Thousand Holes in Blackburn, Lancashire' ("A Day in the Life")
3:08 - Bowl of green apples (reference to Apple Corps, Ltd.)
3:08 - Box of Savoy Truffles sits on table (kind of hard to make out,
but that's what it says: "Savoy Truffle")
3:10 - Picture of Chairman Mao in window ("Revolution")
3:13 - Workers repairing hole in roof ("Fixing a Hole")
3:13 - Blue Meanie pops his head through hole (the film
"Yellow Submarine")
3:18 - Newspaper taxi appears ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds")
3:22 - Woman leaves home ("She's Leaving Home")
3:22 - Picture of Mao being carried across street ("Revolution"
definitely, "Carry That Weight" possibly)
3:22 - John and Yoko waltz by (taken from film "Let It Be" and
probably representing "The Ballad of John and Yoko.")
3:23 - Blue Meanie pops head up from out of sewer (the film
"Yellow Submarine")
3:25 - Magical Mystery Tour bus passes in far background (Hard to see,
but it's there)
3:31 - Big game hunter leads procession, including elderly lady and
elephant, out of party ("The Continuing Adventures of Bungalow
Bill," who always went hunting with his elephant and gun and
always took his mum.)
3:33 - Ringo at table near door
3:45 - Brian Epstein begins to put on his scarf
3:47 - Head of Stu Sutcliffe on body of James Dean from "Sgt Pepper"
cover
3:48 - Flowers, drum and tuba from "Sgt Pepper" cover
3:49 - H.G. Wells and Lawrence of Arabia from "Sgt Pepper" cover
chat (I know other guests are supposed to be rest of people on
the cover, but they aren't as clearly identifiable as these two)
3:58 - Eleanor Rigby headstone ("Eleanor Rigby")
4:00 - Priest walks from grave ("Eleanor Rigby")
4:01 - Sheepdog runs through cemetery ("Martha My Dear" definitely,
"Hey Bulldog" possibly)
4:04 - Long and winding road in background ("The Long and Winding Road")
4:05 - Paul romps on hill ("The Fool on the Hill")
4:12 - Zebra-crossing from the cover of "Abbey Road"
4:14 - Meter maid with bag across her shoulder steps onto curb
("Lovely Rita." She's definitely wearing a uniform and
carrying a little white book.)
4:30 - Beatles walk into theater (taken from "A Hard Days Night")
@wotsup9oo
gotta love ur comment
@sgtpepprs3
Around 2:30 is a reference to the car crash in A Day in the Life if you didn't state that already.
@TrailBlazer65
+InRainbows1 You found some I didn't notice and left out some that I did so there must be maybe hundreds of song references in this video!