• Published on 1968
• Author: Lennon/McCartney
• Track 17 on “The Beatles – White Album“

JOHN 1972: “Me. Yoko helped me with this one.”

JOHN 1980: “Julia was my mother. But it was sort of a combination of Yoko and my mother blended into one. That was written in India… We wrote tons of songs in India.”

PAUL circa-1994: “The interesting thing for me on ‘Julia’ is the finger-picking (guitar) style. He learned to fingerpick off Donovan or Gypsy Dave… That was John’s song about his mum, folk finger-picking style, and a very good song.”

About “Julia”

“Julia” is a poignant ballad featured on968 double album, “The Beatles” (known as “the White Album“). Notably, this piece is a solo endeavor by John Lennon, and it holds a special place as a tribute to his late mother, Julia Lennon, who passed away at the age of 44 in 1958. Positioned as the closing masterpiece on side two (or disc one on CD) of “The Beatles,” “Julia” also holds the distinction of being the final recording completed for the album. In 1976, it was released as the B-side to the Beatles’ single, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”

Compositionally, “Julia” is written in the key of D major and showcases Lennon’s emotive vocals accompanied by the soothing strums of his acoustic guitar. The genesis of this heartfelt creation took place during the Beatles’ transformative stay in Rishikesh, northern India, where they were under the tutelage of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Here, Lennon learned the intricate finger-picking style known as ‘Travis-picking’ from the skilled Scottish musician, Donovan.

Recalling the origins of “Julia,” Donovan shared that Lennon approached him with a desire to craft a song in homage to his mother. Lennon conveyed his yearning for a song that captured the childhood he never truly experienced with her. Together, they delved into crafting evocative imagery, with John envisioning a serene beach scene where he and his mother strolled hand in hand. Donovan’s contribution included lines like “Seashell eyes / windy smile,” evoking the whimsical ambiance reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice in Wonderland,” a world John cherished deeply.

In a unique twist, “Julia” stands as a testament to Lennon’s singular artistry, as no other member of the Beatles contributed vocally or instrumentally to this piece. While Paul McCartney had previously produced “solo” recordings attributed to the group, including his iconic composition “Yesterday,” this song marks the only instance where Lennon delivered both vocals and guitar unaccompanied by fellow Beatles. Remarkably, this tender ballad came to fruition as the final addition to the extensive recording sessions for “The Beatles.”

Meaning of “Julia”

“Julia” serves as a tribute to John’s mother, Julia Lennon, who passed away when he was just 17 years old. The lyrics reflect John’s feelings of loss, longing, and a deep sense of connection to his mother’s memory.

The song’s lyrics convey a mixture of love, pain, and a yearning to be close to his mother once more, even though she has passed away. Throughout the song, John expresses a sense of emotional vulnerability, revealing the profound impact his mother had on his life.

“Julia” is an intimate and personal composition that offers listeners a glimpse into John Lennon’s emotional world, showcasing his ability to turn his personal experiences into heartfelt and relatable music.

Personnel

• John Lennon – double-tracked vocal, double-tracked acoustic guitar

• Published on 1968
• Author: Lennon/McCartney
• Track 16 on “The Beatles – White Album“

PAUL 1968: “We’re not just completely rock & roll. We’re not just completely one kind of group. ‘Cuz like, when we played in Hamburg, we didn’t just do rock all evening ‘cuz we had to have these sort of fat old businessmen coming in and saying… (jokingly) or THIN old businessmen, as well, were coming in and saying ‘Play a mambo. Can you do a rhumba?’ And we couldn’t just keep saying no, you know, so we had to get into mambos and rhumbas a bit. So this kind of thing is like a pretty sort of smootchy ballad– ‘I Will.’ I don’t know if it’s getting off the subject, but that’s why there’s great variety in this LP– ‘cuz in everything we do, you know, we just haven’t got one bag, you know. And ‘cuz on one hand you’ll get something like ‘I Will’ and then you’ll get ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road,’ you know. Just completely different things– completely different feelings… But it’s me singing both of them. It’s the same fella. Uhh, and I’ve wrote both of them, you know. So you can’t explain it. I don’t know why I do ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’ shouting it like that… and then do this sort of smootchy laughing American ‘Girl From Ipenema.’”

PAUL circa-1994: “I was doing a song, ‘I Will,’ that I had as a melody for quite a long time but I didn’t have lyrics to it. I remember sitting around (in India) with Donovan, and maybe a couple of other people. We were just sitting around one evening after our day of meditation and I played him this one and he liked it, and we were trying to write some words. We kicked around a few lyrics, something about the moon, but they weren’t very satisfactory and I thought the melody was better than the words… it’s still one of my favorite melodies that I’ve written. You just occasionally get lucky with a melody and it becomes rather complete and I think this is one of them– quite a complete tune.”

About “I Will”

“I Will” is featured on their 1968 double album famously known as White Album. Penned by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney), the track showcases McCartney’s mastery on lead vocals, guitar, and “vocal bass.”

“I Will” emerged during the Beatles’ creative sojourn in Rishikesh, India, along with their collaborators. While the music took shape smoothly, the lyrics underwent refinement in India and remained incomplete even as recording commenced back in London. McCartney reminisced about crafting a set of lyrics with a “moon” motif alongside Donovan, but ultimately found them unsatisfactory. He replaced them with “simple words, straight from the heart.”

Apple Records unveiled “The Beatles” on 22 November 1968, positioning “I Will” as the penultimate track on side two, nestled between “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” and “Julia.” McCartney, during a Radio Luxembourg interview to promote the release, underscored the album’s diverse musical styles, highlighting “I Will” as a testament to the band’s ability to cater to various genres, reflecting their pre-fame years in Hamburg.

Jonathan Gould characterizes “I Will” as a subtly impactful counterpoint to the suggestive tone of “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” Drawing parallels to McCartney’s 1966 composition “Here, There and Everywhere,” Gould observes a perceived lack of genuine emotion, attributing it to the lyrics and musical arrangement. Howard Sounes commends the variety in McCartney’s contributions to the White Album but criticizes “I Will” for its sentimentality, labeling it a cliché.

Jacob Stolworthy, marking the 50th anniversary of the album, ranks “I Will” at an impressive 12 out of 30 tracks on the White Album. He lauds it as a crystalline example of McCartney’s unparalleled ability to craft love songs effortlessly, acknowledging McCartney’s inclusion of it among his personal favorites as a choice difficult to dispute. Notably, the song graced the soundtrack of the 1994 film “Love Affair,” featuring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty.

Meaning of “I Will”

“I Will” is a love song that expresses feelings of devotion, commitment, and enduring affection. The lyrics convey a promise of unwavering love and support for the person to whom the song is addressed. The narrator reassures his loved one that he will always be there, emphasizing a sense of constancy and reliability.

The song’s lyrics convey a sentiment of timeless, enduring love, promising to stand by the person through thick and thin. It embodies a sense of trust and a willingness to weather any storm that may come their way.

Overall, “I Will” is a heartfelt expression of deep and abiding love, encapsulating the enduring nature of a romantic relationship.

Personnel

• Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitars, “vocal bass”
• John Lennon – percussion, maracas
• Ringo Starr – bongos, cymbals