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.
Tommorrow Never Knows
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void,
It is shining, it is shining.
Yet you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being
Love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing
And ignorance and hate mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the colour of your dreams
It is not leaving, it is not leaving
So play the game "Existence" to the end
Of the beginning, of the beginning
The lyrics to "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles/UNKLESOUNDS is a psychedelic trip that encourages the listener to let go of their thoughts, surrender to the void and float down the stream of consciousness. The song is a blend of Indian music, electronic music, and rock, and the lyrics were inspired by Timothy Leary's "The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead." The song opens by urging the listener to "turn off your mind" and release all thoughts. The lyrics suggest that this is not the end, but instead, an opportunity to let go of traditional ways of thinking and experience a more profound awareness of life's true meaning. The void is shining, and within it, we can all find our purpose.
As the song progresses, the lyrics describe the interconnectedness of love, life, and death. All people are connected through love and an understanding of the world's true meaning. Love is not something that one person possesses; it is something we all share. Conversely, hatred and ignorance are forces that mourn the dead and separate us from each other. The song concludes with the instruction to "play the game 'Existence' to the end of the beginning," a fitting metaphor for the never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Overall, "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a powerful psychedelic song that invites the listener to experience a new level of consciousness, to see the world in a new and profound way. Through its lyrics, the song encourages us to let go of our preconceived notions and to find our place in the interconnectedness that defines the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn off your mind relax and float down stream
Let go of your thoughts and worries, allow yourself to be carried away peacefully.
It is not dying, it is not dying
There's no need to fear or worry, as there's no real end or death.
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void,
Forget about everything, let go of your attachment to the physical world, and embrace the unknown emptiness.
It is shining, it is shining.
The void or emptiness is not something to be feared, but something that radiates a brilliant light.
Yet you may see the meaning of within
By looking within yourself, you may discover the true meaning of existence.
It is being, it is being
Existence is simply being alive and present in the moment.
Love is all and love is everyone
Love is the universal force that connects us all, and exists within every living being.
It is knowing, it is knowing
The awareness and understanding of love is a powerful knowledge that can bring clarity and peace.
And ignorance and hate mourn the dead
Those who possess ignorance and hate only suffer and grieve when faced with loss or death.
It is believing, it is believing
Faith and hope provide a sense of comfort and belief, even in the face of darkness and despair.
But listen to the colour of your dreams
Pay attention to the vividness and depth of your dreams, as they hold hidden meanings and insight.
It is not leaving, it is not leaving
The knowledge and experiences gained from dreams stay with us, and continue to influence our lives.
So play the game "Existence" to the end
Embrace life, and experience it fully until the very end.
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Each end is a new beginning, and the cycle of existence and rebirth continues.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dayn Hawbaker
Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining
Yet you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being
Love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing...
... that ignorance and hates may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the colour of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living
So play the game "Existence" to the end...
... Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Steve Hart
Title of "Tomorrow Never Knows":
The title never actually appears in the song's lyrics. In an interview Lennon revealed that, like "A Hard Day's Night", it was taken from one of Ringo Starr's malapropisms.The piece was originally titled "Mark I". "The Void" is cited as another working title but according to Mark Lewisohn (and Bob Spitz) this is untrue, although the books The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles and The Beatles A to Z both cite "The Void" as the original title.
When the Beatles returned to London after their first visit to America in early 1964 they were interviewed by David Coleman of BBC Television. The interview included the following exchange:
Interviewer: "Now, Ringo, I hear you were manhandled at the Embassy Ball. Is this right?"
Ringo: "Not really. Someone just cut a bit of my hair, you see."
Interviewer: "Let's have a look. You seem to have got plenty left."
Ringo: (turns head) "Can you see the difference? It's longer, this side."
Interviewer: "What happened exactly?"
Ringo: "I don't know. I was just talking, having AN INTERVIEW. Just like I am NOW!" (John and Paul begin lifting locks of his hair, pretending to cut it)
Ringo: "I was talking away and I looked 'round, and there was about 400 people just smiling. So, you know – what can you say?"
John: "What can you say?"
Ringo: "Tomorrow never knows."
(John laughs)
(From Wiki)
Carlos Soler
Best drum groove ever. This is the one to play when someone says that Ringo wasn´t great.
Btw listen how the tambourine groove develops throw the song.
First verse: 2 hits 0:15
FIrst "chorus": 3 hits, "chachacha" 0:40
Second verse: 8th note groove 0:47
"Tape Solo" : 1:00 silence.
1:57 Suddenly appears with a new 8th note groove then mutes again.
Last verse: Amazing syncopated groove 2:08
Coda: 2:29 Tambourine jam
Robert Bykowski
When you take a moment and realize that this song was written and recorded in 1966, it becomes even more mind-blowing. A band would kill to come up with something this innovative today.
Markus Rennelius
July2021,,George Martin reincarnated would help✌🏼
PIZZA RAT
YES, YES, YES!!!
Kvn Zulu
Agreed.
Paul Westover
This is one to play for a friend who tells you the Beatles were simply a pop band.
Pentex Sucks
They're half wrong, they were a very simple pop band until halfway through their career with stuff like this. Then they were very very far from that
Paul Oneill
Took love and The book of the dead thoughts, 3 pinches of magic 54 yes 54 yrs ago and boom, you really have changed the world not just in music
Wood Splitter
@Going Bonzo the lyrics are deep. "Listen to the color of your dreams ". Been trying to do so for nearly 40 years now.
Cgriff512
This just happened to be the song that changed my mind in that regard.
MediaMotion
@Martin McHugh I understand you 👍. Evolutionary music work of this band is amazing!