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Released in 1968

Mother Nature's Son

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Last updated on September 26, 2021

Album This song officially appears on the The Beatles (Mono) LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1968

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1968, when Paul McCartney was 26 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other Beatles songs where Paul McCartney is the only Beatle playing

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‘Mother Nature’s Son’ was inspired by a lecture on nature given by the Maharishi, but mostly written in Liverpool when we got back. The same lecture inspired John to write ‘I’m Just A Child Of ‘Nature.’

Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman

From Wikipedia:

“Mother Nature’s Son” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as “the White Album”). The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was inspired by a lecture given by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi while the Beatles were in India. The same lecture inspired Lennon’s song “Child of Nature”, the tune of which he later re-used for “Jealous Guy”. Although credited to the group, the song was performed by McCartney alone (with a brass arrangement by George Martin), while the other Beatles were working on other “White Album” songs.

According to Paul McCartney he was inspired by Nat King Cole’s song “Nature Boy” he heard growing up. He wrote the song in Liverpool when he visited his father.

Recording

McCartney recorded the song during the height of the tensions that marred the sessions for the White Album. 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. John 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) and Ringo Starr walked into the studio 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.

Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now • Barry Miles

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Mountain streams, fields of grass, swaying daisies. A lazy song sung beneath the sun. In fact it was sung by Paul in the middle of the night beneath the artificial moonlight of EMI studio lamps! Almost folksy simplicity about this little number. It was done at a sort of after-session session when the rest of the fellows had gone home. Paul just sat in the box, sang and played his acoustic guitar. At three o’clock in the morning.

Mal Evans – From the Beatles Monthly Book, N°64, November 1968

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.

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

Variations

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Mother Nature's Son”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Mother Nature's Son”

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

See all concerts where “Mother Nature's Son” has been played

Going further

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

"Mother Nature's Son" is one of the songs featured in the book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present," published in 2021. The book explores Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, his time with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. It pairs the lyrics of 154 of his songs with his first-person commentary on the circumstances of their creation, the inspirations behind them, and his current thoughts on them.

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Paul McCartney writing

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Nikki • 5 years ago

Love this song but I will admit that John Denver sings it better. Did Paul approve of how John Denver sings this? Totally different.....

The PaulMcCartney Project • 5 years ago

Thanks for your message @Nikki, I have to listen to that cover that I didn't know ! Thanks !

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