What does I'm Only Sleeping mean?

Beatles: I'm Only Sleeping Meaning

Album cover for I'm Only Sleeping album cover

I'm Only Sleeping Lyrics

When I wake up early in the morning,
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream

Please don't wake me, no
don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping

Everybody seems to think...

  1. marie_brookins
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    Jan 23rd 2016 !⃝

    I find this song to be a metaphor to life. "Please don't wake me. No don't shake me. Leave me for what I am." It means that he's just living through the motions

  2. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2015 !⃝

    I'm only sleeping is about someone just wanting to rest sometimes, but the world is just so busy that you have to work and never relax. I could imagine they were all overworked. John would often sleep and sometimes Paul would have to wake him up just to write songs.

  3. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2011 !⃝

    I think its about a illness called "Narcolepsy" check it out.

  4. anonymous
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    Jun 2nd 2009 !⃝

    the beatles had really figured everything out. john is trying to teach us through his music and his energies. he is saying that nothing is real and life is just a dream. because nothing is real. everything is created by your ego

  5. dcs5991
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    Apr 1st 2009 !⃝

    this song is about not getting swept up in every thing. justtaking your time and being your own person and not being in the fast lane

  6. dylanisgod
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    Jun 12th 2008 !⃝

    The song 'I'm Only Sleeping' from the Revolver LP is a combination of what that other person said (Lennon would sit for hours doing nothing after the Beatles gave up touring.)

    However, and sorry to sound so stereotypical, but it's also about smoking dope. I know it's what everyone said but it's true.

  7. LennonLives
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    Jan 6th 2006 !⃝

    This tune about John and The way he behaved on his days off from the band. He was once called the laziest man in England by a reporter.

    Fact is that John was a homebody, he was a people watcher at heart. He would observe, which is what a lot of highly intelligent people do. He wrote so many songs about different things he observed. "Keeping an eye on the world going by my window" Means no matter what is going on or how lazy he may appear to be, he is always aware of what is going on around him. "Lying there Staring there and staring at the ceiling" It was known that John until his death would sometimes just stay in bed for days, not even getting up to shower.

    On lennon's last Album John writes a song called "watching the wheels" This song tackles the same topic. People where trying to get through to John telling him that he was crazy, and lazy all over again. The ironic line in watching the wheels, was went, "Surely you're not happy now you no longer play the game" ...I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round. I really love to watch them roll"(could be compared to what he was doing a lot in 66......"keeping an eye on the world going by my window" from I'm Only Sleeping)


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