Comments on: The Fool On The Hill https://www.beatlesbible.com Not quite as popular as Jesus... Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:50:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1 By: Ali https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-453733 Sat, 07 Apr 2018 20:10:54 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-453733 Where is this painting? I made a tempera painting of it (sans the blue tint) in the 80s for someone but I don’t remember what LP it was on.

]]> By: bryan zink https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-453629 Tue, 27 Mar 2018 05:39:46 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-453629 I definitely have always heard 12-string. Really nice, spare and tasteful–it’s a different sounding guitar part to me than on any of their other songs.

]]> By: Dan https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452974 Mon, 08 Jan 2018 09:39:48 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452974 I read that the late Ray Thomas (Moody Blues’ flautist) claimed to have played harmonica on this track

]]> By: Kirby Rasch https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452971 Sun, 07 Jan 2018 16:53:05 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452971 What is making the sound like birds panning across the stereo picture after the last vocal part?

]]> By: Kirby Rasch https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452970 Sun, 07 Jan 2018 16:50:19 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452970 Agree. McCartney is playing a recorder, but the other harmonizing flute sounds are probably a Mellotron. If McCartney is really doing that 4-5 distinct tones in multi-tracking then I am mightily impressed.

]]> By: Teddy Salad https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452939 Thu, 04 Jan 2018 13:49:25 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452939 Reread the quote. It was Paul’s recollection 30 years after the song was written that it was about someone LIKE Maharishi, not that it was inspired by that particular person. Given the time it was written, he could have said someone like MLK, which seems more likely anyway if you consider how he was using King’s image during live performances of the song for something like a decade at the time of the comment.

]]> By: Slave https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452428 Mon, 16 Oct 2017 05:29:32 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452428 Interesting that people are connecting this song with I Am The Walrus as two halves of the twin geniuses. Both songs start with a similar piano intro, both songs are about an individual … one a fool and the other a walrus… AND…The fool is John and the walrus was Paul!!!

]]> By: JFrench https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-452094 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 21:48:04 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-452094 BIngo Steve!!! My sentiments exactly…another thing I recently heard while listening to this song, Paul is the story teller but sounds like he is deliberately trying to sound like Lennon, a bit nasal like when he opens with “day after day, alone on a hill” with the fool, John, actually singing about himself.

]]> By: Dan Matlack https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-451948 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:36:47 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-451948 I’d read a few places before that this song was based on an incident when Paul & another friend/assistant/other guy were walking on a hill (possibly stoned or more), and his dog ran off, they turned to look and a man was walking toward them, they turned back (to look for dog), & a second later they looked back over & the man had disappeared – from that close to them. And they swore it wasn’t drug-induced, & supposedly this got them into ‘deeper’ (existential) conversations about the universe & greater powers, etc. for the next few hours. Both times I saw this (or it was at least a story close to it, trying to recall a few years ago), it was in some kind of first-hand bio on the Beatles – & I THINK with Paul actually being quoted. Anybody?

]]> By: Dan https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-451947 Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:29:45 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-451947 I’d read a few places before that this song was based on an incident when Paul & another friend/assistant/other guy were walking on a hill (possibly stoned or more), and his dog ran off, they turned to look and a man was walking toward them, they turned back (to look for dog), & a second later they looked back over & the man had disappeared – from that close to them. And they swore it wasn’t drug-induced, & supposedly this got them into ‘deeper’ (existential) conversations about the universe & greater powers, etc. for the next few hours. Both times I saw this (or it was at least a story close to it, trying to recall a few years ago), it was in some kind of first-hand bio on the Beatles – & I THINK with Paul actually being quoted. Anybody?

]]> By: John Lemon https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-450810 Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:13:37 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-450810 The Anthology take consists of Paul on piano, but there’s also drums and guitar on the track as well as a mellotron. (Ringo, George and John).
Some flutes also join in towards the end.

]]> By: smndk https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-449926 Mon, 05 Dec 2016 19:41:19 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-449926 If Paul were writing this song at the time they wrote With A Little Help From My Freinds, how can it be inspired by Marahishi?

]]> By: Julian Bailinson https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-449139 Tue, 23 Aug 2016 18:37:27 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-449139 Has anyone noted which tracks were sped up and/or slowed down for the final version? Additionally, does anyone else hear an acoustic 12-string prominently?

]]> By: BeatleKen https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-448321 Wed, 06 Apr 2016 22:12:50 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-448321 Wikipedia lists Ray Thomas & Mike Pinder Of The Moody Blues with playin harmonicas

]]> By: Jessica https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-448240 Fri, 25 Mar 2016 01:22:05 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-448240 Where is the original video? Can’t find it anywhere???

]]> By: Rebecca https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-446593 Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:14:00 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-446593 What does that mean Paul’s “major contribution”? Didn’t he have several major contributions?

]]> By: Graham Paterson https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-446328 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:48:56 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-446328 This is a beautiful Paul McCartney composition and a long with John Lennon’s ” I Am The Walrus ” it is one of the two highlights of the ” Magical Mystery Tour” venture. Like ” Penny Lane”/ ” Strawberry Field’s Forever” it is another example of the twin and contrasting genius’ of Lennon-McCartney. The sequence in the film showing McCartney in the mountains is brilliant.

]]> By: Graham Paterson https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-446305 Sun, 30 Aug 2015 11:12:02 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-446305 This is a beautiful song and one of Paul McCartney’s greatest. A long with John Lennon’s ” I Am the Walrus ”, ” The Fool On The Hill” are the two highlights of the whole ” Magical Mystery Tour” enterprise. I love this in the film, showing McCartney in the mountains. These two songs are just another example of the twin ,( but contrasting), genius of these two men i.e. “Penny Lane”/ ” Strawberry Fields Forever “.

]]> By: Graham Paterson https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-446293 Sat, 29 Aug 2015 11:11:37 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-446293 One of Paul McCartney’s finest songs. It is simply beautiful. Like John Lennon’s ” I Am The Walrus”, ” The Fool On the Hill” is McCartney show casing his half of the twin genius of these two great songwriters. They are easily the two highlights of the whole ” Magical Mystery Tour” enterprise. I love this sequence in the film showing McCartney in the mountains.

]]> By: James Ferrell https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/comment-page-1/#comment-446290 Sat, 29 Aug 2015 04:01:37 +0000 http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-fool-on-the-hill/#comment-446290 I knew the Sergio Mendes cover before I knew the Beatles original. It was an AM radio hit in the US. I love them both.

I know the conventional wisdom is that Sgt Pepper’s was the climax and Magical Mystery Tour was the hangover, or the denouement, where the excesses of the Beatles’ druggy days finally came to be too much. I’ve never been able to buy into that though. I love the MMT songs, this one too.

It has a somber quality like Eleanor Rigby, although isn’t ER’s equal. Nevertheless it is a wonderful contemplative song.

I take Paul at his word that he was thinking of someone like the Maharishi as his model for the Fool. But the Fool is also you and me and the childlike Paul from the movie footage.

Great song, among my top 10 Paul songs (with Hey Jude, Big Medley, Eleanor Rigby, Blackbird, Mother Nature’s Son…), from a still under-rated, under-appreciated Beatles effort. Yes the film is boring, but musically from Magical Mystery Tour through I am the Walrus, the songs are fabulous.

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