In an interview in 1987, Harrison said that the recording was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross". "At the time, 'Albatross' (by Fleetwood Mac) was out, with all the reverb on guitar. So we said, 'Let's be Fleetwood Mac doing Albatross, just to get going.' It never really sounded like Fleetwood Mac… but that was the point of origin."
The working title was "Here Comes the Sun King", but was shortened to "Sun King" to avoid confusion with the song "Here Comes the Sun". The lyrics to start the song are the same as the title and lyrics of "Here Comes the Sun", but with the word "King" inserted afterwards, although George Harrison wrote the former and "Sun King" is written by John Lennon. Later, the song, in minor key with an organ in the background, breaks into a faux Romance language mixing English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. The song is in three-part harmony, sung by Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Harrison. At the end of the song, the music stops abruptly and a Ringo Starr drum fill leads into the next track, "Mean Mr. Mustard".
The faux mixing of Romance languages occurs in the last three lines of the song. In 1969, Lennon was interviewed about these lyrics and said, "We just started joking, you know, singing 'quando para mucho.' So we just made up... Paul knew a few Spanish words from school, you know. So we just strung any Spanish words that sounded vaguely like something. And of course we got 'chicka ferdy' in. That's a Liverpool expression. Just like sort of-- it doesn't mean anything to me but (childish taunting) 'na-na, na-na-na!'"
Paul McCartney recalled that one of the expressions that he meant to include was "Los Paranoias", a name by which he and Lennon would refer to The Beatles. A version of McCartney playing with this theme was released on Anthology 3.
Another noted aspect of the song is its use of cross-channel movement, or stereo panning and fading. The fast guitar line slowly moves from right to left channel and then back. This occurs in the beginning of the song, and then again at the end.
In an interview in 1987, Harrison said that the recording was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross". "At the time, 'Albatross' (by Fleetwood Mac) was out, with all the reverb on guitar. So we said, 'Let's be Fleetwood Mac doing Albatross, just to get going.' It never really sounded like Fleetwood Mac… but that was the point of origin."
In 1976, The Bee Gees covered the song for the evanescent musical documentary All This and World War II.
A portion of the vocals was included as a reversed a cappella in the track titled "Gnik Nus" for the 2006 album Love. An instrumental section of "Sun King" was also used at the end of the track "Octopus's Garden" on the compilation.
Sun King
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here comes the sun king
Everybody is laughing
Everybody is happy
Here comes the sun king
Quando para mucho mi amore de felice corazón
Mundo paparazzi mi amore chicka ferdy parasol
The lyrics to The Beatles' song "Sun King" have been the center of much debate and interpretation. The first verse begins with the repeated phrase, "Here comes the sun king," which many have speculated means the arrival of a new era or a significant change in the world order. The following line, "Everybody is laughing, everybody is happy," reinforces the idea of positivity and change. The chorus is then repeated twice more and serves as the bridge between the different verses.
The second verse is written almost entirely in what appears to be a mix of Spanish and Italian. The opening line translates to "When much happy love meets my heart," which could be interpreted as a reference to the euphoria of new love. The following lines, which include "World paparazzi my love, chicka ferdy parasol" and "Thank you very much that song carousel," have been difficult to decipher, with many fans speculating that they might be some kind of wordplay, but with no clear meaning.
Overall, "Sun King" is a song that is open to interpretation, and fans of The Beatles will undoubtedly continue to debate its meaning for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, here comes the sun king
The arrival of a joyous and radiant figure is imminent
Here comes the sun king
The sun king is approaching and bringing happiness
Everybody is laughing
The mood is jovial and people are happy
Everybody is happy
The atmosphere is joyful and content
Here comes the sun king
The arrival of the sun king is repeated to emphasize impending positivity
Quando para mucho mi amore de felice corazón
When much happiness fills my love-filled heart
Mundo paparazzi mi amore chicka ferdy parasol
World paparazzi my love my little parasol
Cuesto obrigado tanta mucho que canite carousel
Thank you so much for the carousel that sings
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul Mccartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.