"Norwegian Wood" was one of several songs on Rubber Soul in which the singer faces an antagonistic relationship with a woman. In direct contrast to earlier Beatles songs such as "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand", the songs on Rubber Soul were considerably darker in their outlook towards romantic relationships.
The exotic instrumentation and oblique lyric represented one of the first indications to fans of the expanding musical vocabulary and experimental approach that the group was rapidly adopting.
Lennon has said that "Norwegian Wood" is my song completely. It was about an affair I was having. I was very careful and paranoid because I didn't want my wife, Cyn, to know that there really was something going on outside of the household. I'd always had some kind of affairs going on, so I was trying to be sophisticated in writing about an affair. But in such a smoke-screen way that you couldn't tell. But I can't remember any specific woman it had to do with.
Lennon acknowledged being strongly influenced by Bob Dylan during this time period, and the rather opaque lyrics of "Norwegian Wood" seem to reflect this. It is commonly speculated that Dylan responded with "4th Time Around", a song with a similar melody, subject matter and lyrical delivery
Norwegian Wood is a story of a stressed guy that’s tired of his wife and falls for a hooker. An obsesion for this woman makes him loose his mind.
"Norwegian Wood" fue una de muchas canciones de Rubber Soul en presentar una relación antagónica con su pareja. En directo contraste con anteriores canciones de los Beatles como I Want to Hold Your Hand o She Loves You, las canciones del disco presentan un lado más obscuro del romance.
La exótica instrumentación y curiosas letras fue una de las primeras indicaciones para las fans de ampliar el vocabulario musical y enfoque experimental que los Beatles estaban rápidamente adoptando.
Lennon ha declarado que “Norwegian Word” es una canción enteramente suya. Era sobre un amorío que estaba teniendo. Era muy cuidadoso y paranoico porque no quería que su mujer, Cynthia, se enterara de que algo estaba pasando fuera de casa. Siempre tuve amoríos extramatrimoniales, así que trataba de ser sofisticado al escribir sobre ellos. Como una cortina de humo para decir lo que no podía decirse. No puedo recordar ninguna mujer en particular que tenga que ver con la canción.
El cuento Norwegian Wood trata sobre un hombre estresado que, cansado de su esposa, se obsesiona con una prostituta, lo que hace que pierda la cabeza.
THE LYRICS / LA LETRA
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me.
She showed me her room, isn't it good, norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine.
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed."
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath.
And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown.
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, norwegian wood.
