"Nowhere Man"

Song: “Nowhere Man”

Album: Rubber Soul (1965)

One of my all time favorites, “Nowhere Man,” which is notable both for being one of the first Beatles’ songs to have nothing to do with romance and for being an early example of John’s philosophically-influenced songwriting, was recorded in October 1965 and appeared on 1965’s Rubber Soul LP, as a U.S. single in 1966, and in 1968’s Yellow Submarine film.

George and John played identical “sonic blue” Fender Stratocaster guitars (John on the verses and George on the solo) on the tune, and Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all shared the three-part vocal harmony.

Many, including Lennon himself, believed the song was about John—either feeling lost about what song to write next for Rubber Soul, or feeling generally out of place in the universe.  Dr. Who fanatics, on the other hand, have a different theory, suggesting the song is about the series’ title character—a human-disguised alien that travels through space and time, heading nowhere in particular, always trying to save the universe.

The video below is from a performance of the tune in Japan.