TheBeatlesOnline

Sun King

John Lennon: Vocals, lead guitar, maracas
Paul McCartney: Vocals, bass guitar, harmonium, piano, tape-loops
George Harrison: Lead guitar
Ringo Starr: Drums, bongos, tambourine

George Martin: Lowery organ

Recorded July 24, 25, 29 1969.

Available on:
Abbey Road

Lennon's Sun King was recorded in the same sequence as Mean Mr Mustard, which follows straight after on the Abbey Road record. To record both songs in one go required a joint effort from the group, and they really pulled it off. Ringo got the idea of draping his tom-toms with tea towels and playing them with timpani beaters to create the "jungle drum" John was after.

Musically, Sun King is reported to have been inspired by Fleetwood Mac's intrumental hit Albatross from 1969. The lyrics, however, are about Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (1638-1715), who was the king of France from 1643 to 1715. He was kown as Le Roi Soleil, which is French for The Sun King.

The closing lines of the song is a non-sense mish mash of Italian, Spanish and Portugese words, strung together into one sentence:

Paparazzi, obrigado, parasol, mi amore.

Paparazzi is Italian for a photographer seeking to get snap shots of celebrities. This word has now been adapted into the English language.

Obrigado is Portugese for thank you.

Parasol is originally a Spanish word, but also used in English.

Mi amore is Italian, it means my love.

Sun King

Quando para mucho mia more de felice corazon
Mundo paparazzi miamore chicka ferdy parasol
Cuesto obrigado tanta mucho que can eat it carousel