Dear Prudence

When John Lennon and George Harrison traveled to India to meditate with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968, they met Prudence Farrow, the sister of actress Mia Farrow. Prudence had immersed herself so deeply in meditation that she barely left her cabin, which worried those around her. Lennon and Harrison, tasked with encouraging her to socialize with the other students, drew inspiration from this situation to compose Dear Prudence. The song, which Lennon wrote using a guitar technique he learned from Donovan, is an invitation to step outside oneself and appreciate the outside world, with simple lyrics that celebrate nature.

The recording of Dear Prudence took place at Trident Studios in London in late August 1968. Interestingly, it was performed with only three members of The Beatles, as Ringo Starr was temporarily absent. Producer George Martin oversaw the session, which resulted in a 3:56-minute psychedelic rock piece. A demo of the song, recorded at George Harrison’s home in Kinfauns before the album sessions, was included in the 2018 special edition of The Beatles, also known as The White Album. This piece became one of Lennon’s favorites and has been covered by various artists, including a 1983 UK hit by Siouxsie and the Banshees.