She Said, She Said

She Said She Said is the final track on side one of The Beatles’ revolutionary, mindblowing, and some might say greatest ever record: Revolver.

The title of the song might actually have been ‘He Said, He Said’ as its inspiration comes from words said by Peter Fonda. That’s the Peter Fonda who was the son of Henry, younger brother of Jane and father of Bridget. That’s some family of actors we’re talking about. In 1969 Peter wrote, produced and starred in the classic counterculture road movie Easy Rider, thereby ensuring the cult status and kudos he’d enjoy for the rest of his life. But this was 1965, and Peter was, in some circles, a bit of a nobody*.

So imagine the scene. It’s the summer of ’65 and The Beatles have rented a house owned by socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor in Beverley Hills. Beatlemania is in full swing so there are fans trying to get into the building and police helicopters flying overhead. Meanwhile the Fab Four** have invited members of The Byrds to join them for some LSD experimentation with a view to heightened experiences and songwriting inspiration. And Peter Fonda, a bit of a hanger-on*, is also there.

What follows is an imagining of the dialogue between our protagonists. Much as I’d like to have been there, I wasn’t.

George Harrison: «Oh wow, man. This LSD experience is making me feel like I’m dying».

Peter Fonda: «Oh yeah, man. When I was ten I shot myself in the stomach. I know what it’s like to be dead.»

George: «Oh yeah?»

Peter: «Yeah. And I also know what it is to be sad».

John Lennon: » Ah, c’mon man..you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born! And by the way, whoever you are, who put all that shit in your head? It makes me feel like I’m mad, when clearly you’re the mad one».

Peter: » You don’t understand what I’ve said».

John: «Look pal, we’re here doing LSD in search of enlightenment and inspiration. We need positive vibrations. We might be on the verge of making some of the most groundbreaking music ever and you’re just bringing us down with all this talk of death and dying. So why don’t you just fuck off?»

Peter: «Err….yeah, OK».

Right, now comes the grammar topic of this blog: reported speech. To be honest, it’s always seemed to me to be the dullest grammar to teach. Well, at least the basics. It gets more interesting with ‘reporting verbs’ and such. So this is why I’ve chosen one of the most mindblowing moments in our cultural history to illustrate that present simple becomes past simple, present perfect becomes past perfect etc..etc.. Here goes:

So after expressing certain surprise, George said that the LSD experience was making him feel like he was dying. Peter agreed and told him that when he was ten he’d shot himself in the stomach and so he knew what it was like to be dead. He went on to say that he knew what it is*** to be sad as well.

Then John appeared and told Peter that he was making him feel like he’d never been born. After making it clear that he had no idea who Peter was, he proceeded to ask him who had put all those ideas in his head: ideas that were making him (John) mad. Peter replied that John didn’t understand what he’d said.

And then…

John, having lost his temper, retorted^^ that they were doing LSD in search of enlightenment and inspiration and so they needed positive vibrations. He also pointed out^^ that they might have been on the verge of making some of the most groundbreaking music ever and accused Peter of^^ bringing them down with all that talk of death and dying. He then invited Peter to leave^^ the premises immediately. Peter accepted his invitation.

So we have Peter Fonda, the unwanted guest at the party, to thank, for inspiring one of The Beatles’ greatest songs. So here are the lyrics and, for all you audiophiles out there, the mono mix of the song in all its disorientating, psychedelic wonder.

‘She said, «I know what it’s like to be dead.
I know what it is to be sad.»
And she’s making me feel like I’ve never been born

I said, «Who put all those things in your head?
Things that make me feel that I’m mad.
And you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.»

She said, «You don’t understand what I said.»
I said, «No, no, no, you’re wrong.
When I was a boy everything was right,
Everything was right.»

I said, «Even though you know what you know,
I know that I’m ready to leave
‘Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.»

She said, «You don’t understand what I said.»
I said, «No, no, no, you’re wrong.
When I was a boy everything was right,
Everything was right.»

I said, «Even though you know what you know,
I know that I’m ready to leave
‘Cause you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.»

She said, «I know what it’s like to be dead.
I know what it is to be sad.
I know what it’s like to be dead…’

* We often use ‘a bit of a + noun’ to reduce the force of what we’re saying: It was a disaster/It was a bit of a disaster…He’s a creep/ He’s a bit of a creep etc.

**Fun Beatles fact: as well as being known as The Fab Four, they were also often called The Moptops. This was principally because the conservative British press (and boring adults in general) intended to mock their hairstyles in this way, the idea being that having long hair made them look as if they had mops on their heads.

***Fun reported speech fact: sometimes we don’t change present forms to past ones. This happens if what was said in the past is still true at the time of reporting it.

^^These are examples of reporting verbs. It’s where reported speech gets a little more complex and so it’s where you can show off your knowledge of the topic.

So five years after getting thrown out of a party and inadvertently inspiring one of the coolest songs ever, this is what Peter did:

As always, thanks for reading!