Norwegian Wood

Zoo Freaks, get ready to vibe with The Beatles as we spin "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" from their groundbreaking 1965 album Rubber Soul. This track, primarily penned by John Lennon, is a sly, acoustic gem that hides a cheeky story. Lennon revealed in a 1980 Playboy interview that the song was about an extramarital affair he was having in London, written in a cryptic way to keep it under wraps from his wife, Cynthia. He said, "I was very careful and paranoid because I didn’t want my wife, Cyn, to know that there really was something going on outside of the household." The lyrics, with lines like “I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me,” paint a picture of a failed romantic encounter where the narrator ends up sleeping in the bath, possibly lighting a fire in retaliation—or maybe just to make tea, as some fans argue. The ambiguity is part of its charm, leaving Zoo Crew listeners to ponder the true meaning.

One of the song’s coolest claims to fame is its use of the sitar, played by George Harrison, marking the first time the Indian instrument appeared in a Western rock recording. Harrison picked up a cheap sitar from a shop called India Craft in London, having been introduced to it on the set of Help! in 1965. He was hooked after meeting Indian music fans like David Crosby of The Byrds, and later studied with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. However, Shankar himself wasn’t impressed, calling Harrison’s playing “really bad” compared to classical Hindustani standards. Still, the sitar’s exotic twang sparked a mid-60s craze, influencing bands like The Rolling Stones and Donovan, and earning "Norwegian Wood" a spot as a cornerstone of world music. Fun fact: the song was a number 1 hit in Australia in 1966, paired with "Nowhere Man" as a double A-side single.

Another juicy tidbit comes from Bob Dylan, who thought Rubber Soul, and especially "Norwegian Wood," was a rip-off of his introspective, poetic style. In response, Dylan wrote “4th Time Around” for his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, a track many see as a parody of Lennon’s song, complete with a jab: “I never asked for your crutch / Now don’t ask for mine.” Lennon, in a 1968 Rolling Stone interview, played it cool but admitted feeling paranoid about Dylan’s jab. Paul McCartney also chipped in on the song’s title, claiming in his book Many Years from Now that it was inspired by Peter Asher’s pine-paneled room, jokingly saying “Cheap Pine” wouldn’t have had the same ring. The track’s recording was no walk in the park either—Beatles Bible notes that the band scrapped an early version from October 12, 1965, and remade it on October 21, with Harrison’s sitar taking center stage.

Now, let’s rewind to how The Beatles got their start. Formed in Liverpool in 1960, the core lineup of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr evolved from earlier incarnations like The Quarrymen, a skiffle group Lennon started as a teenager. They honed their craft in Liverpool’s Cavern Club and Hamburg’s gritty clubs, playing marathon sets that sharpened their stage presence. Initially called names like “Johnny and the Moondogs” and “The Silver Beatles,” they settled on “The Beatles,” a nod to Buddy Holly’s Crickets and the word “beat.” Their early sound was rooted in 1950s rock and roll, skiffle, and pop, but by Rubber Soul, they were weaving in folk, psychedelia, and Indian influences. Manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin were key in polishing their raw energy, leading to global “Beatlemania” after hits like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1963. The band’s relentless innovation made them the most influential act in music history, with Wikipedia noting their role in shaping 1960s counterculture.

Connect with The Beatles’ legacy online at their official website, where you can dive into their discography and news about projects like the 2028 four-film cinematic event. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and fan chatter. For deeper dives, check out John Lennon’s official site or fan hubs like Beatles Wiki and The Fest for Beatles Fans. Join the Beatles Fans Facebook group to swap stories with fellow Zoo Freaks. Keep grooving to that sitar, and let’s keep the vinyl spinning!