She Said She Said is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was written by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison. Lennon described it as “an ‘acidy’ song” with lyrics inspired by actor Peter Fonda’s comments during an LSD trip in August 1965 with members of the Beatles and the Byrds.
The song is notable for its disorienting and psychedelic sound, which was created using a variety of studio techniques, including backwards guitars, tape loops, and artificial double tracking. The lyrics are cryptic and surreal, and have been interpreted as being about a variety of topics, including the LSD experience, the Vietnam War, and the nature of reality itself.
“She Said She Said” was the last track recorded for Revolver, and was completed in just one day. The session was marked by an argument between Lennon and Paul McCartney over the song’s musical arrangement, which led to McCartney walking out of the studio.
The song was released on Revolver on August 5, 1966. It was not released as a single, but has become one of the most popular and influential songs in the Beatles’ catalog. It has been covered by many artists, including the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and the Flaming Lips.
Here are some of the interpretations of the song’s lyrics:
- The song is about the LSD experience, and the feeling of being lost and disoriented. The lyrics “She said she said/I know what it’s like to be dead” are thought to be a reference to Peter Fonda’s story about shooting himself in the stomach as a child.
- The song is about the Vietnam War, and the senseless violence and destruction that it caused. The lyrics “When I was nine years old/I shot my brother John/Just to see him die” are thought to be a reference to the war’s impact on families.
- The song is about the nature of reality itself, and the question of whether what we perceive is actually real. The lyrics “She said she said/I know what it’s like to be dead” could be interpreted as meaning that we are all already dead, or that the world we live in is an illusion.
Ultimately, the meaning of “She Said She Said” is up to the listener to decide. It is a complex and challenging song, but it is also one of the Beatles’ most rewarding.