Beatlesongs.wiki
SongsRevolverI'm Only Sleeping
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.
VinylCDMerch

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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

HomeSelf reflectionTravelDreamsAnatomyTimeSleep

Influence

Bob Dylan influence

Title

Pronoun in title

Vocabulary

Positive tone

Narrative

ImperativeFirst person

Rhyme type

Perfect rhymeExtrametrical rhymeFeminine rhymeHalf rhymeMulti-syllabic rhymeInternal rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorus

Sections

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

Section links

Chorus variationVerse variationSolo based on verse

Repetition

Recurring verseRecurring line
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

AAABAABCAABB

Line length

10-8Unique line length

Distinctive word

ceilingooh-oohsleepystaringyawningyawns
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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)Has bridgeMultiple bridges (2+)Has outroMultiple solos (2+)Has soloStandard choruses (1-3)

Section links

Chorus variationVerse 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

i–iv♭III–♭VI♭VI–♭IIIIV–♭IIIV–i♭III–V♭VI–iiv–♭VII–iv♭III–V–iV–i–iviv–♭III♭VI–IV♭VI–♭III–V–iv–iv♭III–♭VI–♭III–V–i♭III–♭VI–IV♭VI–♭III–ivv–iv–♭VI–i

Chord shape

Am → DmAm → GC → FC → AC → B♭C → F → DC → A → GC → Fm → D♭C → DmC7 → FmC → FmC → EAm → FC → GAm → BC → G → AmAm → G → CC → EmAm → CAm → GmC → 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

G → CC → AA → GG → AmC → GE → AmAm → G → CC → EmAm → FB → Em → AmAm → GAm → CEm → AmB → EmC → G → AmE7 → AmB7 → EmG → BG → B7G → C → AAm → BmB7 → 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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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.

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