| The Beatles – I Am the Walrus Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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There are essentially two different schools of thought practiced by artists. One would define "what I meant by that". The other would define "it means whatever YOU think it means." John Lennon was a master at both! |
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| The Beatles – I Am the Walrus Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| As I recall, one of the controversies about this song (there was several) was that at the end, background voices sound like they are saying "smoke pot. Smoke pot. everybody smoke pot". And they do sound like that. But the official version claims they are saying "...everybody's got one". | |
| The Beatles – I Am the Walrus Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I have read that John Lennon was inspired to write the beginning notes as he sat at his piano one night, and heard a British police siren go by. It seems that John Lennon preferred to keep his songs pretty clean. Like they were "doable" live. Knowing this, Paul McCartney was in cahoots with George Martin to add lots of strings, other instruments, and sound effects. Possibly just to piss him off. But it is reasonable to assume, for the most part, that he eventually signed off on Martin's final version. As for Paul, there was payback! Namely, the way that Lennon had Specter turn "The Long And Winding Road" into something like a highly orchestrated and dramatic movie score. Rumor has it, Paul never even heard it until the vinyl was pressed. And he was none to happy about it. |
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| The Beatles – I Am the Walrus Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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George Harrison is on record as saying "the song was a joke". To me, it has bits of meaning here and there, but George's take is certainly believable. John Lennon was quite a character, to say the least. Sometimes I think his ability to be brutally honest was only slightly better than his ability to "fib". Either way, he could be absolutely brilliant in his biting, sarcastic lyrics, or he could just "record crap, if Bob Dylan can do it". He also had a real knack to utilize "artistic license" at times. such as in "Dear Prudence", when he sings "the wind is blow. The birds are sing. .." |
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| The Beatles – Happiness Is a Warm Gun Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Wrong. Lennon wrote, and performed ALL the lead vocals. Paul and George do the back-up "falsetto" lines. I do agree with you that the highest note ever recorded by John is the best, following the line "happiness is a warm, yes it is..." The official credits are as follows: John Lennon – double-tracked vocal, backing vocals, guitar Paul McCartney – bass guitar, backing vocals George Harrison – fuzzed lead guitar, backing vocals Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine |
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| The Beatles – Happiness Is a Warm Gun Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Wrong. Lennon wrote, and performed ALL the lead vocals. Paul and George do the back-up "falsetto" lines. I do agree with you that the highest note ever recorded by John is the best, following the line "happiness is a warm, yes it is..." |
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| The Beatles – Happiness Is a Warm Gun Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| John does virtually ALL the lead vocals on that song. His voice is overdubbed by his voice. The others (which may or may not also include John's voice) sing the background falsetto lines "ie "bang bang, shoot, shoot") | |
| The Beatles – Happiness Is a Warm Gun Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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John Lennon was sooo Genius! I've been a fan of The White Album since it was released, and this is one of my favorites on it. The meaning, however, only occurred to me recently, while I was attempting a "big picture" understanding of the Beatles. An alternative, though appropriate name for this song could very well have been "Brian's Song". The importance of the role Brian Epstein played in the Beatles saga can not be overstated! They were talented when he met them, but he CREATED them. Their look. Their on-stage manners. Their recording contract. And perhaps most importantly, his ability to MANAGE them, with their egos and all (esp Lennon / McCartney). Brian resolved all their differences in one way or another. He was, in some ways, their boss. They fought amongst themselves, but Brian could always make it ok. Then he died. Suddenly. Tragically. Early. Without him there to be "the glue" that held it all together, they fell into disharmony, competition, and to some level, contempt. The White Album is their first studio album RECORDED after his death. (Mystery tour was released after his death, but the recordings were completed by April '67. He died in August.) Contemplate the lyrics in that light, and they make perfect sense. George and Paul had both stated it is their favorite cut on the album. That is not only because they actually collaborated. It is also because it is a memorial to Brian. (As is, I believe, the utter absence of any cover art. ie "go into the light") "She's" not a "girl" who misses much. (Brian was gay; referring to him as "she" would not be that unusual.)...Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy working overtime. (Brian was closeted by necessity. It was still illegal in the UK until a year after he died. Meanwhile, he was very savvy and ambitious. His efforts paid off, big time.) "I need a fix 'cause I'm going down". On the night of his death, Brian had planned to host a "party boy" night at his country estate. When the party boys didn't show up, he went back to London, where he accidentally) overdosed on sleeping pills. "Mother Superior Jumped The Gun". Brian WAS "Mother Superior", in managing the Beatles. He "jumped the gun" by accidentally killing himself, in his early 30's. "Happiness is a warm gun". The double meaning is obvious. The song is clearly a memorial to Brian Epstein. |
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