Julia (song)
Encyclopedia
"Julia" is a song by The Beatles
. It is the final song on side two (disc one on CD) of the band's 1968 album, The Beatles
(often called The White Album).
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and features Lennon on vocals and acoustic guitar. It was written during the Beatles' 1968 visit to Rishikesh in northern India
, where they were studying under the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
. It was here where Lennon learned the song's finger-picking guitar style (known as 'Travis-picking') from the Scottish
musician Donovan
. No other Beatle sings or plays on the song. While Paul McCartney
made several "solo" recordings attributed to the group, dating back to his famous song "Yesterday
", this is the only time that Lennon played and sang unaccompanied on a Beatle track.
"Julia" was written for John's mother, Julia Lennon
(1914–1958), who was knocked down and killed by a car driven by a drunk off-duty police officer when John was 17 years old. It was also written for his future wife Yoko Ono
, whose first name, which literally means "child of the sea" in Japanese
, is echoed in the lyric "Oceanchild, calls me." In an interview in 1971 John Lennon said, "I wrote 'God Save Us' with Yoko, and 'Do the Oz', and there's one track on the album that she wrote. She had written other things, even 'Julia' back in the Beatles days.".
The line "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you" was a slight alteration from Kahlil Gibran's "Sand and Foam" (1926) in which the original verse reads, "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you".
of the "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
" single.
A portion of the song also appeared on the Love
album mixed with "Eleanor Rigby
".
, Bongwater
, Chocolate Genius, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
, Priscilla Ahn
, and Sean Lennon
. Sean Lennon performed the song live on 2 October 2001 at Radio City Music Hall
in New York City
, as part of the Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
concert special.
On Danger Mouse
's mashup
album, The Grey Album
, "Julia" is mixed with Jay-Z
's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder
".
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. It is the final song on side two (disc one on CD) of the band's 1968 album, The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
(often called The White Album).
Origins
"Julia" was written by John LennonJohn Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and features Lennon on vocals and acoustic guitar. It was written during the Beatles' 1968 visit to Rishikesh in northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where they were studying under the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
. It was here where Lennon learned the song's finger-picking guitar style (known as 'Travis-picking') from the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
musician Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. No other Beatle sings or plays on the song. While Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
made several "solo" recordings attributed to the group, dating back to his famous song "Yesterday
Yesterday (song)
"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
", this is the only time that Lennon played and sang unaccompanied on a Beatle track.
"Julia" was written for John's mother, Julia Lennon
Julia Lennon
Julia Lennon was the mother of English musician John Lennon, who was born during her marriage to Alfred Lennon. After complaints to Liverpool's Social Services by her eldest sister, Mimi Smith , she handed over the care of her son to her sister...
(1914–1958), who was knocked down and killed by a car driven by a drunk off-duty police officer when John was 17 years old. It was also written for his future wife Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, whose first name, which literally means "child of the sea" in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, is echoed in the lyric "Oceanchild, calls me." In an interview in 1971 John Lennon said, "I wrote 'God Save Us' with Yoko, and 'Do the Oz', and there's one track on the album that she wrote. She had written other things, even 'Julia' back in the Beatles days.".
The line "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you" was a slight alteration from Kahlil Gibran's "Sand and Foam" (1926) in which the original verse reads, "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you".
Release
"Julia" was originally released as the final song on side two of The Beatles on 22 November 1968. Eight years later it was released as the B-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is a song credited to Lennon–McCartney, but written by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on their 1968 album The Beatles...
" single.
A portion of the song also appeared on the Love
Love (The Beatles album)
Love is a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack remix album of music recorded by The Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name...
album mixed with "Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
".
Personnel
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– double-tracked vocals, double-tracked acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
Other versions
"Julia" has been covered by Ramsey LewisRamsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
, Bongwater
Bongwater (band)
Bongwater was a psych rock band formed in 1985 and dissolved in 1992. The group was founded by Ann Magnuson and Mark Kramer , who had worked together previously in Pulsallama. The group also featured drummer Dave Licht and guitarists [Dave Rick] and later Randolph A. Hudson III...
, Chocolate Genius, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a USA jazz group started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over the years. The group first formed under the moniker "Pimp Cocktail" with founding member Brian Haas as well as Sean Layton, Dove McHargue, Matt Leland, & Kyle Wright...
, Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn is an American singer-songwriter.-Early life and education:Ahn was born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia to Kay and Harry Hartranft and spent her childhood living in the USA and South Korea. She lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania for several years and attended...
, and Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
. Sean Lennon performed the song live on 2 October 2001 at Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as part of the Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music was a 2001 television program tribute to John Lennon. It aired on The WB.Originally planned to celebrate Lennon's accomplishments, the concert took place on October 2, 2001 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, shortly after 9/11...
concert special.
On Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse
Brian Joseph Burton , better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from The Beatles' White Album.He...
's mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
album, The Grey Album
The Grey Album
The Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles...
, "Julia" is mixed with Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Dirt off Your Shoulder
"Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course....
".