Sexy Sadie

Sexy Sadie is the name of a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon in India and credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Composition
Lennon originally wanted to title the song "Maharishi", but the Beatles changed the title to "Sexy Sadie" at George Harrison's request. Lennon was disillusioned after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had allegedly made a sexual advance at one of the female members attending the course Maharishi was teaching at his ashram. (Cynthia Lennon and George and Paul later said that they thought the story, which had come from Alexis Mardas, had been fabricated.   ) Lennon once said of the song: "That was inspired by Maharishi. I wrote it when we had our bags packed and were leaving. It was the last piece I wrote before I left India. I just called him, 'Sexy Sadie,' instead of (sings) 'Maharishi what have you done, you made a fool...' I was just using the situation to write a song, rather calculatingly but also to express what I felt. I was leaving the Maharishi with a bad taste. You know, it seems that my partings are always not as nice as I'd like them to be."

After returning from India John scratched the lyrics into a piece of wood, with the original title "Maharishi". The recorded version changed only after George insisted that if the song was used he wanted the name changed and persuaded John to change the title to Sexy Sadie. George recounts the event in the directors cut, from the anthology film. Derek Taylor remembered John fiddling about scratching the wood in the Apple offices. The wood ended up in the possession of Maureen Starkey and was ultimately sold to a Beatles collector.

In a 1969 interview, John Lennon stated one of his favourite songs was "I've Been Good To You" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The Miracles song begins with the line Look what you've done / You made a fool out of someone, compared to Sexy Sadie's ''What have you done? / You made a fool of everyone''.

Influence
As described in Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter, Charles Manson took the title of this song as a reference to Manson Family member Susan Atkins, who was nicknamed Sadie Mae Glutz, prior to the release of the White Album.

Songs deemed similar to "Sexy Sadie" include Australian rock group Jet's "Look What You've Done", which has similar (occasionally identical) lyrics and style to the song. Oasis lift a remarkably similar intro on their b-side, "Sitting Here In Silence (On My Own)." Also, Jack Johnson's song, "Cocoon" (from the On and On album), is strikingly similar to this song and parts of the piano are similar to Radiohead's song "Karma Police", and the band has apparently acknowledged the similarity.

The song inspired one of the characters' names in the 2007 Beatles-themed film Across the Universe, Sadie, played by Dana Fuchs.

The song also inspired one of the characters' names in the Web-comic Red Rocket, NV

The Spanish band Sexy Sadie took their name from this song.

The Japanese rock band called "the pillows" used the chorus part of the song as the main tune for the two songs on their single "Another Morning". Excluding the song "Swanky Street" that was recorded live in London.

The films and books of Sadie Thompson, including "Rain (book)", "Dirty Genie from Harlem U.S.A", "Sadie Thompson" and "Miss Sadie Thompson".

Credits

 * John Lennon – lead vocals, Hammond organ
 * George Harrison – lead guitar (1964 Gibson SG Standard), backing vocals
 * Paul McCartney – leslie piano, bass guitar (1964 Rickenbacker 4001S), backing vocals
 * Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine

Cover versions

 * Ramsey Lewis recorded an instrumental version of this song on his 1968 album Mother Nature's Son.
 * The Unthanks covered the song live on their autumn/winter 2009 United Kingdom tour in support of their third album Here's the Tender Coming.
 * Radiohead used the piano as basis for their hit "Karma Police."