| "Mother Nature's Son" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the song's sheet music | |
| Song bythe Beatles | |
| from the albumThe Beatles | |
| Released | 22 November 1968 |
| Recorded | 9 & 20 August 1968 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Folk[1] |
| Length | 2:48 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
| Audio sample | |
"Mother Nature's Son" | |
"Mother Nature's Son" is a song by the Englishrock bandthe Beatles from their 1968 double albumThe Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). The song was written primarily byPaul McCartney, and credited toLennon–McCartney. It was inspired by a lecture given by theMaharishi Mahesh Yogi while the Beatles werein India.[2][3] The same lecture inspired Lennon's song "Child of Nature", the tune of which he later re-used for "Jealous Guy".[2][3] Although credited to the group, the song was performed by McCartney alone (with a brass arrangement byGeorge Martin), while the other Beatles were working on other songs.
According to Paul McCartney he was inspired byNat King Cole's song "Nature Boy" he heard growing up. He wrote the song inLiverpool when he visited his father.[4]
McCartney recorded the song during the height of the tensions that marred the sessions for The Beatles. 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 onAnthology 3). McCartney recorded overdubs of timpani, another guitar, fingers slapping on a book and drums on 20 August, whenGeorge Martin's orchestral contributions were also added.[5] The drums were put halfway down an uncarpeted corridor with the microphones at the far end, resulting in a bongo-likestaccato sound.[6]John Lennon did not play on the recording but McCartney said he contributed some words to the song in India. When Lennon (who hated McCartney recording without the rest of the band) andRingo Starr walked into the studio after McCartney had finished, "you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife", recalled engineer Ken Scott.[7]
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release, Jacob Stolworthy ofThe Independent listed "Mother Nature's Son" at number 15 in his ranking of the White Album's 30 tracks. He praised McCartney's vocals, writing "the anguish [in them] alone makes this one of the album's most emotional songs."[8]
Personnel perIan MacDonald:[9]
