Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
I'm Only Sleeping
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The song “I’m Only Sleeping” by The Beatles is about the singer’s love for sleep and relaxation. In the first verse, he is still yawning and wants to stay in bed to continue his dream. He begs not to be awakened, as he floats up stream. He insists that he is not lazy, contrary to what people think of him, but he just enjoys taking his time and does not see the need to run around at a fast pace like everyone else. In the second verse, he depicts himself staring at the ceiling, waiting for the sleep feeling to come back, and once again insists on not being disturbed. In the repetition of the chorus, he indicates that he finds peace observing the world from his window.
The song could have multiple interpretations. It could be viewed as the singer’s desire to escape the world, his insecurity or shyness, or even his love for drugs. The verse where he floats up stream could indicate a hallucinogenic drug trip. “I’m Only Sleeping” is a depiction of the carefree attitude embodied by the hippie generation of the ‘60s. They believed in living life at one’s pace and enjoying its simple pleasures. It’s also notable that the song was recorded during a time when the Beatles were exhausted from overworking, hence the theme of wanting to sleep and relax.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up early in the morning
At the start of my day
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
I'm feeling groggy and tired
When I'm in the middle of a dream
During a particularly vivid dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (float up stream)
I'm enjoying the dream and don't want to wake up
Please, don't wake me
I beg of you not to disturb me
No, don't shake me
Please do not physically shake me
Leave me where I am
Let me remain in my current state
I'm only sleeping
I'm not being lazy, just needing rest
Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
People have a misconception about me
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
I'm aware of their false perception and don't care
Runnin' everywhere at such a speed
People are in a hurry all the time
'Til they find there's no need (there's no need)
Their frantic pace is unnecessary
Keepin' an eye on the world going by my window
Watching the world go by from inside my room
Takin' my time
Not in a rush, going at my own pace
Lyin' there and staring at the ceiling
Lying down and looking up, lost in thought
Waiting for a sleepy feeling
Trying to return to a restful state
Please, don't spoil my day
Do not ruin my positive mood
I'm miles away
My mind is elsewhere
And after all
Despite what others may think
I'm only sleeping
I'm just trying to recharge and relax
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul Mccartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jaimegallegos6299
58 years later and this song has won a Grammy.
Thank you Four Fabs!
@miguelcoelho5578
Já teve a premiação?
@dwightgroce4777
Actually, it's for this video.
@igoraq
foi hj@@miguelcoelho5578
@itsaninsidething
Love the song, love the video even more, but Grammys should be a showcase of all the great music that came out in a given year. I personally don't like most of the music that wins Grammy awards, but this takes away all last remaining shreds of integrity that they used to pretend they had.
@sx20Ramar
They will win again next year for Now and Then! ✌️
@petrac7778
Finally, the artists sweat and tears were recognized! Congratulations on winning the Grammy award!
@Renanlima47s
they will reply to you shortly
@PrithviRamachandran-jf5ty
Finally recognised? The Beatles?? Have you been under a rock for decades??? They have 7 Grammys.. I must say however that it’s a fairly average song by their lofty standards..
@user-cr2bt3zp1f
@@PrithviRamachandran-jf5tyThe artist that made the music video, not the Beatles.