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Today the boys finished work on “Tomorrow Never Knows,” adding effects, loops, and vocals to the rhythm tracks recorded yesterday, and went on to lay down a few takes of Paul’s “Got to Get You into My Life.” The session lasted into the wee hours of the morning, and no doubt plenty of tea was consumed.
Somewhere in here was where “Tomorrow Never Knows” got its title, a Ringoism that has nothing to do with the content of the song. I think that John chose it, in part, to undercut the song’s grandiosity, maybe feeling a little self-conscious.
“Got to Get You into My Life,” as we all know, is Paul’s love song to marijuana. Perhaps the first of many; who knows how many of the man’s numerous Silly Love Songs are coded odes to cannabis? (Random memory: Father Guido Sarducci waiting outside Paul’s NYC apartment to ask him about him being busted for pot in Japan.)
“Tomorrow Never Knows” has been covered many, many times over the years, by everyone from Jimi Hendrix and the Dead to Los Lobos, Herbie Hancock, Tangerine Dream, and (shudder) David Lee Roth. My personal favorites are the versions by 801 (featuring Brian Eno) and Junior Parker. “Got to Get You…” has also been pretty popular, especially with artists that have ampersands in their names, such Earth, Wind & Fire, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Sonny & Cher. It has also been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Jones, Chicago, Lou Rawls, and apparently Daniel Johnston.
Grateful Dead would play TNK in a jam with Baba O’Reilly. Quite awesome. Meat Puppets have played it too, but not that I’ve heard.
I admit I heard Phil Collins version of TNK first and loved it. Shortly after that I got my first Beatles album, Revolver. Blown away it was a cover. Was wondering if “in the air tonight” was on Rubber Soul????