The Fool on the Hill

The Fool on the Hill is a Paul McCartney song inspired by the Maharishi. The use of the word "fool" is ironic. The finished recording came out on the Magical Mystery Tour records (EP and LP) and in the film. It was in fact Paul's most important contribution to the album. He later reported that The Fool on the Hill came to him while he was playing a D6 chord on the piano in his father's house, after returning from India. He played it for Lennon while they were collaborating on With a Little Help from My Friends. John later said he liked the song; however, at the time he just told Paul to transcribe it. Instead, Paul produced a solo demo with acoustic guitar on September 6, 1967. Three weeks later the whole group recorded The Fool on the Hill. The September 6 demo and an early take from September 25 can be heard on Anthology 2. On September 26 the Beatles re-recorded the song to the point that it was markedly different from the earlier versions. John and George both recorded harmonica overdubs. It went from 3:50 to 4:25, but was later edited to just three minutes long. Flutes were placed into the mix a month later, and then the album was released shortly thereafter.