Golden Slumbers

When you immerse yourself in Golden Slumbers, you encounter a piece that feels like a musical embrace, a song that lulls you with a delicacy that contrasts with the energy surrounding it on the album Abbey Road. What’s interesting is that this serene melody has its roots in a lullaby poem written centuries ago, back in 1603, by Thomas Dekker. Paul McCartney came across the sheet music for "Cradle Song" at his father’s house in Liverpool, left behind by his stepsister. Unable to read music, McCartney created his own version, taking the first stanza of the original poem and adding a repeated line that gave it his personal touch. The recording of this piece, along with Carry That Weight, was done as a single unit, with string and brass arrangements supervised by producer George Martin.

The main recording of Golden Slumbers and Carry That Weight took place on July 2, 1969. Curiously, John Lennon was not present at that session, as he was recovering from a car accident he had suffered in Scotland the day before. However, he participated in later overdub sessions on July 30, where additional vocals were added and a first edit of the album’s medley was made. On August 15, orchestral arrangements by 30 musicians were added to Golden Slumbers and five other songs on the record. The album Abbey Road, released on September 26, 1969, in the United Kingdom, became the last studio work recorded by The Beatles before their breakup, though Let It Be would be recorded afterward.