Three separate versions of the song were recorded in October and November, 1965, the last of which was included on Rubber Soul. The original version recorded on 24 October was slower than the released version, had a significantly different rhythm, and lacked the "Why, tell me why..." middle eight of the final version. It was eventually released as part of Anthology 2, a compilation released in 1996.
The stereo US version of the song contains a false guitar start. If the mono version of this song on the US Capitol Versions Vol. 2 CD has this false guitar start, it indicates that it is from the first pressing of this set which erroneously substituted incorrect mono mixes; they were simply the channels of the stereo versions combined, rather than the original mono mixes.
I'm Looking Throuh You
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different, but you have changed.
I'm looking through you, you're not the same.
Your lips are moving,
Your voice is soothing,
But the words aren't clear.
You don't sound different,
I've learned the game.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same.
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
You're thinking of me,
The same old way.
You were above me,
But not today.
The only difference is you're down there.
I'm looking through you,
Any other way.
Why, tell me why did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
I'm looking through you,
Where did you go?
I thought I knew you,
What did I know?
You don't look different,
But you have changed.
I'm looking through you,
You're not the same!
In “I’m Looking Through You”, The Beatles seem to be addressing a person who has gone through some changes and has become a different person altogether. The singer is struggling to understand the change in the person they thought they knew so well. The song captures the feeling of betrayal and uncertainty that comes with realizing someone who you knew intimately is not who they claimed to be. The lines "You don't look different, but you have changed" and "You don't sound different, I've learned the game" suggest that the person is trying to present a façade of normalcy but the singer sees right through it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking through you,
I'm trying to figure out who you really are
Where did you go?
Why did you change so much?
I thought I knew you,
I used to understand you
What did I know?
But I was mistaken
You don't look different, but you have changed.
You appear the same, but your personality has transformed
I'm looking through you, you're not the same.
I'm realizing that the person I knew is gone
Your lips are moving,
You're speaking to me
I cannot hear.
But I can't understand what you're saying
Your voice is soothing,
You sound calm and gentle
But the words aren't clear.
But your message is unclear
You don't sound different,
Your tone hasn't changed
I've learned the game.
But I see through your tactics
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Why did you mistreat me?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
Sometimes love fades out suddenly
You're thinking of me,
You remember me
The same old way.
In the same manner as before
You were above me,
You used to be superior to me
But not today.
But now you're not
The only difference is you're down there.
The sole contrast is now you're inferior
I'm looking through you, any other way.
I can see the real you now, no matter how you act
I'm looking through you,
I'm trying to figure out who you really are
Where did you go?
Why did you change so much?
I thought I knew you,
I used to understand you
What did I know?
But I was mistaken
You don't look different,
You appear the same
But you have changed.
But your personality has transformed
I'm looking through you,
I'm realizing that the person I knew is gone
You're not the same!
You've changed too much for me to accept you as the same person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
7JANEWAY
@Scomu The Fab Four and other tribute bands are all of what’s left of the live Beatles experience.
The Fab Four do NOT claim to be EXACTLY like the Beatles—NO ONE can do that—but they serve a purpose. That purpose is to remind us of how the Beatles would have sounded if they were around today, with modern instruments like synthesizers to help recreate their records.
The Fab Four calls themselves “the Ultimate Tribute” to the Beatles. And they are.
If YOU choose NOT to listen to them, that’s YOUR choice.
But don’t put down bands that are doing their best to keep the memory of the Beatles alive. They show THOUSANDS of people, especially the newer generations that were born LONG after the Beatles split up, what it could be like to actually see them in person.
So—THOUSANDS for, YOU—ONE person—against.
I’d say that’s pretty good odds for them, don’t you think???!!
Apo458
The detail they put into this covers is amazing, I mean, they even did the "false start" with the guitar at the beginning, just like the early Capitol US pressings of Rubber Soul
Cristina Anperocri
WOW his voice is quite similar to Paul's !! very good cover, I'm impressed !
dvrsweet1
Ardy kicks butt as Paul.
Jacob Raterman
Damn he looks like Paul too
Pierre Bouchard
@Rae Galaxy My God! His voice is incredible.
Joel Shapiro
And he's a good left-handed bass player!
M Sandoval
Wowww sii que me parece la voz de Paul pero el sonido era full HD y me fijé bien y era una banda tribute!!!! Estoy impresionada!
Aerobob MYOB
Hard to believe sometimes this is NOT the Beatles. And yes, I did see the real thing live in '66. What's nice about the Fab Four is that now we can hear these great old songs LIVE with the clarity of modern technology. At JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1966, you could barely hear the band over all the screaming with those little amps they used. The exception was "Yesterday." All 35-40,000 of us sat silent to hear that one. Talk about a memory you'll never forget.
Anyway, hats off to these guys, they obviously have done their homework. The sound, the look, same instruments, same amps, the tones, I'd bet an audio engineer could barely tell the difference by looking at the sound waves on an analyzer. This is as perfect as a tribute band can get.
If you didn't get to see The Beatles, here is your last chance.
<<< DO NOT MISS IT >>>
TubularBow HD
The only difference is the voice, but even then, they're really close to how the Beatles sang in concert.
7JANEWAY
@Scomu The Fab Four and other tribute bands are all of what’s left of the live Beatles experience.
The Fab Four do NOT claim to be EXACTLY like the Beatles—NO ONE can do that—but they serve a purpose. That purpose is to remind us of how the Beatles would have sounded if they were around today, with modern instruments like synthesizers to help recreate their records.
The Fab Four calls themselves “the Ultimate Tribute” to the Beatles. And they are.
If YOU choose NOT to listen to them, that’s YOUR choice.
But don’t put down bands that are doing their best to keep the memory of the Beatles alive. They show THOUSANDS of people, especially the newer generations that were born LONG after the Beatles split up, what it could be like to actually see them in person.
So—THOUSANDS for, YOU—ONE person—against.
I’d say that’s pretty good odds for them, don’t you think???!!