Across the Universe

[supernova]

In honor of the release of Let It Be ... Naked:

Across the Universe

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on Across the Universe.
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box,
They tumble blindly as they make their way Across the Universe

Jai Guru Deva Om
Nothing's gonna change my world, Nothing's gonna change my world.
Nothing's gonna change my world, Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter, shades of earth are ringing
Through my open ears inciting and inviting me.
Limitless, undying love, which shines around me like a million suns,
And calls me on and on Across the Universe

Jai Guru Deva Om
Nothing's gonna change my world, Nothing's gonna change my world.
Nothing's gonna change my world, Nothing's gonna change my world.

- John Lennon/Paul MacCartney

[Terwilliger]

1. any reason you left out the first verse?

love the song

[supernova]

10. Just miscopied

sorry. :P

[ZoCrowes]

2. Uhm

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a papercup
They tumble blindly as they make their way Across The Universe

[corarose]

3. That's my favorite song by the Beatles

:kick:

[BigBen]

15. mine too

:hi:

[newyawker99]

21. Hi BigBen!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[mr blur]

4. Sorry folks

but isn't this really just... well, trite garbage? Admittedly not as bad as "Imagine" but then what is?
(And, no, I don't hate the Beatles, just the stuff which seemed groovy at the time - and I was there - but now just seem like the silly outpourings of one particular over-rated member of the band)

[DrWeird]

6. Why is it trite?

Because it's blank verse?

I think it's a great song.

[supernova]

7. Well, hello to you to

mr blur. :hi:

Yeah, I was there too. And this is one of my favorites of their lesser well-known tunes. It has always had a special place in my heart.

[supernova]

9. I guess you don't like

Whitman, or Dylan or anybody else who engages in free verse.

edit: You don't like Imagine?! You do realize that of the just under 35,000 DUers some 30,000+ take that as a personal theme song?

edit: code

[mr blur]

20. Wrong

I do like Whitman and Dylan. Free verse has nothing to do with it. At the risk of sounding defensive i have a degree in Eng Lit and was for a while an English teacher. I've seen more blank verse than you could shake a stick at.
I just find it offensive and laughable that a man who owned the Dakota Building that he (and a lot of other rich folks) lived in could write about how wonderful it would be to have no possessions and almost be canonised for it. It was EASY to write stuff like this back then, and get away with it. The Beatles were important, revolutionary and influential to anyone interested in popular music - I just think he was the least interesting of the band. Even Ringo never pretended to be something that he wasn't.
Lennon's death shocked me when it happened but it didn't make me ignore the fact that, musically, he was doing nothing of interest and hadn't been for some years.

<quote>You don't like Imagine?! You do realize that of the just under 35,000 DUers some 30,000+ take that as a personal theme song?</quote>

That's OK, my opinion is only one among 30,000 and the smart folks here won't take it personally. I'm not saying the sentiments aren't laudable, I'm just tired of Lennin being treated like some kind of visisonary, instead of an incredibly rich, washed-up pop star with nothing much to say.

[supernova]

27. Well, you're entitled

to your opinion. But I think you misread my intent by posting this song. I don't idolize John Lennon. I don't idolize anyone, in fact. To me, we're all imperfect human beings traveling through this life the best way we know how.

I do admire and respect him for his musicality and lyricism as well as his ability to talk about what matters.

"Across the Universe" means a great deal to me personally because it helped me cope with a particularly difficult childhood illness.

[mr blur]

31. Ar we all are.

<quote>"Across the Universe" means a great deal to me personally because it helped me cope with a particularly difficult childhood illness.</quote>

Then that's all that matters.

[corarose]

11. Don't you mean Trite Hippy Garbage?

Back in the 60's through the early 80's they couldn't say certain things in songs.

[Terwilliger]

17. hahah....well, that's interesting

What the hell is wrong with Imagine? You mean we should love usury, oligarchy, materialism, idolatry, isolationism, snobbery, and greed?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. You know what they say: "opinion are like ..."

[Shakespeare]

24. So what SHOULD we be listening to? And how does one judge triteness?

I mean, seriously....

Couple of points (and right back at ya from another former English teacher).

Regarding your suggestion that Lennon's personal wealth somehow disqualifies him from being "allowed" to write songs with a spiritual bent that encourage us to focus on something other than the material--it's an absurd concept on its face. Personal experience in no way qualifies or disqualifies an artist from expressing any particular viewpoint. If that were the case, Shakespeare's plays about English royalty should be dismissed out of hand since he was not of royal ancestry; every male author who wrote from the female perspective should not be taken seriously because they lack a pair of ovaries. And so on.

And as regards this particular song--how does one define trite, and who is in a position to judge the merits of a song based on the seriousness of the lyrics? For heaven's sakes, if one follows your line of thinking, then one could also consider the following to be trite and, therefore, somehow of little worth:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alf, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

Both this snippet from Coleridge and the lyrics to Across the Universe are examples of fantastic lyrics (most likely inspired by certain psychadelic experiences derived from the use of opium and LSD).

I think you see where I'm going with this....I hope so, anyway.

[supernova]

25. Thank you Shakespeare

Fine points indeed, and I couldn't agree more.

Supernova<------ also an English Lit degree recipient.

Perhaps Mr Blur is one of the select subset of us English nerds who now dispises 3/4 of everthing he was ever forced to read.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

5. Um! Here you go...

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

[supernova]

8. Thank you, LPFF

I just miscopied it, that's all. :dunce:

Sorry, John. :P

[Zomby Woof]

22. flowing out

Words are flowing out... :-)

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

32. i copied and pasted lyrics

but that should be flowing i think

[nuxvomica]

12. Lovely. Rarely can I sing a song cold like that just from the lyrics

It's a very, very fun song to sing. :-)

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Thank you! Great song!

They were some amazing team, weren't they?!:-)

[Cooley Hurd]

14. Lennon's greatest Beatles song!

I do like Rufus Wainwright's version, though...

[supernova]

16. In its entirety

Across the Universe

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.

Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
That call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe

Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of earth are ringing
Through my open views inviting and inciting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe

Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

[regnaD kciN]

19. In honor of the album's release...

...someone I knew got invited to a party to listen to the new CD of Let It Be...

...naked.

;-)

[peekaloo]

23. Kangaroo Day-om

my own little misheard lyric.

Wasn't it Fiona Apple who covered this song for 'Pleasantville'? It was a decent cover, imho.

[CanuckAmok]

26. The best cover ever is by...

...pioneering Yugoslavian industrial band "Laibach". They covered the entire "Let it Be" album a few years ago...it's amazing.

Laibach are known for their relentless, pounding melodies and percussion, but their female backup singers, who record as "Germania", recorded "Across the Universe" for the album. Just female voices accompanied by harpsichord. It's beautiful.

George Harrison said it was better than the original.

[supernova]

28. Wow!

I'll have to look for that version. It sounds wonderful, and you can't get a better endorsement than from one of the Fab Four himself. Kewel!

[CanuckAmok]

30. here's a sample:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60247538

[supernova]

29. LOL!

Have you thought about submitting it to http://www.kissthisguy.com ?