Only a Northern Song

Album: Yellow Submarine (1969)
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  • If you're listening to this song
    You may think the chords are going wrong
    But they're not
    We just wrote them like that

    If you're listening late at night
    You may think the band are not quite right
    But they are
    The just play it like that

    And it doesn't really matter what chords I play
    What words I say
    Or time of day it is
    As it's only a Northern song

    It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear
    What words I pair
    Or if my hair is brown
    'Cause it's only a Northern song

    If you think the harmony
    Is a little dull and out of key
    You're correct
    'Cause there's nobody there

    And it's only there's no one there Writer/s: GEORGE HARRISON
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 23

  • M. Turboffy from Alma Co.Ooy vey! Typo. Meant Georges "All Too Much". Even though "O A N S" is fairly good. Stand on my "Bulldog" take. That is all!! LOL...
  • M. Turboffy from Alma Co.Two underated, 2nd tier Fab 4 tunes on the"Yellow Sub" soundtrack. "Northern Song" & "Hey Bulldog". Imho, one the earliest & best George compositions. Love the opener mystical organ & guitar lines leading into his stream of conciousness lyrics. Like the chant of "all too much" sprinkled thru it. Then when George stabs his guitar flourishes into it. Then super nice Johns hammering hard piano on "Bulldog". Even though its mostly a goofing fun funky tune. He still lays in some profound little lyrics ex: "switch knife in his sweaty hands", "you can talk to me, you can talk to me, if your lonely you can talk to me. To me thes are little previews of Johns self introspection he does later in "Mother" & rest of Plastic Ono Band l.p.
  • K.c. from NhMy younger daughter was about 3 when she watched "Yellow Submarine" with me. She became instantly hooked on the Beatles, preferring them over absolutely everyone with the sole exception of Elvis (I'd like to know how; neither my husband nor I were ever Elvis fans & never had any of his music in our home). This and "Hey, Bulldog" are among her favorite Beatles songs. (She also prefers their later stuff to their earlier.) For the record, she's 10 now (2015).
  • Mary from Grand Rapids, MiPoor George, he was so underrated and his amazing songs were not hugely popular. Even when he made great songs he wasnt payed well for them...

    -Mary
  • Meocyber from Alma, Co Very underated Beatles song. It was easily one of their best "psychadelia" time period songs. His guitar work is excellent ,really fits the song. I've also heard it's a jab at the anti north England bias of southern UK ,mostly London snobbery. Beatles= musical genius's.
  • S from Liverpool, United KingdomThis song was about John and Paul rejecting George's songs. So George wrote this song, also Northern Songs was a record company that they were licensed too and that where the Northern Song was in use of Only a Northern Song
  • Jema from South Portland, MeI've always loved the part when he says "It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear or how I fair or if my hair is brown".I think it's funny how when he says "brown" it's lower.
  • George from Belleville, NjI think this is one of the coolest rock songs.It has a powerful bass sound and pounding beat.This is an unsung masterpiece.George was really starting to write some complex pieces of music.This was considered a throwaway by the Beatles,yet it is better than most of the songs by the other bands.It goes to show how far ahead the Beatles were compared to all other bands.
  • Breanna from Henderson, NvGreat song!
  • Milton from Sao Paulo, BrazilFantastic! This is the only word I can write to define this song! George was the greatest!
  • Julia from Richland, WaI love this song! It actually shows George's sarcastic humor kicking in.
  • Chloe from St. Louis, Moawesome job, george! its a problem a lot of musicians have gone through- no matter what they play, the screaming girls will still like it. pink floyd wrote a lot of songs about it, too- it particularly ticked roger waters off.
  • Randy from Reading, PaI heard George comment that they could write anything and it would sell. That makes sense in the song when he sings it doesnt really matter what chords I play.....etc
  • Chanel from Somewhere, WaI love Yellow Submarine! Great film.
  • Ken from Louisville, KyThis was recorded at the "Sergeant Pepper" sessions in early 1967. George was allowd two tracks per album and this song and "Within You, Without You" were to be his contributions. But since the Beatles had signed a contract to provide new material for the "Yellow Submarine" animated project due out the next year, George volunteered this song (since he didn't much like it, anyway) and agreed to only having a single track on "Sergeant Pepper".
  • Krista from Elyria, OhI agree, I like the scene played in the Yellow Submarine when they play this. It's got purdy colours! This is one of my faves on the album soundtrack!
  • I'm Awesome from Boulder, Coi love this scenen in the yellow submarine....
  • Dennis from Anchorage, AkGeorge eventually created his own publishing company, called "Harrisongs," to publish the songs he wrote with the Beatles and as a solo artist. This gave him more control and a better cut of the dough. This is why some books of Beatle lyrics leave out some of his best songs, like Something and Here Comes The Sun.
  • Steve from Fenton, MoI agree this is a very underrated song. I like it better than Within You, Without You.
  • Scott Baldwin from Edmonton, CanadaWatch the scene in Yellow Submarine where it was used
  • Martin from London, EnglandThis brilliant piece was recorded during the "Sgt Pepper" sessions, but put aside as unsuitable. It was resurrected the following year for the "Yellow Submarine" cartoon film - one of its underrated gems.
  • Tzipora Leah from Cedarhurst, NyThis song is hilarious! I love it!! Too bad it's hardly famous or anything
  • Adrian from Wilmington, DeI'm sure glad George changed the lyrics from the ones that were on the Anthology 2 version.
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