Tomorrow Never Knows
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver. It is credited as a Lennon/McCartney song, but was written primarily by John Lennon. Although it was the first song that was recorded, it was the last track on the album.
The song is significant because it contains the first example of a vocal being put through a Leslie speaker cabinet to obtain a vibrato effect (which was normally used as a loudspeaker for a Hammond organ) and the use of an ADT system (Automatic double-tracking) to double the vocal image.
"Tomorrow Never Knows" ends the Revolver album in a more experimental fashion than earlier records, which contributed to Revolver's reputation as one of the group's most influential and expressive albums.
Extracts and references in other musical works
The Pink Fairies played extended versions of the song at many 1970s pop festivals. On 3 September 1976 a live, full-scale rearrangement was recorded by the band 801, with personnel including Phil Manzanera, Brian Eno and Andy McKay. Phil Collins did a cover version of the song on his 1981 album Face Value. Jimi Hendrix covered the song on the bootleg Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead. Listed in setlists as TNK, The Grateful Dead performed the song 12 times, always seguing out of Baba O'Riley. Subsequently, former Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Vince Welnick have played the song in their post-Dead projects. Portland band, Helio Sequence, covered the song on their album Com Plex. Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston covered the song on their 1989 album It's Spooky, adding a twist to the lyrics after the final verse when Johnston enters shouting, "No! No! Ladies and gentlemen, do not surrender to the void! The darkness surrounds you—don't relax! You'll never get out of that pit! No! No! It isn't love—the demons will enter! No! No! No!" Chameleons UK also recorded a version, included as a bonus track on their album Strange Times. David Lee Roth covered the song on his 2003 "Diamond Dave" album, although it's listed in the track list as "That Beatles Song."
The song is referenced in the lyrics to the Oasis song Morning Glory; "Tomorrow never knows what it doesn't know too soon".
Reggae group The Wailing Souls included a version on their 1998 all-cover album Psychedelic Souls. Parody band Beatallica recorded a mashup between "Tomorrow Never Knows" and Metallica's "The Day That Never Comes" entitled "Tomorrow Never Comes", in their 2009 album Masterful Mystery Tour.
Our Lady Peace recorded a cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the 1996 film The Craft, and a cover by Carla Azar and Alison Mosshart is featured in the 2011 motion picture Sucker Punch.
