Strawberry Fields Forever Lyrics - The Beatles

While he hadn't yet sat with a guru it feels to me that Lennon had explored Eastern religion, a bit. The belief that people misunderstand their relationship to the world is expressed here as well as the Eastern belief that the world is an illusion and it is best not to get to invested in it "I know when it's a dream" is one of the most powerful abilities a person can have according to Tibetan Buddhists. Finally, Strawberry Fields, is much like the "pure land" concept of those same Tibetan Buddhists. It represents enlightenment and a pure view of the world as it really is. John Lennon merely wanted everyone to be happy, without suffering, and awake to the possibilities of life.

That was the message of Strawberry Fields Forever. It was the precursor of the "Summer of Love" (1967). SFF was supposed to be released as the "A" side of the single (with Penny Lane), but the DJ's didn't buy it (except on the Left Coast around the Bay Area, those people became the original 'editors' of rolling Stoned magazine, a magazine for potheads and psychopaths who have since 'taken over' as the voice of popular music for all time, even though their opinions are still very sophomoric and opinionated and popular, they are just opinions. "Penny Lane" went on to become a #1 song, while SFF stalled at #8 on the charts, which was very generous, as many radio stations stopped playing it after Penny Lane took off.

John Lennon would often say, after being asked the meaning of his songs, which alluded or deluded a lot of people, that "it's just words" or some other rubbish, which is exactly what it might be, at first glance. That is, when you look at the lyrics of SFF at face value, they appear confused. But when you extract a lot of the extraneous verbiage, it's deeply involved with John looking within and without the cosmos of self. After the death of Brian Epstein, John lost a mentor. Paul was not affected in the same way, as his writing became somewhat more prolific for a while and he decided that he would "take over" the Beatles. But John went totally introspective. Strawberry Fields was a place to gather his thoughts. He wished he could be there "forever," but he knew he couldn't. So he took this mind journey (possibly on LSD, but not necessarily) which helped to sort his mind. The result was this complex lyric and melody that was certainly not set to 4/4, as many of the early Beatles songs were written. He stretched reality out to the extents of the universe (shortly before writing "Across the Universe", which might be a better thought out version of SFF) and letting the finished product be something of a blending of eastern (Indian) and western (Rock) with a little influence of one Jimi Hendrix, who he heard in London the summer before. Voila, it's Strawberry Fields Forever.

Amazing, how so many "attempt" to "explain" the meaning of songs; in which, they have NO BLOODY IDEA, in regards to.. (I'm afraid to pull up the lyrics to "Lucy in the Sky w/ Diamonds"; expecting to read a "mental giant's" rationale, that "it was obviously about a girl, riding in a giant ballon - and dropping out Diamonds onto the ground"..

The lyrics are obvious! Read between the lines and you wiil 'see' Maybe its the fact that some posting on here are 'druggies' and can't see the truth for the 'pot'.
I'm not going to explain them to you as its something you 'need' to work out for yourself.
I'll give you a clue...The later Mind Games album by Lennon may help you understand...

I believe this song has a great meaning. Strawberry Fields is a park in Liverpool where Lennon often went. "living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see", this obviously refers to how hard life can be and sometimes you can close your eyes and think of something happier. "nothing is real and nothing to get hung about" could be saying that reality is hard to face but dont hang on it too long. Strawberry Fields was a place John went to to escape from all the hardships in life.

I'll buy that the song was named after a place. I won't buy that those lyrics were intended to mean anything. It's pure jibberish, as is most psychedelic rock. It's very similar to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in that regard. Honestly, I've never been a huge Beatles fan - partly because they were so overplayed in the USA in the '60s and '70s. I respect that they set the tone for decades of rock music and delivered hit after hit. But anyone who thinks this is The Beatles' best song needs to get off the drugs and listen to a lot more songs by The Beatles. The music is very good, but literally hundreds of The Beatles' songs have much better and meaningful lyrics. How someone could think this is better lyrically than Imagine, or Hey Jude/Revolution (which most people agree is the greatest single ever released), or Help, or even Penny Lane - is mind boggling to me.

He wants to "take you down", meaning, he want to have his way with someone before he leaves to Strawberry Fields. Because in Strawberry Fields, no one is attractive, as in, nothing to get "hungabout." It was this song that popularized the reference to being hung.

I'm 14 years old and I've been a fan of The Beatles since I was about nine years old and I heard "Let It Be" on the radio. I asked my mother who was singing the song- at first being foolish and thinking it was Elton John (who I also love)- and she told me it was The Beatles. I thought to myself, "What a silly name for a band" Then again, I was only young. In 1964, John Lennon was interviewed and was asked why the band was named so, and he stated when he was 12, he had a vision of "a man on a flaming pie, and he said "You are Beatles with an 'a'"
Just a bit of information I know. :)
About this particular song however, The lyrics are amazing. One of my favorite things about John Lennon is his mind- his IMAGINATION. I adore it. I can remember watching videos of interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and I think to myself, "what a lucky girl she was. being married to such a handsome, imaginative, simply brilliant man." I have fuming jealousy against Yoko. it's ridiculous but still. Oh my, back to the SONG. i first heard this song while sitting with my boyfriend Andy. We were playing rock'n'roll on the internet, and he chose "Everlong" by The Foo Fighters. I stated "I like the acoustic version better" he replied "Oh, me too. But I thought you liked the non acoustic so I played it for you." I laughed and said "nice try but i see right throught that. I still love you though... Let me take you down" and kissed him, and he said "That reminds me!" i say"what" he says, " have you ever heard the song "Strawberry fields Forever"? By the beatles?" i said no and he played it. and i love it. and now its our song. <3 kay bye <3

Dear wyatt, Paul isn't dead... you have to much free time... John says CRANBERRY SAUCE... Haven't you ever seen Sgt. Peppers album cover? the three people put together... say hardy-har- har which was a joke that people thought he was dead

Y'all need to watch a documentary called Paul McCartney really is dead an it explains about how they dropped hints of Pauls death. If you listen closely at the end of the song you can hear somebody saying "I buried Paul"

well let's forget about the lyric for a sec. This lyric is very personal and i usually don't enjoy such musics but this one... I gotta say the music is so powerful that while listening to it i just adore john...

Stawberry kush has nothing to do with this song seeingg as only landrace weed or (marijuana) was smoked in the 60's stawberry fields was a salvation army orphange in LIVERPOOL not London which has since been knocked down but the gates are still there (i should know ive been there many times tripping on mushrooms). Its gotta be a yank who said it was in london. Next they will be saying penny lane was named after a groupie in a rubbish yank film,and that abbey roads in new york.

Cedric wrote - "Someone wrote: I love this song and never really understood why Lennon Wrote it...The 60s were all about smoking marajawana and love and peace. There is a strain of Marajawana called Strawberry Cush..Lennon had to be smoking it!!!

Strawberry fields was an orphenage in London, were John was going to play with the kids when he was young. "Nothing is real" means when he plays with children, imaginary games etc."

Firstly, Strawberry Fields was a Salvation Army children's home.
Secondly, it was located in Liverpool, NOT London.

I'm only 3 and I find that the overall intellectual feeling that this song portrays is one of a deep complexity and emotion. It maintains a strong sense of identity with his roots while portraying a reminiscent overtone. Oh wait I mean 30...

'Strawberry Fields Forever' is about a child hood place John would go in Liverpool for concerts and just to hang out with friends... That's also where he met young 15 year old Paul for the first time and the rest is history.
but the song is about a real place. And there is an orphanage called Strawberry fields but its right next to the park.