To have only just realised this about Norwegian Wood?

[StVincent]

This song was on the radio earlier - how have I not noticed before that it's about a man burning a woman's furniture/house as revenge for her not sleeping with him?

Tell me I'm not the only one!

[SaggyNaggy]

hmm? maybe he lit a fire in the fireplace? it was the morning after all.

[Gatekeeper]

hahah...me neither; I thought he was being kind by lighting the fire and bunging a bit coal and wood on to bank it up!!! I just hum along and think "what a nice, charming song" etc etc. I walk through life missing all nuances

[TheColonelAdoresPuffins]

I read that "Norwegian Wood" really means "i knew she would." Will look at the rest of the lyrics

[thenewaveragebear1983]

It was originally called 'no Virgin should' I believe, or that may be urban myth....

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

? I thought he didn't want to sleep with her.

[JulietteL]

I originally thought you meant the book. And was interested to discover what yoù's realised as I couldn't fathom it...

[lizzieoak]

I've always read that John wrote it about a particular affair he had, but was trying to be opaque so as to not hurt Cynthia. I think he was just warming the flat and all the "Norwegian wood" talk was simply referencing her taste in furnishings (as Danish modern was all the rage then).

[SaggyNaggy]

according to wiki its about an affair Lennon had with some unknown woman. The end section is abouit him burning her house down.
I think the lyrics are shite but i'm not allowed to say it because its Lennon and McCartney.

[acasualobserver]

The lyrics feel a bit ambiguous but I think McCartney confirmed that the song did describe arson.

[StVincent]

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

It's pretty clear! I wonder if I subconsciously picked up on this when I was a kid as I never liked this blooming song either.

[Geekmama]

www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919/norwegian-wood-this-bird-has-flown-19691231

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

It was about how they were surprised and maybe slightly intimidated by Scandinavia's liberal attitudes towards sex

[StVincent]

But she went to bed and he slept in the bath. Unless the bath is some kind of euphemism? !

[TheNaze73]

That's what I always thought it was about Enthusiasm

Think the other definitions are a bit too literal

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

It was one of the first proper songs I learned to play on the piano, I love it!

[user1474627704]

It's about being turned down by a lesbian.
The fire bit is metaphorical though.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

I thought this was going to be about the yawnfest that is the book as well. I have 20 pages to go and can't bloody wait.

[ShelaghTurner]

Thought it was about Christmas trees....

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

He slept in the bath as there wasn't a spare room and sofas were shit in the 60's

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

It was 1965

He couldn't write about having sex with her

And he was married

Britian and the USA were still very conservative societies at the time

[StVincent]

Hahaha and hearty apologies to all those hoping for an explanation of the book. I started it once and then realised life was too short :)

[HereIAm20]

I thought the I lit a fire was about smoking a joint

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

I thought there was a narrative gap, she said it's time for bed, they had it away and then he had to sleep in the bath afterwards.

[JulietteL]

I wish I'd burnt the book rather than reading it. [Joke!]

[StVincent]

oh do you think so nugget?