"Switched-On Beatles:" Norwegian Wood (Synthesized)

The use of headphones (and a bong) will greatly enhance the listening experience!

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album “Rubber Soul.” It is credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. Influenced by the introspective lyrics of Bob Dylan, the song is considered a milestone in the Beatles' development as songwriters. The track features a sitar part, played by lead guitarist George Harrison, which marked the first appearance of the Indian string instrument on a Western rock recording.

Lennon wrote the song as a veiled account of an extramarital affair he had in London. When recording the track, Harrison chose to add a sitar part after becoming interested in the instrument's exotic sound while on the set of the Beatles' film “Help!,” in early 1965. It was one of several instruments being played by a group of Indian musicians in a scene set in an Indian restaurant. Harrison attributed his growing interest in Indian sounds to people mentioning the name of sitarist Ravi Shankar to him. Harrison sought out Shankar's recordings and even purchased a cheap sitar. Ringo Starr later cited the use of sitar on "Norwegian Wood" as an example of the band’s eagerness to incorporate new sounds in 1965, saying: "you could walk in with an elephant, as long as it was going to make a musical note."

Along with the Beatles, other British bands used guitars to imitate the drone and other musical textures of the sitar in their recordings but "Norwegian Wood" was primarily influential in the development of raga rock and psychedelic rock during the mid 1960s. The song also helped elevate Ravi Shankar and Indian classical music to mainstream popularity in the West. Many other rock and pop artists, including the Byrds, the Rolling Stones and Donovan, began integrating elements of the genre into their musical style. "Norwegian Wood" is also recognized as a key work in the early evolution of world music.

The song's lyrics are about an extramarital affair that John Lennon was involved in, as hinted in the opening couplet: "I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me." Although Lennon never revealed with whom he had an affair, writer Philip Norman speculates that it was either Lennon's close friend and journalist Maureen Cleave, or model Sonny Drane. McCartney explained that the term "Norwegian Wood" was a sarcastic reference to the cheap pine wall paneling then in vogue in London. McCartney commented on the final verse of the song: "In our world the guy had to have some sort of revenge. It could have meant I lit a fire to keep myself warm, and wasn't the decor of her house wonderful? But it didn't, it meant I burned the place down as an act of revenge, and then we left it.

Originally titled “This Bird Has Flown,” the song was extensively rehearsed and went through several takes during the “Rubber Soul” recording sessions: featuring two 12-string acoustic guitars, bass, and a faint sound of cymbals. Harrison added his sitar part, with a take emphasizing the drone quality of the instrument more so than the remake that was eventually released. Designed as a comedy number, this version exhibited a less folk-orientated sound - instead highlighting laboured vocals and an unusual sitar conclusion. The band was unsatisfied with the recording, however, and decided to return to the song later on in the sessions. (This discarded version can be heard on the 1996 compilation “Anthology 2”). Although the group re-evaluated and completely reshaped the song, it was still far from the album version. By the last take the song was called "Norwegian Wood", and the group changed the key from D, to E major. All in all, the rhythm section ends up accommodating the acoustics, and the band thought the musical style was an improvement over earlier run-throughs.

Although droning guitars had been used previously to mimic the qualities of the sitar, "Norwegian Wood" is generally credited as sparking a musical craze for the sound of the novel instrument in the mid-1960s. The song is often identified as the first example of raga rock, while the trend it initiated led to the arrival of Indian rock and formed the essence of psychedelic rock. "Norwegian Wood" is also recognized as an important piece of what is typically called "world music", and it was a major step towards incorporating non-Western musical influences into Western popular music. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Waylon Jennings, Tangerine Dream, Hank Williams Jr., Buddy Rich, and P.M. Dawn.

My realization consists of totally synthesized instruments (note the piano, guitar and sitar) with “strings” for backing, a retro 70s “ELP-like” lead and bass. I gave the song all the psychedelic energy I could with the “sitar” lead and drone, in a complete throwback style to those “Switched-On” albums of the era. I hope you enjoy.