TheBeatlesOnline

She Said She Said

John Lennon: Vocals, electric guitar, organ
Paul McCartney: Bass guitar (?)
George Harrison: Electric guitar, vocals, (possibly) bass guitar
Ringo Starr: Drums, percussion

Recorded June 21 1966.

Available on:
Revolver

John Lennon is said to have got the idea to She Said She Said after tripping on LSD with actor Peter Fonda and members of 1960s group The Byrds.

The Beatles rented a house at 2850 Benedict Canyon in Los Angeles during their US tour in August 1965. One night they held a massive party at the house, and Peter Fonda and The Byrds were among the guests.

Apparently this was the first time John and George deliberately took the drug LSD (it had previously been dropped in their coffee at a dentist's dinner party). Fonda later said he remembered sitting out on the deck of the house with George, who said he thought he was dying. Fonda tried to calm him down by telling a story about when he was 10 years old and sent to hospital after accidently shooting himself in the stomach. He had lost so much blood that his heart stopped beating three times while he was on the operating table.

"I know what it's like to be dead," he told George, and right then Lennon passed by. Lennon heard what Fonda said, and allegedly replied;

"You're making me feel like I've never been born. Who put all that shit in your head?"

It took the Beatles about 9 hours to record She Said She Said, and they spent most of the time rehearsing through at least 25 takes.
Paul McCartney later said that he wasn't sure if he actually played on the recording of She Said She Said, and that it was perhaps Harrison who played the bass.

It's also worth drawing attention to Ringo's drumming on the song, which is just as impressive as on Rain and Tomorrow Never Knows.

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...