(This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles
We're stealing it back)
When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you stop and you turn
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again

Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter

Do you, don't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast now don't let me break you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
You ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter

When you get to the bottom
You go back to the top of the slide
And you turn and you stop
And you go for a ride
Then you get to the bottom
Then you see me again

Do you, don't you want me to love you
Coming down fast I'm right here above you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
Ain't no lover but you ain't no dancer

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter

Helter skelter
Helter skelter
Helter skelter


Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira

Helter Skelter [Live] Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Helter Skelter (Beatles cover) song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

14 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't know if these lyrics are incorrect or if I just can't hear worth a damn, but I could have sworn the line Bono actually sang was "You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer". Maybe someone can clear me up on that...

    Anyhoo, I definately think this cover packs a hell of a lot more punch than The Beatles' version. That also could be largely fueled by Helter Skelter having become synonymous with Charles Manson throughout the years. Aside from that though, U2's version is a lot more solid and edgy. Bono's vocal tone is perfect in setting the mood for the amped-up music. It's like the entire band is exploding with energy. This is the kind of piece that makes people sing at the top of their lungs in the car/office/shower/etc. :P

    eirenightshadeon June 12, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Step
Ministry
Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.