At this point during recording, Revolver was nearly finished. They were worn down and creatively drained, but also ambitious. This song was the final track recorded for the album, and it came under a lot of pressure. They had to nail it quickly because the album deadline was looming. It has been said that this song was the first time an LSD experience directly influenced a song by them.
George Harrison deserves an assist credit with this song. Lennon had the core of the song but was struggling to pull the parts together. George Harrison jumped in to help him link two unfinished song fragments, the “She said / I know what it’s like to be dead” part and the “When I was a boy” section. This last-minute patchwork was crucial: without Harrison, it’s possible She Said She Said wouldn’t have been finished in time.
Love the guitar sound and the brilliant bridge to this song. It was inspired by the actor Peter Fonda, who was on an acid trip along with George Harrison and John Lennon while they were together in a mansion in California. Accounts vary as to how events unfolded, but there is a consensus that Fonda kept saying “I know what it’s like to be dead,” which ended up being a key line in the lyric.
This is one Beatles song that Paul did not play on. He got in an argument with the rest of them and walked out the door before they recorded it, so George Harrison is playing bass. The song was on Revolver, which is considered by many the best album the Beatles produced…and by some the best by anyone.
George Harrison: “I don’t know how, but Peter Fonda was there. He kept saying, ‘I know what it’s like to be dead, because I shot myself.’ He’d accidentally shot himself at some time and he was showing us his bullet wound. He was very uncool.”
She Said She Said
She said, “I know what it’s like to be dead.
I know what it is to be sad.”
And she’s making me feel like I’ve never been born
I said, “Who put all those things in your head?
Things that make me feel that I’m mad.
And you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.”
She said, “You don’t understand what I said.”
I said, “No, no, no, you’re wrong.
When I was a boy everything was right,
Everything was right.”
I said, “Even though you know what you know,
I know that I’m ready to leave
‘Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.”
She said, “You don’t understand what I said.”
I said, “No, no, no, you’re wrong.
When I was a boy everything was right,
Everything was right.”
I said, “Even though you know what you know,
I know that I’m ready to leave
‘Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.”
She said, “I know what it’s like to be dead.
I know what it is to be sad.
I know what it’s like to be dead…”
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Revolver is probably my #1 favorite album. I hadn’t heard about Harrison playing bass, which is interesting. Then there’s the whole British vs. American versions of the record. Definitely a unique Lennon-esque tune.
Yea Paul and the other 3 had a huge fight…I always liked the bass playing on this as well…I always thought it was Paul. They totally influenced each other.
Fonda said that he knew what it was like to be dead because when he was 10 years old, he accidentally shot himself in the stomach and his heart stopped beating three times while he was on the operating table because he lost so much blood.
Yea it’s a wonder he lived. I always liked Fonda the actor somewhat but apparently he didn’t go over well with them..I guess in the middle of an acid trip…you don’t want to hear about death.
His career went in the toilet after Easy Rider where he was a box office smash.
He did something smart later on…he signed for a percentage instead of a salary with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and made millions.
It did seem that Dennis Hopper became more famous and was in bigger roles.
Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson were both better actors.
Oh no doubt. I watched Hopper on a Twilight Zone and he was a terrific actor.
Fonda’s lucky he didn’t get reacquainted with it that night. Probably something he’d never dealt with at the time and in an altered state of mind decided then. Bad timing!
Yes it was! On an acid trip no one wanted to hear about death lol.
After Jim talked about how young he was, I have to wonder what the eff his dad was thinking leaving his kid access to a gun? Would like to know the whole story.
I wonder if Peter ever talked about it much?
Man, that must be a slap to have George telling you ‘very uncool man, very uncool!” . Pretty decent song I tend to forget about until the now-and-thens that I put the Revolver album on. ‘REvolver’ is to me, maybe their #3 or 4 best , but when you think that this is – I’m gonna say about the 8th best track on it – it shows how good the record is and how good their whole catalog is
I always thought artistically this was their best…through and through. Not my number 1 favorite but it was a game changer. It opened the doors up to A Day In the Life and I Am The Walrus….with the song Tomorrow Never Knows.
Ah yes! Good one!
that was a the time…Fonda after Easy Rider became a caricature of himself…I remember him in one of the Cannonball Run movies…with his sister and his dad’s history….but Easy Rider was his, so good for him, and along with Zambriski Point and the Model Shop of it’s time….and what is it about the Beatles that still has a hold on us? I always almost feel sorry for the Stones (Jagger sort of mentioned that at this year’s Academy Awards) everytime they got some thing going, along came the Beatles with a new box set, a recently discovered new tune, or as with one of the Rolling Stones recent tours, they were in all the headlines, until the Get Back series was announced…..
My favorite Fonda movie other than Easy Rider was Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.
The Beatles and Stones thing…to me they are apples and oranges just like Beatles Elvis…two completely different animals…I think one thing that helps…The Beatles stopped at the height of their career with Abbey Road…
Personally I am more of a Beatles and Who guy but I do love the Stones.
Beatles vs Stones is a lot like “who’s your favorite Beatle?” Just let them be themselves and appreciate them for Who they are.
So if Geo is playing bass, is John on guitar? (sorry if that’s a silly question) The tune is kind of spaced out.
Yes but George also played guitar as well. They were overdubbing so in theory…George could have played everything if he wanted…he didn’t but you know what I mean. Yea it’s a different type song…it was opening the door to Sgt Pepper.
OK cool. I wasn’t sure if they had overdubbing back then or not.
Yes…. it was more difficult than I have in my music room now…this album really stretched overdubbing a lot.
George Harrison played lead.
OK
Not a song I know really well but like most Beatles songs I like it. Didn’t know Paul’s story on this!
Yea they were arguing and he ran out. George did really well though.
He did.
“Favorite” is one of my least-favorite words. I love this album and song. Harrison’s guitar tone sounds like an attempt to emulate sitar (with maybe a bit of Rickenbacker jangle mixed in).
Partly I have a soft spot for this album because I had friends in high school whose band (which included trumpet, trombone, and alto sax) covered “Got to Get You into My Life”.
Yea I’m like that with the word “dated”… or the way it’s used at times. That song still sounds fresh and modern. That is something I’ve never done…played with wind instruments.
It’s been a long time since I listened to Revolver. Fantastic album, of course. She said She said is one of the highlights. I love the wedding of Lennon’s voice and Harrisons guitar.
I can’t imagine what this sounded like in 1966…with new ears.
Again, this has been said to death but the sound, production and aims are steps up from most everything else in ’66. Some had stepped up production-wise. But there were still the simpler songs like ‘Hanky Panky,’ ‘See You In September’ and the Cyrkles ‘Red Rubber Ball,’ Even though they were being looked after by Brian Epstein the magic didn’t rub off on the last one. Those three a good enough pop hits but ‘She Said’ is a massive stretch above them. The work of men of genius above the good solid stolid work of journeymen.
Red Rubber Ball…it’s been a while since I heard that one!
I agree…when you listen to the rest of the field…they were head and shoulders above most.
“Revolver” really is an essential ’60s album that propelled recording techniques forward. “She Said She Said” wouldn’t have been the first track that would have come to mind, had you asked me about the album. But the beauty is it’s really a great song, so thanks for the reminder. Now I feel like revisiting the rest of the album! 🙂
Yes that is the whole idea….I love these songs you don’t hear as much of now. And Your Bird Can Sing is a favorite as well off the album.
That must have drove Harrison bonkers never getting his due in crafting some Beatles tunes and not getting credit. Macca and Lennon ran that ship with an iron fist.
Great music and lyrics.
Top ten Beatles track for me. Pretty unheralded, but they were churning out gems during 66 and 77
It’s one of my top songs by them as well. For me it is “kin” to Rain which is another great track.
Yup, Rain is just outside my top ten.