Carry That Weight

Music critic Ian MacDonald interpreted the lyrics as an acknowledgement by the group that nothing they would do as individual artists would equal to what they had achieved together, and they would always carry the weight of their Beatle past. McCartney said the song was about the Beatles' business difficulties and the atmosphere at Apple at the time. In the film Imagine: John Lennon, Lennon says that McCartney was "singing about all of us". ==Recording==

McCartney introduced the Beatles to "Carry That Weight" in the Twickenham Studios sessions. On January 6, 1969, McCartney proposed his unfinished composition as a light-hearted song for Ringo to sing, patterned after the song "Act Naturally," which Ringo sang on Help! in the UK and Yesterday and Today in the USA. The Beatles began recording "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight" as one piece on 2 July 1969. McCartney, Harrison, and Ringo Starr recorded 15 takes of the two songs while Lennon was in a hospital recovering from a car accident in Scotland. The rhythm tracks featured McCartney on piano, Harrison on bass guitar, and Starr on drums. The best takes were deemed to be takes 13 and 15, which were edited together on 3 July. That day and the next, McCartney overdubbed his lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Harrison added lead guitar, and all three sang the chorus. On 30 July, they added more vocals, including Lennon, who had rejoined the sessions on 9 July. More vocals, timpani, and drums were overdubbed on 31 July. The orchestra that marked 30 musicians altogether was recorded on 15 August. ==Personnel==

According to Ian MacDonald and Mark Lewisohn (who is unsure whether Starr or McCartney played timpani): The Beatles • Paul McCartney – lead vocal, piano, rhythm guitar, chorus vocal • John Lennon – chorus vocal • George Harrison – 6-string bass guitar, lead guitar, chorus vocal • Ringo Starr – drums, chorus vocal, timpani Additional musicians • Uncredited – twelve violins, four violas, four cellos, double bass, four horns, three trumpets, trombone, bass trombone • George Martin – orchestral arrangement ==Notes==