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 So Tired #1
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No, no, no.
I'm so tired, I don't know what to do
I'm so tired, my mind is set on you
I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do
You'd say I'm putting you on
But it's no joke, it's doing me harm
You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain
You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane
You know I'd give you everything I've got
For a little peace of mind.
I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid get.
You'd say I'm putting you on
But it's no joke, it's doing me harm
You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain
You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane
You know I'd give you everything I've got
For a little peace of mind.
Give you everything I've got
For a little peace of mind.
I'd give you everything I've got
For a little peace of mind.
In this song, The Beatles or John Lennon, the lead vocalist, expresses his frustration and utter exhaustion in not being able to sleep. The opening lines state how he hasn't slept a wink and his mind feels out of sorts (on the blink). He contemplates whether he should go fix himself a drink but quickly dismisses the idea by saying "No, no, no." He feels lost and doesn't know what to do next. His mind is fixated on a particular person and he wonders if he should call them but already knows what their response would be - that he's "putting them on."
The lyrics reveal how John Lennon's lack of sleep is causing him harm and is driving him insane after three weeks of consistent insomnia. He feels helpless and would give anything for a little peace of mind. Even though he is feeling upset and tired, he still lights a cigarette and curses Sir Walter Raleigh, the man who introduced tobacco to England, who he considers a "stupid get."
The song has a playful tone to it, and it's easy to miss the underlying darkness that the lyrics reveal. "I'm So Tired" showcases the emotional turmoil that John Lennon was going through in his personal life during the recording of "The White Album" in 1968. At the time, the Beatles were going through tensions that would lead to their eventual break-up, and John Lennon was dealing with personal issues such as a failing marriage and drug addiction. The song is a reflection of his state of mind at the time and the exhaustion that he was experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink
I am extremely exhausted and have not slept at all.
I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I am so tired that my mind is not functioning properly.
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
I am considering leaving my bed to make myself a drink.
No, no, no.
I ultimately decide against getting up and getting a drink.
I'm so tired, I don't know what to do
My exhaustion has left me unsure of how to proceed with anything.
I'm so tired, my mind is set on you
Despite my exhaustion, my thoughts are consumed with you.
I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do
I am contemplating contacting you, but I already predict your reaction to be unhelpful.
You'd say I'm putting you on
I anticipate you accusing me of joking around.
But it's no joke, it's doing me harm
My exhaustion is causing me emotional and physical harm.
You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain
I am unable to sleep and my mind is racing.
You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane
This has been going on for three weeks and I feel like I am losing my mind.
You know I'd give you everything I've got
I would give you all that I have if it would bring me some peace of mind.
For a little peace of mind.
All I need is a small amount of peace in my mind.
I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
My exhaustion is causing me to feel extremely unhappy and distressed.
Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette
Even though I'm exhausted, I will smoke another cigarette.
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
I will express anger towards Sir Walter Raleigh for introducing tobacco to England.
He was such a stupid get.
I view Sir Walter Raleigh as a foolish person.
Give you everything I've got
I am willing to give all of my possessions and resources to you.
For a little peace of mind.
In exchange, I hope to receive a moment of calmness and clarity in my mind.
I'd give you everything I've got
Once again, I would give all that I have to you.
For a little peace of mind.
Once again, I am hoping to attain some peace of mind in exchange for my resources.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eko Susanto
I'm so tired
I haven't slept a wink
I'm so tired
My mind is on the blink
I wonder, should I get up and fix myself a drink?
No, no, no
I'm so tired
I don't know what to do
I'm so tired
My mind is set on you
I wonder should I call you
But I know what you would do
You'd say I'm putting you on
But it's no joke
It's doing me harm
You know I can't sleep
I can't stop my brain
You know it's three weeks
I'm going insane
You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
I'm so tired
I'm feeling so upset
Although I'm so tired
I'll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid git
You'd say I'm putting you on
But it's no joke
It's doing me harm
You know I can't sleep
I can't stop my brain
You know it's three weeks
I'm going insane
You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind
THE BEATLES PROJECT 🎵
Thanks for supplying the lyrics!
Aircraft pilot - BR
Tks...