Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Lyrics



Lennon/McCartney


It was twenty years ago today,
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile.
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years,
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
We hope you will enjoy the show,
We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
Sit back and let the evening go.
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely,
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
It's wonderful to be here,
It's certainly a thrill.
You're such a lovely audience,
We'd like to take you home with us,
We'd love to take you home.
I don't really want to stop the show,
But I thought that you might like to know,
That the singer's going to sing a song,
And he wants you all to sing along.
So let me introduce to you
The one and only Billy Shears
And Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 
Lead Singer: Paul

Recording: 2/1/67, 2/2/67, 3/3/67, 3/6/67
Mixing: 2/2/67, 3/6/67
Length: 1:59
Take: 10

Anomalies

0:09-0:10
"Roll over boys / Roll over Maurice", heavily reverbed, just before vocals start. (Sounds like Paul)
0:26
Drum beat under the word "play" is cut short, possible edit?
0:53 * NEW *
Lead guitar begins a little early.
1:35
The word "us" is spoken in a low voice somewhat separate from the harmonies
1:36 * NEW *
Shake and a bump. Sounds like a maraca, and either blowing into the mic, or hitting the mic
1:46
Left channel, the clapping fades down and straight back up. I think this may have been because there was not enough clapping to fill the space required
1:56
Right channel - The guitar ends very abruptly, as if editted off.
After recording this, Paul McCartney had the idea of doing the whole album as if Sgt. Pepper was a real band. It became the title track of what was considered a "Concept" album, with the songs running seamlessly together on the record.
The album was heavily produced and took 129 days and about 700 hours to complete. The Beatles first album, Please Please Me, was recorded in less than 10 hours.
The crowd noise was dubbed in. The Beatles had stopped touring by then.
3 days after the album came out, Jimi Hendrix opened a concert with this. McCartney and Harrison were both there, and were very impressed that Hendrix learned it so quickly.
McCartney wrote this and sang lead.
This is reprised at the end of the album before the final track, "A Day In The Life."
This was recorded as one song with "With A Little Help From My Friends." They flow seamlessly on the album, creating a problem for radio stations that want to play just one of the songs. (thanks, don - rapid city, SD)
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr played this on May 19, 1979 at Eric Clapton's wedding. Clapton married Harrison's ex-wife, Patti.
Artist Peter Blake designed the album cover as if Sgt. Pepper's band had just performed a concert. He asked The Beatles who they wanted at the concert, and put them in the cover design.
All living people depicted on the cover were asked permission. Mae West refused - she didn't want to be part of a "Lonely Hearts Club Band." The statuesque blonde near the front on the cover is Diana Dors, a Mae West look alike from the '50s.
Lennon wanted Jesus, Gandhi, and Hitler on the cover. He had recently taken a lot of heat for saying The Beatles were "Bigger than Jesus," so they decided not to. Hitler did have a small role - the hand that is sticking out above Paul is that of Adolph himself. (thanks, don - rapid city, SD, for above 2)
This was the first album with printed lyrics.
The title is a parody of American bands who were choosing ridiculously long names for their groups.
 
Sgt_Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Lyrics