The song has been covered by many artists, including David Bowie on his 1975 album Young Americans, which featured contributions from Lennon.
One night in 1967, the phrase "words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup" came to Lennon after listening to the voice of his then-wife Cynthia: I was lying next to my first wife in bed, you know, and I was irritated, and I was thinking.
Based on this, he added the mantra "Jai guru deva om" (Sanskrit: जय गुरुदेव ॐ) to the piece, which became the link to the chorus.
The Sanskrit phrase is a tribute to the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's spiritual teacher, "All glory to Guru Dev".
The lyrics are highly image-based, with abstract concepts reified with phrases like thoughts "meandering", words "slithering", and undying love "shining".
"[6] On a standard-tuned guitar (EADGBE) the song is played in the key of D; however, the recording was slowed electronically, resulting in a lower C♯ tuning to the ear.
[7] On the repeat of this chord sequence a turn following the ii7 (Em7) through a iv minor (Gm) brings the verse to a close before moving on directly to the tonic on the "Jai Guru Deva Om" refrain.
[7] The verse beginning "Words are flowing out like endless rain ..." is also notable for the suitably breathless phrasing and almost constant 8th-note rhythm (initially four D melody notes, then C♯, B, A, B).
[8] In February 1968, the Beatles convened at the EMI Abbey Road studios to record a single for release during their absence on their forthcoming trip to India.
Deciding the song needed a high-pitched voice to sing the refrain "Nothing's gonna change my world", McCartney approached fans waiting outside the studio and asked if anyone could hold a high note.
[18] During the February 1968 recording sessions, Spike Milligan dropped into the studio and, on hearing the song, suggested the track would be ideal for release on a charity album he was organising for the World Wildlife Fund.
"Across the Universe" was first released in this version on the Regal Starline SRS 5013 album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969.
The new mix omitted the teenage girls' vocals and the bird sound effects of the World Wildlife Fund version.
As neither of the Glyn Johns Get Back albums were officially released until 2021, the most well-known version of the song came from Phil Spector, who in late March and early April 1970 remixed the February 1968 recording yet again and added orchestral and choral overdubs.
[21] This is often referred to as the "psychedelic" recording because of the strong Indian sitar and tambura sound, and illustrates the band's original uncertainty over the best treatment for the song.
Music critic Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said the song was "one of the group's most delicate and cosmic ballads" and "one of the highlights of the Let It Be album".
[24] On 4 February 2008, at 00:00 UTC, NASA transmitted the Interstellar Message "Across the Universe"[29] in the direction of the star Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth.
The event marked the first time a song had ever been intentionally transmitted into deep space, and was approved by McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Apple Corps.
"[36] Despite being generally regarded as one of Bowie's low points in his "golden years", biographer Nicholas Pegg gave the recording a positive review, calling it "exquisitely beautiful".
[34] According to Chris O'Leary:[33] Technical The song was released as a single in 1988 from album Let It Be by Laibach with a music video appearing in next year.
[42] In 2005, Alicia Keys, Alison Krauss, Billie Joe Armstrong, Bono, Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, Steven Tyler, Stevie Wonder, Tim McGraw and Velvet Revolver performed a cover at the 47th Grammy Awards.