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- Album This song officially appears on the The Beatles (Mono) Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Late May 1968
Recording "Not Guilty", "Mother's Nature Son"
Aug 09, 1968
Recording and mixing "Back In The U.S.S.R."
Aug 23, 1968
January 1991
Other Beatles songs where Paul McCartney is the only Beatle playing
Officially appears on Help! (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Mother Nature’s Son” is a Lennon–McCartney song, written primarily by Paul McCartney and released by the Beatles on The Beatles (The White Album). It was inspired by a lecture given by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while the Beatles were in India. The same lecture inspired Lennon’s unreleased song “Child of Nature“, the tune of which he later re-used for “Jealous Guy“.
Recording
McCartney recorded it on 9 August 1968. He recorded 25 takes singing and playing acoustic guitar simultaneously. Take 24 was perceived to be the best (take 2 later appeared on Anthology 3). McCartney recorded overdubs of timpani, another guitar, and drums on 20 August when George Martin’s orchestral contributions were also added. The drums were put halfway down an uncarpeted corridor with the microphones at the far end, resulting in a bongo-like staccato sound. Lennon did not play on the recording, but McCartney said he contributed some words to the song in India. When Lennon, who hated it whenever McCartney recorded without the rest of the band, walked into the studio with Ringo Starr after McCartney had finished, “you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife,” recalled engineer Ken Scott.
Paul McCartney in "Many Years From Now", by Barry Miles:
I seem to remember writing Mother Nature’s Son at my dad’s house in Liverpool. I often used to do that if I’d gone up to see him. Visiting my family I’d feel in a good mood, so it was often a good occasion to write songs. So this was me doing my mother nature’s son bit. I’ve always loved the [Nat King Cole] song called Nature Boy: ‘There was a boy, a very strange and gentle boy…’ He loves nature, and Mother Nature’s Son was inspired by that song. I’d always loved nature, and when Linda and I got together we discovered we had this deep love of nature in common. There might have been a little help from John with some of the verses.
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
- [a] stereo 12 Oct 1968.
UK: Apple PCS 7068 white album 1968.
US: Apple SWBO 101 white album 1968.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46443 2 white album 1987.- [b] mono 12 Oct 1968.
UK: Apple PMC 7068 white album 1968.
Last updated on July 5, 2017
Lyrics
Born a poor young country boy
Mother Nature's son
All day long I'm sitting, singing songs for everyone
Sit beside a mountain stream
See her waters rise
Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies
Find me in my field of grass
Mother Nature's son
Swaying daisies, sing a lazy song beneath the sun
Mother Nature's son
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1968
2:48 • Studio version • B • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Timpani, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 09, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 20, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 12, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1968
2:48 • Studio version • A • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Timpani, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 09, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 20, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 12, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1996
3:17 • Outtake • C • Stereo • Take 2. Its lyrics inspired by the text of a lecture heard in Spring in India, the basic track of Mother's Nature Son was recorded one summer's evening in London a few months later. The White Album master was Take 26, a reduction of the "best" take (24) with overdubbed drums, timpani, brass and a second acoustic guitar passage, the brass players being the only musicians apart from Paul McCartney to play on the recording of his new song. En route to the master the composer taped a succession of strictly solo pieces, seeking out the right sound and feel - this Anthology selection is Take 2, the opening strand of conversation emphasising well the willingness, common to all Beatles, to seize upon a new sound or effect, whether discovered accidentally or otherwise.
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 09, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official live • Released in 2002
2:11 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Executive producer
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Paul Wickens • Brian Ray
- David Kahne :
- Producer
- Michael Brauer :
- Recording engineer
- Ricardo Chavarria :
- Assistant engineer
Concert From the concert in Dallas, USA on May 10, 2002
Official live • Released in 2003
2:11 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Executive producer
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Paul Wickens • Brian Ray
- David Kahne :
- Producer
- Michael Brauer :
- Recording engineer
- Ricardo Chavarria :
- Assistant engineer
Concert From the concert in Dallas, USA on May 10, 2002
Official album • Released in 2018
2:48 • Studio version • R2018 • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Drums, Timpani, Vocals
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Aug 09, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Aug 20, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 12, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2018
Demo
- Session Recording:
- Late May 1968
- Studio :
- George Harrison's Home, Kinfauns, Esher, Surrey, UK
Bootlegs
Driving USA Super Tree Volume 13 - Uniondale, NY 21 April 2002
Unofficial live
3:19 • Live
Concert From the concert in Uniondale, USA on Apr 21, 2002
Live at The Palace - Auburn Hills, Detroit MI May 1, 2002
Unofficial live
3:14 • Live
Concert From the concert in Detroit, USA on May 01, 2002
Live performances
“Mother Nature's Son” has been played in 26 concerts and 4 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where Mother Nature's Son has been played
Ft. Lauderdale • National Car Rental Center • USA
May 18, 2002 • Part of Driving USA Tour
Ft. Lauderdale • National Car Rental Center • USA
May 17, 2002 • Part of Driving USA Tour
May 15, 2002 • Part of Driving USA Tour
May 13, 2002 • Part of Driving USA Tour
May 12, 2002 • Part of Driving USA Tour
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Love this song but I will admit that John Denver sings it better. Did Paul approve of how John Denver sings this? Totally different.....
Thanks for your message @Nikki, I have to listen to that cover that I didn't know ! Thanks !