:''This article is about the song by The Beatles. For the song by Perry Como, see
Because (Perry Como song).''
{{Infobox Song
| Name = Because
| Cover =
| Artist =
The Beatles
| Album =
Abbey Road
| Released =
26 September 1969
| track_no = 8
| Recorded =
1 August-
5 August,
1969
| Genre =
Rock,
Art Rock
| Length = 2:45
| Writer =
Lennon/McCartney
| Label =
Apple Records
| Producer =
George Martin
| Misc = {{Extra tracklisting
| Album =
Abbey Road
| Type = studio
| Tracks = ;Side one
#"
Come Together"
#"
Something"
#"
Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
#"
Oh! Darling"
#"
Octopus's Garden"
#"
I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
;Side two
#"
Here Comes the Sun"
#"
Because"
#"
You Never Give Me Your Money"
#"
Sun King"
#"
Mean Mr. Mustard"
#"
Polythene Pam"
#"
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"
#"
Golden Slumbers"
#"
Carry That Weight"
#"
The End"
#"
Her Majesty"}}
{{Extra tracklisting
| Album =
Love
| Type = studio
| prev_track =
| prev_no =
| this_track = "
Because"
| track_no = 1
| next_track = "
Get Back"
| next_no = 2}}
}}
"
Because" is a ballad written by
John Lennon (credited to
Lennon/McCartney) and performed by
The Beatles. It features a 3-part harmony vocal performance between Lennon, McCartney and
George Harrison,
overdubbed three times to make nine voices in all.
It appeared on the
1969 album ''
Abbey Road'', and is the song that precedes the extended medley that formed side two of the original
LP record.
The story has been told that this song is actually "
Moonlight Sonata" by
Ludwig van Beethoven played backwards. While this is not precisely true, "Moonlight Sonata" certainly served as an inspiration for the song. "
Yoko was playing Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' on the piano ... I said, 'Can you play those chords backwards?', and wrote 'Because' around them. The lyrics speak for themselves ... No imagery, no obscure references."
The main recording session for "Because" was on
1 August,
1969, with vocal
overdubs on
4 August, and a
Moog synthesizer overdub by George Harrison on
5 August.
As a result, this was the last song on the album to be committed to tape, although there were still overdubs for other incomplete songs.
The song begins with
electric harpsichord played by
George Martin and then joined by John's guitar played through a
Leslie speaker. The song was one of the few Beatles songs to include an
analog synthesizer arrangement (although analog keyboards such as the
Mellotron had been used often by The Beatles, few songs featured the use of a traditional analog synthesizer with
voltage-controlled oscillators). The Beatles at the time of ''Abbey Road'' were among the first contemporary rock bands to experiment with the
Moog synthesizer. A vocals-only version of the song can be found on ''
Anthology 3'' and ''
Love'' and is an example of three part harmony from Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison.