This song is considered to be one of the more complex of all of the tunes that were featured on the conceptual rock offerings of the one and only Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album by The Beatles. John Lennon wrote the lyrics and composed the song, but the album does give the traditional Lennon and McCartney credits, as was the norm for their tunes during the later period of the band. John Lennon was inspired to write this song while he was actually finishing the final tracks for “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and was shopping at an antique store in Kent. This is when he came across a poster for Pablo Fanque’s circus and decided to find inspiration in it to carve out this amazing tune.

The name of the tune, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” is actually derived from a little bit of folklore that surrounds the poster and the actual circus itself. Mr. Kite was thought by many historians to be the man that worked underneath Pablo Fanque from the years 1843 to 1845, helping to managed and run his world famous circus.

February 17th of the year 1967 would see John Lennon in the recording studio tracking the instruments and vocals for this soon to be cult classic Beatles anthem. Lennon wanted the song to have a circus like feeling to it and as a result utilized organs and different circus instruments to add the fervor of what he wanted; a circus like ambience the portrayed and paid homage to the poster that he so fancied. When you think about it, this song was ideal for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and fits right into the mixture of the timbre and theme of the first ever conceptual rock and roll album.

Video Of Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
If you love this song as much as I do – for the great many reasons that there are to truly enjoy this classic Beatles tune – then you will greatly enjoy the video that I have imbedded below for your musical entertainment. This song was John Lennon’s surefire tribute to Pablo Fanque’s circus, after he came across a poster of the old century circus while shopping around an antique trove. Lennon stumbled upon this poster during his promotion of another very well known song on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album – one that you all know very well – “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

The Beatles - Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite - The best home videos are here