Dandelion

“Dandelion” is a song by the Rolling Stones that was released as the B-side of the “We Love You” single in 1967.

While John Lennon and Paul McCartney contributed backing vocals and handclaps to “We Love You,” there have been debates over the years about whether they also contributed backing vocals to “Dandelion.” Both songs were completed on the same day that John and Paul contributed to “We Love You.” According to Allen Ginsberg, who attended the session, they did indeed contribute to “Dandelion.” Keith Richards also confirmed this in a November 2023 interview.

Paul and John are on a track called “We Love You” in the middle ’60s. And another track, “Dandelion,” that John and Paul came by to sing, you know. Because they liked the Stones too, you know.

Keith Richards – Interview with Jimmy Fallon, October 21, 2023

Anyway that was later: went to England from Spoleto and stayed in style with Panna Grady and ran around a lot, finished proofs small book now published Cape-Goliard, yakked on TV and sang Hari Krishna in Hyde Park pot picnic, spent evening with Paul McCartney (He says “We are all one” i.e. all the same mystic-real being), spent a lot of evenings with Mick Jagger singing mantras and talking economics and law-politics during his court crisis — found him very delicate and friendly, reading Poe and Alistair Crowley — on thick carpets with incense and wearing ruffled lace at home — later spent nite in recording studio with Jagger, Lennon and McCartney composing and fixing voices on pretty song “Dandelion Fly Away” everybody exhilarated with hashish — all of them drest in paisley and velvet and earnestly absorbed in heightening the harmonic sounds inch by inch on tape, turning to piano to figure out sweeter variations and returning to microphone to try it out — lovely scene thru control booth window, I got so happy I began conducting like a madman thru the plate glass.

Allen Ginsberg – From “The letters of Allen Ginsberg“, 2008

Evening with Paul McCartney, and several evenings with Mick Jagger of the Stones — we plan to make a side of Hari Krishna together for next Stones album — what beautiful Karma! Spent one nite watching Jagger, Lennon and McCartney composing “Dandelion Fly” hairy new record at studio. Looked like 3 graces w/ beads and Persian shirts. They’re all turned on and dig the Diggers and new Fresh Planet. McCartney – “We re all one.” They got out of their fame paranoia this year — treated me like familiar holy phantom and all turned on yaketing about high soul – chanted prajnaparamita to all, and all understood already — beautiful blue skies in London.

Allen Ginsberg – From “The letters of Allen Ginsberg“, 2008

From Wikipedia:

“Dandelion” is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and first released as a B-side to “We Love You” in August 1967. As recently as October 2023 Keith Richards confirmed that John Lennon and Paul McCartney sing backing vocals.

Billboard described the single as “an easy beat rocker with good story line.”

Background

The song has lyrical references to British counting or nursery rhymes. The first demo version of “Dandelion” was recorded in November 1966. Originally titled “Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Blue”, it had different lyrics and was sung and played by Keith Richards. On the released version, Mick Jagger sings the lead vocal.

The recording’s arrangement makes use of baroque instrumentation; Brian Jones contributed a distinctive melodic figure played on Mellotron, while Nicky Hopkins performed on harpsichord. The two parts move in contrary motion, with Jones’ melody ascending against Hopkins’ descending pedal point. The song is in the key of B-flat major and in the 4/4 time signature.[citation needed]

In a letter to Robert Creeley dated 28 November 1967, Allen Ginsberg describes watching the recording: “spent a lot of evenings with Mick Jagger singing mantras and talking economics and law-politics during his court crisis — found him very delicate and friendly, reading Poe and Aleister Crowley — on thick carpets with incense and wearing ruffled lace at home — later spent nite in recording studio with Jagger, Lennon and McCartney composing and fixing voices on pretty song “Dandelion Fly Away” everybody exhilarated with hashish – all of them drest in paisley and velvet and earnestly absorbed in heightening the harmonic sounds inch by inch on tape, turning to piano to figure out sweeter variations and returning to microphone to try it out – lovely scene thru control booth window, I got so happy I began conducting like a madman thru the plate glass.”

The Rolling Stones have never performed “Dandelion” live; nonetheless it has been included on several compilations, including Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2), More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies), Singles Collection: The London Years, and Rolled Gold+: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones.

The original single release fades out with a brief section of the Nicky Hopkins piano intro from the A-side, “We Love You”. The coda is missing on most versions of “Dandelion” appearing on compilation albums, which include the song in a 3:32 edit, but it may be heard, for example, in the 3:48 version included on Singles Collection: The London Years and Through The Past, Darkly. […]

Lyrics

Variations

• A Original mono version

Officially appears on

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.