#john demos

[get-back-homeward]

September 18, 1966: After a weekend break in Paris with Paul, Brian, and Neil, John travels to Carboneras, Spain to continue filming How I Won The War. He first stays in a seafront hostel, Delfin Verde (The Green Dolphin). Here, he picks up his nylon-stringed Spanish guitar and a tape recorder and works on It's Not Too Bad, a rough idea that will evolve into Strawberry Fields Forever. To accommodate his visitors (Cynthia, Ringo, Maureen, and others), he later moves to a spacious villa, Santa Isabel, and continues to shape the song. The villa bears a distinct similarity to the grounds of the children's home that John visited as a child and may have unlocked memories to inspire the song's title. Before leaving, he writes "Santa Isabel Demos" on the tape.

These demos were released as a bootleg in 1997. The distinct "let me take you down" part of the song shows up at 5 minutes in, but it's missing the song title. Wait another minute to hear John to name it directly.

The back of the bootleg includes a tracklist with take numbers. It's not quite clear how those were decided; they look incorrect to me. I've used the Nothing Is Real numbers to give the timestamps for each: 00:00 Warm-up 00:28 Take 1 01:16 Take 2 02:38 Take 3 04:09 Take 4 05:58 Takes 5 & 6 08:13 Rehearsal

[get-back-homeward]

this seems to be an inverse of the original Mr. Moonlight covered by the band [lyrics]

Late-1970s?: John plays ‘Mr. Moonlight’ plaintively and for himself.

JOHN: Mr. Moonlight / Now you don’t come my way / I’m now here to say you’re gone again / I’m here to say / Mr. Moonlight / Mr. Moonlight / Tonight you don’t come my way / I pray and pray every day / Mr. Moonlight / I don’t cry…

Mr. Moonlight / You should be alright / And now that I’ve seen the day / Du du du du du du du / I won’t cry…

[pro-philosopher]

See if you can out-shine this very shiny boy in Pro Philosopher 2! Maybe you can even give him reality check.

Play our new FREE demo on Steam! It's the whole first chapter!

[skidmarkeater]

HAPPY TROLLSMAS!!!

[fishfingerpies]

Okay it's the middle of the night and I'm fully losing it (again) over the original 1977 real love demo it is so so heartbreaking emotionally like I can't even explain my thoughts right now but you guys get it right like I'm not alone it this right IT'S SO HEARTBREAKING! JUST CALL HIM ON THE PHONE! GOD!

And and and when, that one line when he says it's real love instead of 'real life' for some reason that one really gets me, tears my fucking heart up

And the way he laughs, like all small and embarrassed after saying the bit about the baby on the way and the farm. OH GOD SICK TO MY STOMACH HE WAS SO HEARTBROKEN AND ASHAMED OF IT STILL AND HE SHOULDNT HAVE HAD TO BE FUCK FUCKKKK

And the way he keeps saying 'let it go' and 'just got to let it go' and 'why don't you let it go' SOUL DESTROYING

And even the main refrain itself, the 'it's real life. it's real' I feel like there's so much to say about that, like!! I can't quite decide if it's, like, trying to remind himself that this here where he is now is real life, he's sad and heartbroken and just has to let it go and THAT'S what's real life, or if it's the fact that he loves him that's real life, and the line is more of a plea almost to everybody/everything making him feel like it isn't real because it's wrong to be gay or whatever (considering this was the 70s) and he's saying I love him and it's real life, it's real. That's makes the 'it's real love' bit hit even harder I think FUCK

Not to even mention the I used to hold you in my arms line like whatttt

Gosh I didn't mean to write this much I'm just losing it and I couldn't stop

DOES ANYONE ELSE KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT

PLEASE

[cresslog]

a stupid little thing i sketched while half asleep sorry not sorry

[hisnameislegs]

Lets talk about I'm So Tired

Everyone says its about Yoko and general insomnia, but I'm 100% convinced this song is about Paul.

"You know it's 3 weeks" - The traditional interpretation is that the song was written 3 weeks after arriving in India, ie he couldn't sleep from the start (and maybe this is why he kicked Cynthia out of their room 2 weeks in). But all accounts point to his mental state only going sharply downhill only at the end. That points to it being not being "3 weeks since I arrived" but instead "3 weeks since something happened". Paul leaves on March 26th, John on April 12th, 2.5 weeks later. Timing-wise, if this is written after Paul left (see below), then it points to an incident happening just before Paul left. Those few weeks after Paul leaves are the beginning of the deep depressive period for John that continues all throughout April when he gets back home.

"My mind is set on you"- whatever happened 3 weeks ago, John is obsessing over. The traditional interpretation is that he was obsessing about Yoko. Its true he was going to check for telegrams from her every day, and has since said he was thinking about her a lot. But upon arriving home doesn't go to hang out with her? If he was that obsessed and needing to call her to get peace of mind it doesn't make sense. And in this case whats with the 3 weeks comment? It makes far more sense that he's obsessing about Paul and whatever happened before he left.

"I don't know what to do... I wonder should I call you"- If he's having communication from Yoko every day anyways, why be so nervous/worried about calling her? Why feel the need to? Paul on the other hand left John with no one to talk to (remember he banished his wife) after having spent a month together every day. It makes much more sense for him to want to talk to Paul if they went from 100 to 0. He's already talking to Yoko and it probably wouldn't be that weird to call her. It might be weird to talk to Paul, especially if the vibes are weird.

"You'd say I'm putting you on but its no joke, its doing me harm"- , If "it" is just insomnia as people claim, then why would someone think he was joking? The thing that's doing him harm isn't the insomnia, its the obsessive thoughts, and that is a much more vulnerable thing tell someone about. Especially because John knows Paul either didn't notice the importance of the incident, or is planning to purposefully downplay it and play dumb. This tracks with Paul being described as "evasive" when they get back to the studio, and the way that he didn't seem to go help John in his depressive period following India. The way John thought they were telepathic points to John believing Paul was ignoring whatever was going on on purpose. But the way Paul is to this day convinced he has no idea how he hurt John makes me think he was genuinely oblivious to some degree.

"I'd give you all I've got if you gimme little piece of mind"- this original lyric is more direct than the later version. whoever hes speaking to has the direct ability to stop his spiralling over whatever happened. He wants Paul to tell him everything is ok between them. But Paul either doesn't realize he has this power, or doesn't want to acknowledge it. Again, hard to know which it is, but its not out of character to see how John potentially believed that Paul was on some level intentionally torturing him by withholding whatever comfort he needed. I think this continued throughout April even when they got home.

I also don't think John ever told Paul that it was about him. They're having too much fun with it at the Esher Demos.

[walkathinline]

Since I made a video for a John demo the other day, I decided it was Paul's turn. Here is a friendly reminder that this beautiful demo exists.

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　　✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

"Where the sound of lonely drums

invites me on, I must be by his side."

[paulandjohn]

John Lennon - Studio Demo Recordings (August 1980)

At 6:35 (6 minutes and 35 seconds):

“Just take your clothes off, honey,

and stick your nose in money

Oh, la la, it’ll be just like startin’ over

startin’ over

Why don’t we do it in the road

A little hotel where we used to screw

A little hotel down in Montauk

Just you, me and the cook

And the servants too

Well, well

It’s been too long since we’ve been in love (?!)

don’t want to lose you now (x 15)”

[blooeyedtroll]

Demo loves making Floyd smile!~✨💖😊

[style-and-kyman]

Took character suggestions on Twitter and these were a lot of fun!

(Blank template below cut <3)

[vixenihy]

not the biggest lana fan but god damnit if she didn’t knock it out of the park when writing national anthem because holy shit look at this man

[get-back-homeward]

From the notes on this fuller version, this is a Kenwood home demo (November 1966).

Beautiful version of Strawberry Fields Forever.

[pleasuretrade]

snippet of my demolition derby au fic for those who are also mentally disturbed 💯

cw for um homophobia and they also are fist fighting each other

“You know, I don’t care about what I’ve heard about you,” Bucky offered.

 Gale let out a breath through his nose, a hollow estimation of a laugh. “Fuck off.”

 John groaned. “Christ, what is wrong with you, huh? I’m trying to be nice. You so pent up pretending to be straight that all you can do is crash cars and be a bitch?”

 It had been a long time since Gale had fought someone. Really fought them, fists and legs and body. He didn’t know he would break like that, didn’t know he could, but between one breath and the next he had Bucky on the ground beneath him, hand fisted in his jacket and knee pinning a thigh into the grass and dirt. Through their struggle, Gale raised a fist, like he was actually going to hit Bucky, but Bucky smashed through it with his forearm, glancing it away. Gale raised his other fist and Bucky wasn't fast enough to block it or shield himself, his head wrenching to the side and back with the impact. And then Gale found himself flipped, positions reversed, kicking his legs and bucking his hips, twisting his back like he might be able to wriggle out from under Bucky’s body.

 The blow to Gale’s jaw made his vision gray, the world fading out and then back in again, and when he could see clearly and look back up at Bucky he found his nose bleeding. It dripped down onto Gale’s chest, onto his smudged white shirt, and it had been so long since anyone had punched Gale that he couldn't do much but stare in shock for a moment.

“Fuck,” Bucky spat, wincing like he’d just now registered the punch Gale had landed.

 And then memories of high school came flooding back, relentless fists and spit in Gale’s face and hair, and Gale was suddenly fighting for his life, flailing graceless punches and twisting like an animal. Bucky hunkered down onto him, grabbed his wrists and pinned them into the dirt and told him he was crazy.

“Ay, you fellas alright?”

 The stranger’s voice cut through the violent haze that clouded Gale’s everything. He turned his head and found an aging man in a U.S. Navy cap staring down at them from a short distance off, looking like he didn't really care all that much but was politely disturbed enough to check.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bucky said, heaving a breath, “just having a little mano a mano, y'know? Working things out.”

[thethroneislost]

Incantation - "Entrantment of Evil" - 1990 New Jersey, US

[get-back-homeward]

Peacock: Can you tell me about the first track, “Let ’em in?”

Paul: It was half-written with Ringo in mind actually. He asked me to write him a tune and there was that one and another one. In the end, I told him I was nicking it and he could have the other one. I just got this idea for a song about someone knocking on the door, someone ringing the bell, and then in the middle, I got into the idea of naming people, just sort of symbolic of a crowd coming in… Sister Suzie, Brother John. Who’s Brother John?

Peacock: I was wondering…

Paul: Whoever you want it to be really, Uncle Ernie? Keith Moon flashing, I suppose, but the trouble with talking about things like that is .. that’s you’ve got to make an excuse for it all after. Someone says, “What did you mean by that?” And really I don’t know. It just comes into your head. Brother Michael — that’s obvious — that’s my brother Michael! Auntie Jin — I’ve got an Auntie Jin, Brother John — that could be whoever you want.

Peacock: Do you get fun out of the thought that people are going to sit down trying to work out the meaning behind lyrics like that?

Paul: It would be great if I wasn’t the ultimate authority on it. It would be just like “Match of the Day” watching them all go around delving into who the Walrus or Brother John is. I mean, to me Brother John is John Lennon, or Linda’s got a brother called John. I suppose it’s anyone’s brother John, but to me, it’s John Lennon. But not in any weird way. It just came out like that. So rather than hide it or change it, I left it. But now, they’re going to ask me. That’s the only problem, that’s the reason it’s not so much fun as it could be because there’s always someone coming up saying “What did you mean by…” or “Linda is Venus, you’re Mars — right?” Wrong, they’re planets, remember?

Peacock: Do you ever take things out because they might be misinterpreted?

Paul: No, I don’t think I ever do that, because normally when it’s writ itself then it’s writ. I don’t really much around with it too much. It’s like most things — you do a painting and think it’s not quite right so you do it again and it’s worse. Like a record — you can go on beyond the right take, but it’s never better. No, I don’t take things out for that reason, in fact, I’d leave things in because people were going to talk about them.

April 3, 1976: Paul McCartney talks to Steve Peacock for Street Life (Vol. 1, Issue 12, Apr 1976)