Baby, You're A Rich Man

The Beatles

About Baby, You're A Rich Man

"Baby, You're a Rich Man" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the B-side of their "All You Need Is Love" single in July 1967. It originated from an unfinished song by John Lennon, titled "One of the Beautiful People", to which Paul McCartney added a chorus. It is one of the best-known pop songs to feature a clavioline, a monophonic keyboard instrument that was a forerunner to the synthesizer. Lennon played the clavioline on its oboe setting, creating a sound that suggests an Indian shehnai. The song was recorded and mixed at Olympic Sound Studios in London, making it the first of the Beatles' EMI recordings to be entirely created outside EMI Studios. Lennon wrote his portion of the song after attending the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, an all-night festival held at London's Alexandra Palace that served as a key event in the emergence of the counterculture in the UK. His lyrics address the "beautiful people" of the 1960s hippie movement and combine with the chorus to present a statement on the universality of non-material wealth. The lyrics have also invited interpretation as a message to the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, and alternatively as a comment on fame. George Harrison performed the song during his visit to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in August 1967, at the height of the Summer of Love. The track later appeared on the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album and in a sequence in their 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine. 


Year:
1967
3:00
69 
#2

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How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Now that you know who you are
What do you want to be
And have you traveled very far
Far as the eye can see

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
How often have you been there
Often enough to know
What did you see when you were there
Nothing that doesn't show

Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag
Inside a zoo, what a thing to do
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play

Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag
Inside a zoo, what a thing to do
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man
Baby you're a rich man, too

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The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. Their best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions. more »

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Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


7 facts about this song

Composition
"Baby, You're A Rich Man" is a song by the British rock band, The Beatles. - It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released as the B-side of the band’s 1967 single ‘All You Need Is Love’. - The track is featured on the US version of the album "Magical Mystery Tour" and on their 1967 compilation album "The Beatles/1967-1970".
Recording process
The song was recorded on May 17, 1967, at the Olympic Sound Studios in London. - It is notable for its distinctive instrumentation, which includes a clavioline (an early keyboard synthesizer), a piano, congas, and a violin.
Significant Lyrics
The song's lyrics begin with a question, "How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?” which is answered in the chorus: “Baby, you’re a rich man.” - Music analysts believe Lennon wrote the verses while McCartney composed the chorus.
Interpretations
There have been many interpretations of the song's lyrics. - Some analysts have suggested it is about the band's manager Brian Epstein, who passed away shortly after its release. - Others have suggested it's a comment on materialism and the shallow pursuit of wealth. - Lyrics: "Now that you know who you are, and what do you want to be," are believed to be a critic on the rising hippie movement.
Controversies
The Beatles were accused of using a racial slur in the song, which the band denied. - In a 1980 interview, John Lennon stated that the supposed racial slur was actually the phrase "Baby, you're a rich man, too" repeated quickly.
Chart performance and legacy
The song reached number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the UK Singles Chart in 1967. - It has been covered by multiple artists, including Of Montreal and The Fat Boys. - It was used in the closing scene of the 2010 film "The Social Network."
Critic reviews
While some critics claim the song as unrefined and disjointed, others praise its distinct sound and bold lyrics. - Rolling Stone ranked it as 68th on its "100 Greatest Beatles Songs" list.

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