This song was written in 1967 by John Lennon for a TV broadcast called Our World, which was the first ever live, international satellite TV arts broadcast. The 2 hour programme had segments from different countries, featuring opera star Maria Callas and painter Pablo Picasso. The Beatles were the UK contribution.
The song features quite a few musical quotations. It begins with the opening of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, and also includes Glenn Miller’s In The Mood, the traditional song Greensleeves, Bach’s Invention No.8 in F, and the Beatles’ own song She Loves You.
Hayes Music blog 