These are the exact lyrics of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) as printed in the gatefold sleeve of my copy of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band down to the puncuation and line spacing. This song is a shorter, little more upbeat version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There are no horns and no organ on the reprise and the lead vocals are a little more washed out to give the effect of them playing the song to a large stadium of people. There's even the on-stage hooting common at rock shows and a cheering crowd to boot.

When Capitol Records released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on 8-track, ten seconds of the ending of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) was edited back onto the end of the track. If you can find the original 8-track or can find a copy of it on the 'net, you'll hear the song approaching the familiar ending (the last time they sing Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) and just right after someone finishes off the song with a 'Woo!', the song repeats it self and plays back the last three lines of the song:

Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The last three lines are followed by the familiar 'Woo!' for a second time and then the song ends like normal. The Capitol 8-Track is the only known place this strange edited version appears.

Instrumentation:

Written By: Paul McCartney
Runtime: 1:19
Recorded: April 1, 1967 at Abbey Road, London, England
Album version mixed from take nine.
Producer: George Martin
Recording engineer: Geoff Emerick
Second engineer: Richard Lush


Artist: The Beatles
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Track #: 12
Title: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

We're Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band
We hope you have enjoyed the show
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We're sorry but it's time to go.
Sergeant Pepper's lonely.
Sergeant Pepper's lonely.
Sergeant Pepper's lonely.
Sergeant Pepper's lonely.
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We'd like to thank you once again
Sergeant Pepper's one and only Lonely Hearts
Club Band
It's getting very near the end
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

CST Approved


This writeup (except for the lyrics, which are copyrighted and presented under fair use) is released under the GFDL, version 1.2 or any later version.

After all of the hoopla and energy that went into creating Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, it seemed that nobody could figure out how to end it ("A Day in the Life" still waiting in the wings as a separate single for the time being.) Finally, roadie and manager Neil Aspinall made a suggestion: why not just reprise the original song, a fitting arch to the storyline? John looked at Neil and glibly replied, "Nobody likes a smart-ass, Neil." And so the decision was made to do exactly that.

Musically, the song offers little variation on the original theme, with the exception of the tighter and more cleanly recorded drums, the tape loop vocals of "Sergeant Pepper's lonely", and the key change halfway through for reprising effect. The band's rocking out jamming near the end was a live spontaneous result, with each instrument caught on tape by Geoff Emerick in the final session of the greatest album of all time.

Lyrically, the song uses its brief time to once again set the band's hijinks off as that of this new and heretofore unknown band of Sgt. Pepper's: "we hope you have enjoyed the show" implying that if you didn't, don't worry, The Beatles will still be putting out good music shortly, and "it's getting very near the end" with its awkward phrasing nevertheless reminding you that it was all just an act, and to think of it more as an experiment than a real record. If you listen closely, you can hear someone mutter "Winston" (John's middle name) near the 0:10 mark in the song.

For Paul is dead fanatics, this song offers little meat, but does have a sort of philosophical overview; "we're sorry but it's time to go" means the end for Sgt. Pepper (Paul), and it's "getting very near the end" for all of us.

Only one other version of this song deserves mention: the classic a cappella group The Persuasions perform a searing, foot-stomping rendition of this song on their Beatles cover album, titled appropriately The Persuasions Sing The Beatles. Also featuring a wonderful take on "The Ballad of John and Yoko", as well as "Oh! Darling", and "Yesterday", the album is a must have for fans of a cappella soul and The Beatles.

The reprise of the title track was recorded on April Fool's Day, 1967, with Paul, George, and John sharing lead vocal duties while each played their respective instrument, and Ringo providing the thunderous backbeat on the set.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
(Lennon/McCartney)

We're Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you have enjoyed the show
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We're sorry but it's time to go

Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We'd like to thank you once again
Sergeant Pepper's one and only Lonely Hearts Club Band
It's getting very near the end

Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's lonely
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Good Morning, Good Morning | A Day in the Life

CST Approved

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