Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!

During the filming of the video for "Strawberry Fields Forever," John Lennon and Apple Records employee Tony Bramwell went into an antique shop close to their hotel. Tony says, "John and I wandered in and John spotted this framed Victorian circus poster and bought it." John stated, "'Mr. Kite' was a straight lift. I had all the words staring me in the face one day when I was looking for a song. It was from this old poster I'd bought at an antique shop. We'd been down in Surrey or somewhere filming a piece. There was a break, and I went into this shop and bought an old poster advertising a variety show which starred Mr. Kite. It said the Henderson's would also be there, late of Pablo Fanques Fair. there would be hoops and horses and someone going through a hogshead of real fire. Then there was Henry The Horse. The band would start at ten to six. All at Bishopsgate. Look, there's the bill, with Mr. Kite topping it. I hardly made up a word, just connecting the lists together. Word for word, really."

The song's title comes from a standard 19th century phrase used in advertising testimonial performances in Britain: "Being for the benefit of..." All-round performer William Kite worked alongside Pablo Fanque and wire-walker/clown/trampolines the Hendersons in 1843. John Lennon got the phrase when he saw a poster advertising their show.

As he did with many songs he wrote, John Lennon downplayed this one. "I was just going through the motions because we needed a new song for Sgt. Pepper," he said.