Octopus's Garden

Octopus's Garden is a song by the English rock band The Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road.

Lyrics
I'd like to be

Under the sea

In an octopus' garden

In the shade

He'd let us in

Knows where we've been

In his octopus' garden

In the shade

I'd ask my friends

To come and see

An octopus' garden

With me

I'd like to be

Under the sea

In an octopus' garden

In the shade

We would be warm

Below the storm

In our little hideaway

Beneath the waves

Resting our head

On the seabed

In an octopus' garden

Near a cave

We would sing

And dance around

Because we know

We can't be found

I'd like to be

Under the sea

In an octopus' garden

In the shade

We would shout

And swim about

The coral that lies

Beneath the waves

(Lies beneath the ocean waves)

Oh what joy

For every girl and boy

Knowing they're happy

And they're safe

(Happy and they're safe)

We would be so happy

You and me

No one there to tell us

What to do

I'd like to be

Under the sea

In an octopus' garden

With you

In an octopus' garden

With you

In an octopus' garden

With you

History
Ringo Starr’s second composition for The Beatles was written in Sardinia. On August 22, 1968, he temporarily walked out of sessions for The White Album after becoming disenchanted with the increasing tensions within the group. He took his family abroad for a boating holiday, returning to Abbey Road on September 5. The song was first worked on by Starr and George Harrison during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions in January 1969; perhaps Harrison felt a sense of solidarity after feeling that his own compositions were being dismissed as second-rate by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. In early 1969, while filming The Magic Christian, Starr was interviewed by the New Musical Express. In the article, which was published in March, the reporter noted that “current Beatle work involves the completion of their next LP and among several tracks so far recorded is one by Ringo titled ‘In An Octopus’s Garden (Or I Would Like To Live Up A Tree)’”. The Beatles had not, at this stage, begun recording the song, although it was known to the group from the January 1969 sessions. A composite version of Octopus’s Garden’ opening with Ringo’s vocals superimposed onto the orchestral backing from Good Night, was included on 2006’s Love album.