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9.02pm
23 January 2011
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I definitely hear “Take it cousin”.
9.03pm
19 September 2010
Offline i wonder if John did it in suich a way as to confuse the listener.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
11.31pm
19 March 2011
Offline I have the Imagine album on vinyl. And since i first heard the song, I always heard “take it brother”. Now I sort of hear “take yer clothes off”.
I salute the lady who screamed "I love you Paul!" at a tribute band's concert.
5.27am
14 December 2009
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“Take it cousin” is what I hear, absolutely.
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7.49pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline On 17 January 2011, Zig said
I have to assume you mean at 2:13.
I hear “take it cousin” as in; OK, your turn to solo. This website cites it as “take it brother”. I still hear “cousin”.
I have to assume you mean at 2:13.Same here, cousin!
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
9.44pm
22 September 2014
Offline Von Bontee said
“Take it cousin” is what I hear, absolutely.
Wow, the casual Von has to catch up on reviewing his posts; he is almost four years behind. I assume the business Von is more current.
I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
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10.44pm
14 December 2009
Offline We both move at our own pace…and when we see a thread from four years ago that we didn’t contribute to, we must add our 4 cents worth.
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georgiewood, Matt Busby, BeatlebugPaul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
5.46am
8 February 2014
Offline I’ve always heard ‘brother’, but upon just listening closely, I’d swear there is an ‘s’ in the middle of the word (as in couSin).
10.50am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Another vote for “cousin”.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
8.50pm
20 October 2014
Offline Am I the only one who hears “closer”? I clearly hear an L at the start and an S in the middle.
"We think George Harrison is the most marvelous thing since boys were discovered." - Diane and Jenny of Bedford, the smartest girls ever.
6.28am
19 April 2010
Offline 
it’s “brother”
"She looks more like him than I do."
9.15pm
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20 August 2013
Offline When I’m in the shower with the door closed and the song is playing on my mp3 player and little speaker I have hooked to it, I hear “brother”, but when I listen to it all other times, I hear “cousin”.
I was listening to this song this morning and thinkng about how John would do gestures imitating crippled people. I see that someone eariler in this thread had put those two ideas together.
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9.51pm
18 April 2013
Offline Cousin
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
1.00am
11 November 2010
Offline I could have sworn that it said cousin in the booklet in my CD copy of Imagine .
Then again, I could B wrong. What do I know?
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Most likely to post things that make you go hmm... 2015, 2016, 2017. 
4.11am
27 March 2015
Offline Joe said
Does he really say “take your clothes off” before the piano solo? If so, is that meant in the literal or metaphical (ie you can’t hide your true self) sense? Probably a bit of both.
Sounds like ‘take your clothes off’ to me, as well.
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2016
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5.25pm
Reviewers
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1 May 2011
Offline Always sounded like “Take it cousin” to me, a call for Nicky and the solo.
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3.42pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline meanmistermustard said
Always sounded like “Take it cousin” to me, a call for Nicky and the solo.
Did someone say Nicky and the solo?
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meanmistermustardTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
3.44am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
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Here’s an obvious influence on this song.
The Beatles are heard doing a couple of repeats of the chorus of this during a country blues jam on 31 January 1969 (31.04), with Lennon’s vocal obviously echoing how it became the basis for the “Well now, you know that a cat has nine lives, baby…” verse of this.
This Koerner, Ray & Glover song from the early ’60s folk revival (which probably dates back further) is not related in any way to Blind Blake’s 1927 Black Dog Blues.
@Joe
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
5.13pm
18 April 2013
Offline It’s basically the same song.
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4.19pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline It was when I was listening to The Beatles 31 January version, and I heard John sing “Daddy, where you been so long”.
Second repeat of that chorus, I was singing over the top, “Mama, take a look outside”.
That was the moment I realised the whole chorus fitted the rhythm of the Lennon perfectly.
These are the important lyrics:
Well, you call me a dog when I’m gone now, baby
I’m a black dog when I’m gone
But when I get back, with a hundred dollar bill
It’s “Daddy, where you been so long?”
They are the frame for:
Well, now you know that your cat has nine lives
Nine lives to itself
But you only got one, and a dog’s life ain’t done
Mama, take a look outside
John was a great fan of Koerner, Ray and Glover. He probably became aware of them through Dylan.
@Joe needs to reconsider the Blind Blake reference in his article on the song. The Black Dog that influenced Crippled Inside was not Blind Blake’s Black Dog Blues.
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The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
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