Share your thoughts on this song: "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles

[ALago1]

Here are mine:

Probably the best the Beatles ever recorded

A landmark production achievement

The final "E" on multiple pianos is the best chord ever.

[Shakespeare]

1. I think it's one of the most brilliant modern songs ever.

The lyrics are like well-written short story by Joyce.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

2. It's probably my favorite Beatles song

Absolutely, utterly brill

[edbermac]

3. Love the orchestral buildup

I turn the volume WAY up...

[Taverner]

4. Great song

If you listen to the lyrics there is ALOT going on there. Feelings of anomie, displacement, the two sides of the "Beatle" coin...plus a nod to the "Paul is dead" rumors.

[Skittles]

5. always reminds me of my beloved English grandfather

whenever I rode doubledeckers with him, we rode up top so he could smoke. My grandmother never let me go upstairs; she said that's where all the riffraff were. HELLO! :D

[ALago1]

10. LOL!

That's funny stuff. Your grandfather doesn't sound like riff-raff though!

[Skittles]

16. OH - ER

Grandma didn't know granddad sneaked upstairs to smoke - she disapproved!!! LOL!!!

[brentspeak]

6. Strangely moving

The genius of the song is that it makes one believe it's saying something really important - but it's not really about anything at all.

[MissMillie]

9. not nothing

It's about life.... that's pretty important isn't it?

I mean I think it's about irony. It's about an ordinary day in an ordinary life... but think about it, isn't every day a precious gift?

[Taverner]

19. Lennon spelled it out once in an interview

Basically the whole song is stream of consciousness...kind of like Finnegans Wake. Seemingly about nothing, but at the same time about lonliness, anomie, and disconnect.

Contemplations of suicide, experimenting with psychadelics, the irony of the powerlesness the powerful feel...it's all there...

[Arugula Latte]

7. Drumwork is strangely pretty.

Kind of a lonely echo ...

I've always liked that song.

Now we know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.

[Neil Lisst]

8. simply awesome

I hate you.

Now I have to dig it out and listen to it.

... probably three or four times!

[ALago1]

11. Hey! At least it's a GOOD earworm

Go ahead, what's the harm in reveling in it 3-4 times?

[Spider Jerusalem]

12. One-half is the best song the Beatles ever did.

The other half is so-so. It's a great example of the quite glaring contrast between Lennon & McCartney, IMO. (And I have to say that it's McCartney's contribution that falls rather flat.)

[ALago1]

14. I can totally see where you're coming from...

However, I think that dischord between the unique, brilliant, and dreamy first portion of the song with the rather mundane second part was completely intentional given the artistic sentiment of the song.

If I'm understanding Lennon (and Paul to a lesser extent) correctly on the intent of this song, it was supposed to be about the absurd and bored nature of modern life beginning from the perspective from one persons subjective viewpoint who is aware of this absurdity. This is later contrasted by McCartney's ho-hum everyday attitude of just getting up, going to work, riding on a bus, etc.

Finally there is some meld between the two creating some ambiguous emotions that I can't begin to describe.

But, maybe I'm just intellectualizing this song to death...

[Sequoia]

13. It's my favorite Beatle song, that's for sure.

Intelligent.

[newyawker99]

15. It's one of my favorite Beatles song and it is the best

song on the Sgt Pepper album.

[Aristus]

17. I've shared this once before, but it's worth repeating.

I was driving my five-year-old grandson home from kindergarten one day, and I had my "Sgt. Pepper" CD in the player, playing "ADITL". My grandson said: "Grandpa, this song is weird. What's it about?"

Me: "Well, it's about a man who is sad."

Him: "Why is he sad?"

Me: "Well, he's sad because bad things happen in life and he can't do anything about it."

Him: "Oh. Well, it's still pretty weird."

After that colossal, mind-blowing ending, I decided to put it on "When I'm Sixty-Four", to give him something fun.

Him: "What's THIS song about?"

Me: "It's about a man who is happy."

Him: "Why is he happy?"

Me: "He's happy because even though bad things happen in life, good things happen, too, and he has lots of people who love him."

Him: "Oh. I like this song better."

My grandson is smart and absolutely ADORABLE! B-)

[ALago1]

18. "Oh. I like this song better." hahahahah

He certainly sounds adorable. I think when he grows up he'll appreciate ADITL much more, especially since you've primed him already!