Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight - Take 17 / Instrumental / Strings & Brass Only

This song was based on a 17th century poem by Thomas Dekker called Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes: Golden slumbers kiss your eyes Smiles awake you when you rise Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry And I will sing a lullaby Rock them, rock them, lullaby Care is heavy, therefore sleep you You are care, and care must keep you Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry And I will sing a lullaby Rock them, rock them, lullaby

Paul McCartney wrote this on his stepsister's piano. He saw the song "Golden Slumbers" in her songbook and, unable to read music, made up his own using most of the original lyrics.

According to Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions, McCartney recorded this song on July 2, 1969, a day after Lennon suffered injuries from a car accident in Scotland that left him in a hospital until July 6th. So Lennon did not perform on this song. George Harrison played bass guitar as Paul was playing piano.