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The oldest song on the Let It Be album, 'Across The Universe' was recorded in February 1968 and first featured on a charity album for the World Wildlife Fund in December 1969 (also known as the Wildlife version). A song about writing songs, or at least about the wonders of creative process, John was often to refer to it as one of his favourite Beatles' songs because of the purity of the lyric. The words had come to him while in bed at Kenwood. He had been arguing with Cynthia and, as he lay there trying to sleep, the phrase 'pools of sorrow, waves of joy' came to him and wouldn't leave until he got up and started writing the words down. "It drove me out of bed," John said. "I didn't want to write it. I was just slightly irritable and I couldn't go to sleep." Written after having met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in England but before studying with him in India the chorus makes mention of Guru Dev, who was Maharishi's guru. John wanted this to be the single that the Beatles put on while they were away in India but it lost out to 'Lady Madonna'. Davis Bowie later recorded a cover version on his Young Americans album (1975) on which John played guitar. |
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