The song is significant because it contains the first example of a vocal being put through a Leslie speaker cabinet to obtain a vibrato effect (which was normally used as a loudspeaker for a Hammond organ) and the use of an ADT system (Automatic double-tracking) to double the vocal image.
"Tomorrow Never Knows" ends the Revolver album in a more experimental fashion than earlier records, which contributed to Revolver's reputation as one of the group's most influential and expressive albums.
John Lennon wrote the song in January 1966, closely adapted from the book The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert, and Ralph Metzner, which they based on, and quotes from, the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The understanding from the book was that the "ego death" experienced under the influence of LSD and other psychedelic drugs is essentially similar to the dying process and requires similar guidance.
Peter Brown claimed that Lennon's only source of inspiration for the song came from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which he says Lennon read whilst consuming LSD. George Harrison later stated that the idea for the lyrics came from Leary, Alpert, and Metzner's book. McCartney confirmed this by stating that he and Lennon once visited the newly opened Indica bookshop—as Lennon was looking for a copy of The Portable Nietzsche—and Lennon found a copy of The Psychedelic Experience, which quoted the lines: "When in doubt, relax, turn off your mind, float downstream". Lennon bought the book, went home, took LSD, and followed the instructions exactly as stated in the book.
Tomorrow Never Knows
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thought surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining
That you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being
That love is all and love is everyone
That ignorance and haste may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the color of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living
Or 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
The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows is a psychedelic classic that still holds a place in popular culture. The song has a hypnotic, dizzying quality to it, and the lyrics themselves invoke images of spiritual awakening and a journey into the unknown. The song is a meditation on the impermanence of life, the power of love, and the mystical quality of existence.
The lyrics themselves are a series of psychedelic mantras, urging the listener to turn off their mind, surrender to the void, and float downstream. The song embodies a philosophy of transcendence, urging the listener to let go of their thoughts and surrender to the present moment. The refrain "It is not dying" suggests that death is not an end, but rather a continuation of the cycle of life.
The middle section of the song emphasizes the power of love, and states that love is all and love is everyone. This suggests an interconnectedness between all things and that love is the ultimate form of transcendence. The lyrics urge the listener to listen to the color of their dreams to suggest that the journey towards enlightenment is deeply personal and subjective.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream
Clear your head of all thoughts and simply go with the flow
It is not dying
This experience may feel intense, but it's not the end of your life
It is not dying
This experience may feel intense, but it's not the end of your life
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
Let go of your mind and embrace the emptiness
It is shining
The void is not scary or dark, but rather a bright, positive force
It is shining
The void is not scary or dark, but rather a bright, positive force
That you may see the meaning of within
By embracing this emptiness, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself
It is being
The meaning of life is simply to exist
It is being
The meaning of life is simply to exist
That love is all and love is everyone
Love is the universal force that connects all of us
It is knowing
By embracing this love, you can gain a true understanding of the world
It is believing
Even when faced with ignorance and hate, we should hold onto our belief in love
But listen to the color of your dreams
Pay attention to your subconscious and use your dreams to gain insight
It is not living
Life is more than just going through the motions of daily living
It is not living
Life is more than just going through the motions of daily living
Or play the game 'Existence' to the end
Approach life as a game, knowing that eventually it will come to an end
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Of the beginning
Life is a cycle of beginnings and endings
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
A great Beatles song.
@paparazzidoax510
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
That you may see
The meaning of within
It is being
It is being
That love is all
That love is everyone
It is knowing
It is knowing
That ignorance and hate
May mourn the dead
It is believing
It is believing
But listen to the colour of your dream
It is not living
It is not living
All 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
@Arbes_
I don't think you or your children are ready for this, but your grandchildren will love it.
@axelh425
And this can go on for decades and generations...
@johnmarshall2722
Top comment!
@melchiorvonsternberg844
@@johnmarshall2722 Pretty clever stolen... What do you think, Doc Brown?
@thomasfisher5742
this was recorded then remixed at 1.74 JIGAWATTS LOL
@zaziou711
Marty McCartney
@brianwilson49
The older this song gets the more it sounds like the future.
@omegajrz1269
Just like what happens with The Velvet Underground and the krautrock bands
@Chris.Brisson
Or play the game "Existence" to the end
Of the beginning
Of the beginning