Carry That Weight

The credit for Carry That Weight goes to all four Beatles, something of a rarity. It is part two of the long medley that completes the album, Abbey Road. Golden Slumbers precedes it, and The End follows it. The song itself is a medley of sorts, with references to You Never Give Me Your Money and instrumental work similar to Harrison's Here Comes the Sun and Badge (co-written with Eric Clapton). Several different ideas have circulated about what the lyrics mean. By this time it was clear that the group would disband soon. Paul said the lyrics dealt with the problems the group was having with Apple Records. Critics said that the words showed that the Beatles' achievement transcended the sum of the contributions of each, and that each member would "carry the weight" of what once was, from here on out. Lennon didn't resolve matters much when he said in Imagine that Paul was "singing about all of us."

During recording on July 2, 1969, the Beatles (minus John) laid down the base track, in 15 takes, of Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight. Lennon was in the hospital recovering from an automobile accident. Harrison plays bass, while Paul plays the keyboards. The next day Paul overdubbed lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and George overdubbed lead guitars. All three members sang in the chorus. More vocals were added, including John's, on July 30-31, 1969. In August, in yet more overdubs, orchestral backup and timpani were added.