The song's basic track was recorded on 13 February 1967, with overdubs added on 14 February and 20 April. The song was originally to appear on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. According to Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, the song was left off the album because the other band members felt it didn't fit in with the rest of the songs. Featuring a self-referential lyric,[1] unconventional musical form, and unusual instrumentation, including distorted trumpets, a reverbed organ, chimes, and a glockenspiel, it is one of the most psychedelic songs the Beatles ever recorded.
Throughout the song, Paul McCartney plays trumpet as the other members play percussion instruments such as a glockenspiel, orchestral chimes, timpani and piano. A mellotron can be heard during parts of the song as well. An edited and slightly sped-up version of the song's basic track without the overdubs added 20 April (organ, bass, drums and vocal only) was released on volume two of the Anthology set in 1996, with a different vocal take containing some lyrical variations. Since the song was made from two separate takes playing in synchronization, the original mix of the song was available in mono only until 1999, when a remixed version of the track was released on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack.
The lyrics feature Harrison's disparagement of the song itself, concluding each verse with the title phrase "It's only a Northern song", which Harrison has explained as referring both to the band's often-disrespected hometown of Liverpool (in northwest England), and to the Northern Songs publishing company. (Harrison had not yet formed his own publishing company; Northern Songs was Lennon/McCartney's publishing company, for whom Harrison was, at the time, essentially a writer-for-hire). The song is sometimes interpreted as a sarcastic jibe at Lennon/McCartney, mocking the overtly psychedelic lyrics and musical style they employed in many songs during this time, and as a reaction to the often-dismissive attitude bandmates John Lennon and McCartney held of Harrison's songwriting contributions, with Harrison listlessly singing "It doesn't really matter what chords I play/What words I say or time of day it is/As it's only a Northern song".
Only a Northern Song
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may think the chords are going wrong
But they're not
We just wrote them like that
If you're listening late at night
You may think the band are not quite right
But they are
And it doesn't really matter what chords I play
What words I say
Or time of day it is
As it's only a Northern song
It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear
What words I pair
Or if my hair is brown
'Cause it's only a Northern song
If you think the harmony
Is a little dull and out of key
You're correct
'Cause there's nobody there
And it's only there's no one there
The Beatles' song "Only a Northern Song" is not just a simple tune about the importance of chords, harmonies, or even music itself. Instead, it is a satirical take on the music industry, and how musicians are often pressured to conform to certain standards in order to appeal to the masses. The song is unique in that it was never meant to be a big hit - in fact, it was written specifically as a throwaway track for the animated movie Yellow Submarine.
The first verse of the song talks about how the chords may seem wrong to the listener, but this was intentional on the part of the Beatles. They wrote the song to sound different from their usual style, and the off-kilter chords were meant to make the song sound like it was "only a Northern song" - a way of saying that it wasn't meant to be taken seriously. The second verse addresses the band's performance, and how it may seem off-key or "not quite right". Yet, in a way, this is another part of the satire - the idea that musicians are expected to play perfectly all the time, without room for imperfections or experimentation.
The chorus of the song reflects this satirical message even further. Despite the imperfections in the chords, lyrics, and harmonies, it doesn't matter because "it's only a Northern song". The idea being that any song that doesn't fit the mold of what's considered "popular" or "marketable" is only good for a certain region, in this case, the north. In essence, the Beatles are poking fun at the music industry's narrow standards of what makes a "good" song and how musicians are often pressured to conform to those standards.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're listening to this song
If you happen to be enjoying this tune right now
You may think the chords are going wrong
You might believe the progression of chords to be incorrect
But they're not
However, that is not the case
We just wrote them like that
We deliberately composed the song in that manner
If you're listening late at night
In case you're tuning in during the late hours of the day
You may think the band are not quite right
Perhaps you feel as though the band members are off in some way
But they are
Rest assured, they aren't making any mistakes
They just play it like that
It's merely the way they choose to perform the track
And it doesn't really matter what chords I play
The selection of chords I use isn't of great importance
What words I say
Nor is the choice of lyrics
Or time of day it is
In addition, the moment of day has no relevance
As it's only a Northern song
Simply stated, this piece is just a Northern song
It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear
What I dress myself in isn't of much significance
What words I pair
Neither is the manner in which I wrote the lyrics
Or if my hair is brown
Even if my hair is brown, it doesn't change anything
'Cause it's only a Northern song
This is only a Northern song, nothing more
If you think the harmony
If you believe the harmony
Is a little dull and out of key
To be somewhat boring or improperly tuned
You're correct
You are, in fact, correct
'Cause there's nobody there
Because there isn't anyone present to make it sound otherwise
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE HARRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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