Dear Prudence

"Dear Prudence" is a song by The Beatles, credited Lennon/McCartney. The "Prudence" in the song is Prudence Farrow, the sister of movie star Mia Farrow. Prudence had accompanied her famous sister to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh. Prudence usually spent most of her time there in her room meditating. While the Beatles left the course early, Prudence and several others stayed and became TM teachers. The was inspired by how Prudence would block herself away from the world, which is why the song "Won't you come out to play."

Trivia

 * John Lennon never played "Dear Prudence" for Prudence Farrow when they were in India. "George was the one who told me about it," she said later. "At the end of this course, just as they were leaving, he mentioned that they had written a song about me but I didn't hear it until it came out on the album. I was flattered. It was a beautiful thing to have done."*
 * On June 27, 1987, Sotheby's in New York sold a page of "Dear Prudence" lyrics (14 lines of verse and notes and doodles around the border) to an unidentified bidder for $19,500.
 * "Dear Prudence" is one of seventeen Beatles songs that mention the sun or sunshine^
 * It's one of Julian Lennon's favorite songs of his father's.
 * This song has been covered by Siouzsie and the Banshees, the Jerry Garcia Band, the Jackson 5, Leslie West, and Ramsey Lewis.


 * A Hard Day's Write

^^The other sixteen are "Any Time at All," "Good Day Sunshine," "Good Night," "Here Comes the Sun," "I am the Walrus," "I'll Follow the Sun," "I've Got a Feeling," "It's All Too Much," "Julia," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Mother Nature's Son," "Rain," "Sun King," "The Fool on the Hill," "Two of Us," and "Yellow Submarine."

Credits
John Lennon: Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, tambourine and handclaps

Paul McCartney: Backing vocal, bass guitar, piano, drums, flugelhorn* and handclaps

George Harrison: Backing vocal, electric guitar and handclaps

Ringo Starr: Drums? (some sources say it was Paul hitting the skins)

Mal Evans: Backing vocal, tambourine and handclaps

John McCartney (Paul's cousin): Backing vocal and handclaps

Jackie Lomax: Backing vocal and handclaps


 * A flugelhorn is a valved brass instrument similar to a cornet. And no, it's not what John is holding on Sgt Pepper--he has a French horn in his hand