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© 2026 Nadav (Nahdi) Lazar. Beatles music © Apple Corps. Fan-made – not affiliated with The Beatles or Apple Corps.

“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

SongsRevolverI'm Only Sleeping
Eleanor Rigby·Love You To
I'm Only Sleeping1966 · Revolver
Revolver album cover

I'm Only Sleeping

1966 · Revolver

“When I wake up early in the morning”

Lennon's dreamy paean to sleeping in, recorded as the Beatles deepened their studio experimentation for Revolver. Harrison spent a five-hour late-night session writing and overdubbing a reversed guitar duet – the first commercially released backwards lead guitar – that defines the song's hazy, suspended atmosphere.
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Sound effects first appears on a Beatles record on 'I'm Only Sleeping' (1966).

1966Sound effects
Year1966
AlbumRevolver
Track3 · Side 1
Duration3:02
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedApril 27, 29; May 5, 6, 1966
ReleasedAugust 5, 1966

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Text218 tags

Motif

SleepTimeAnatomyDreamsTravelSelf reflectionHome

Influence

Bob Dylan influence

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Positive tone

Narrative

First personImperative

Rhyme type

Internal rhymePerfect rhymeExtrametrical rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymeMulti-syllabic rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

Many choruses (4+)Standard verses (2-4)Multiple bridges (2+)Has bridgeHas outro

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationSolo based on verse

Repetition

Recurring lineRecurring verse
Word cloud

Recurring words

bedeverybodyeverywherefeelingfindfloatkeepinglazyliftlyingmilesmindrunningsleepingspeedspoilstreamtakingwindowa dreamafter allby myi'm ini'm lazyi'm milesin bedlying thereme wheremy headmy timemy windowno needseems tothere andthere's nothink i'mto thinkwaiting forwhen i'mwhere ii don't mindi wake upi'm in theme where iwaiting for awhere i amin the middle ofin the middle of a

Cover-shared words

allawaycrazydaydreamearlyeyegoingheadleavememorningmyneedoohpleaseseemsshakestaysuchtheretheythinktilltimewaitingworlddon't shakei ami don'ti thinkleave meplease don'tsuch athe worldwhen iin the morningearly in the morning

Lyric shape

[ADJ] of[ADV] at[VERB] at[VERB] there's[VERB] they'reafter [WORD]an [NOUN]at [ADJ]i'm [ADJ]only [VERB][ADJ] a [NOUN][ADV] and [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] to[NOUN] [VERB] up[VERB] [ADV] at[VERB] an [NOUN][VERB] i'm [ADJ][VERB] in [NOUN][VERB] me where[VERB] up [ADV]a [ADJ] [VERB]at the [NOUN]by my [NOUN]for a [ADJ]i [VERB] upi am [WORD]in the [ADJ]of a [NOUN]there's no [NOUN][NOUN] [VERB] to [VERB][VERB] [ADV] and [VERB][VERB] at the [NOUN][VERB] don't [VERB] me[VERB] me where i[VERB] there's no [NOUN][VERB] up [NOUN] [VERB][WORD] my [NOUN] [WORD]i don't [VERB] iin the [ADJ] ofin the [ADJ] of a

Cover-shared shape

[ADJ] a[ADV] and[ADV] in[NOUN] on[NOUN] they[VERB] an[VERB] by[VERB] don't[VERB] for[VERB] i[VERB] i'm[VERB] in[VERB] me[VERB] my[VERB] to[VERB] up[WORD] mya [ADJ]a [NOUN]and [VERB]don't [VERB]don't [WORD]i [VERB]i'm [WORD]in [NOUN]me [WORD]my [NOUN]no [NOUN]still [VERB]the [ADJ]the [NOUN]they [VERB]to [VERB]up [NOUN][ADV] in the[NOUN] they [VERB][VERB] don't [VERB][VERB] don't [WORD][VERB] for a[VERB] i [VERB][VERB] me [WORD][VERB] my [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] my [NOUN]don't [VERB] idon't [VERB] mei don't [VERB]i'm [WORD] [ADV]in the [NOUN]my [NOUN] [WORD]on the [NOUN]the [NOUN] [VERB]when i [VERB][ADV] in the [NOUN][NOUN] on the [NOUN]don't [VERB] me [WORD][NOUN] on the [NOUN] [VERB]

Rhyme scheme

AABCAABBAAAB

Line length

10-8Unique line length

Distinctive word

ceilingooh-oohsleepystaringyawningyawns

Music179 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarBass guitarDrumsSound effects

Instrument group

Guitars

Guitar work

Guitar solo

Bass work

Melodic bassStepwise bass line

Music genre

PsychedelicFolk rockRock

Influence

Psychedelia influence

Vocal work

Vocals on interludeOoh vocalsThree-part harmonyFalsettoVocal harmonies

Solo / Riff

Guitar soloSolo based on verseSolo on verse

Melody

Call and response

Tempo

Moderate

Key

E♭ minor

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusABABABA

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Multiple bridges (2+)Has bridgeMultiple solos (2+)Has soloHas outroStandard choruses (1-3)

Section links

Verse variationChorus variationSolo based on verseSolo on verseSolo on outro

Section transition

♭II to iUnique section transition

Harmony

Modal mixturePerfect cadenceBorrowed chordSecondary dominantPicardy third

Composition

All natural rootsTonic openingTonic endingVerse in iTonic verseChorus in ♭viiNon-tonic chorus

Mode

Aeolian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7maj7slash chord

Scale degree

I7i♭IIIIVivV7v♭VI♭VImaj7♭vii7Unique scale degree

Chord degree

♭III–VV–i♭VI–iIV–♭IIIi–iv♭III–♭VI♭VI–♭IIIiv–♭IIIiv–♭VII–iv♭III–V–iV–i–iv♭VI–IV♭VI–♭III–V–iv–iv♭III–♭VI–♭III–V–i♭III–♭VI–IV♭VI–♭III–ivv–iv–♭VI–i

Chord shape

C → EC → FmC7 → FmC → DmAm → GmAm → CC → EmAm → G → CC → G → AmAm → BAm → FC → Fm → D♭C → AC → B♭C → F → DC → A → GAm → DmAm → GC → FC → GC → Fm → B♭mC → E → AmAm → BmC → E7 → AmC → E7C7 → Fm → B♭mC → Dm → EmC → G → BC → G → B → EmAm → G → C → GC → G → B7C → G → B7 → EmC → G → Am → BmC → F → C → DmC → G → C → AAm → Dm → CC → F → C → E → AmC → F → C → F → DC → E → Am → DmAm → C → EmAm → B → EmC → F → C → E → Am → DmAm → G → C → G → C → GC → F → C → E7 → AmC7 → Fm → B♭m → A♭Am → Gm → B♭ → DmC → Dm → Em → DmC → E7 → Am → DmAm → Fmaj7Am7 → B7

Chord literal

C → GG → AmC → EmAm → G → CE → AmAm → FC → AA → GG → CAm → GAm → CEm → AmB → EmC → G → AmE7 → AmB7 → EmG → BG → B7G → C → AAm → BmB7 → Em → AmB → Em → AmG → B → EmDm → EC → G → Am → BmG → B7 → EmC → A → GBm → AmG → C → G → C → ABm → Am → C → EmG → B7 → Em → AmC → G → B7 → EmG → B → Em → AmG → C → G → AmC → G → B → EmEm → Am → GAm → Fmaj7
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Studio16 tags

Studio technique

ADTDistortionReverseVariSpeedDouble tracked vocalReduction mix

Equipment

Gibson J-160ERickenbacker 4001SStuder J37 4-track recorderLudwig Super ClassicSonic Blue Fender StratocasterEMI REDD.51 console

Recording location

EMI Studio 3EMI Studio 2EMI Studios

Session duration

Multi-day

People10 tags

Unique personnel
Classic formationBeatles only
Line-up
John Lennon
Lead vocalsBacking vocalsAcoustic guitar
Paul McCartney
Backing vocalsBass guitar
George Harrison
Backing vocalsElectric lead guitarAcoustic lead guitar
Ringo Starr
Drums
Songwriter
John Lennon
Producer
George Martin
Recording engineer
Geoff Emerick
Assistant engineer
Phil McDonald

Info17 tags

Release type

Song on albumSong on AnthologySong on Giles Martin remixSong on compilation

US release

Yesterday and Today

Release mix

MonoStereoDistinct mix

Label

CapitolParlophone

Publisher

Northern Songs

Song type

Original

Duration

Medium
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Sources & references

Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides – then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.

Updated 2026-06-03

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Revolver album cover
VinylCDMerch

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Year1966
AlbumRevolver
Track3 · Side 1
Duration3:02
Songwriter(s)Lennon
Credited asLennon–McCartney
Lead VocalJohn
RecordedApril 27, 29; May 5, 6, 1966
ReleasedAugust 5, 1966
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