"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The lyrics contain sayings the Beatles heard from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with whom they studied Transcendental Meditation in India in early 1968. In his subsequent comments on the song, Lennon said it addressed his bandmates' initial reaction to his relationship with Yoko Ono. Recorded early in the sessions for the White Album, the track typifies Lennon and the Beatles' return to a rock sound in 1968 after their psychedelic period.
Background
"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" was one of many songs written by John Lennon in or shortly after the Beatles' return from Rishikesh in India, where they studied Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The lyrics contain some of the Maharishi's favourite sayings relating to the meditation experience. According to George Harrison, aside from the reference to a monkey, the lyrics were almost entirely taken from the Maharishi's pronouncements; Harrison gave "Everybody's got something to hide" and "Come on is such a joy" as examples of their teacher's pet sayings. In the case of the latter, the Maharishi's full teaching was: "Come on. It's such a joy. Take it easy. Take it as it comes. Enjoy!"
Lennon's comments on the song in 1980 confuse chronological events, since it predates his relationship with Yoko Ono and the start of recording for the Beatles' self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). which began soon after he and his wife Cynthia returned from India. According to Lennon's recollection: