What's even more amazing is that there were only 2 years and 9 months between the release of *_I Want to Hold Your Hand_* and *_Tomorrow Never Knows._*
It would be trippy enough if a band NOW went from some poppy love songs to weird underground experimental, but these guys INVENTED that shit, it didn't exist before. A band would have to create a totally new radical form of music that would actually be pleasing enough to the ear that the whole world would be listening to them... Let us think about that ;)
You've hit it on the head exactly! John was reading fan mail at his house with his friend Pete in 1967. A fan who was a student at his old school told him they were teaching Beatles' songs in class. John howled with laughter, and immediately started pulling together various nonsense lines and absurd imagery. ("Semolina pilchard," for instance.) After some initial work on the song, he turned to Pete and laughed, "Let the f***ers figure this one out!"
What the Beatles (4 young guys barely their 20s) did in 5 short years (64-69) was beyond revolutionary creative brilliance but innovative genius. NO one then or since has matched their artistic cultural transformative creative brilliance, NO ONE! In a historical place of their own
As a general rule, I tend to be more interested in a song's lyrics than the music when I first hear it, and, for that reason, it took me a LONG time to appreciate I Am The Walrus. Eventually, I found a hook to hang it on: it's like a surrealist painting by Salvador Dali. You're not meant to look for meaning in the images, you're just meant to lose yourself in them; to appreciate the imagination and creativity that went into crafting them.
1967. It's a sound poem. The words sound good together, but there's no overarching meaning. John was throwing something out there for all the people who tried to analyze and interpret their songs.
I think you can hear almost anything you want to hear in those background lyrics at 4:44 --- the most popularly accepted story is that the lyrics at this point say _Everybody Smoke Pot_ but in my own mind I always hear _Everybody F*cked Up._ Truly strange but absolutely amazing song. And they mentioned one of my absolutely favorite all time writers, the Grandfather of modern Horror --- Edgar Allan Poe. Also, as an interesting aside, Poe and Bob Dylan both hold the unique distinction of being the only individuals (other than the Beatles themselves of course) who were not only mentioned in a Beatles song but also both appeared on a Beatles album cover.
My Mum. British. Born late 40's. Explained it to me. Kids in the primary school yards, used to chant, "Oompah loompah, stick it up your joompah!" "Jumper", is the British term for what North Americans call a "sweater". Now, listen again.
Perfect reaction. I was 8 when I first saw them on Ed Sullivan, amazed, then followed them every step of the way. What a journey for a kid. But this was the first song that frightened me a bit... "What?!" I thought. Now it's one of my very favorites. Thank you.
George Martin (Sir) was their producer, and he was also a music composer as well, so he had a lot to do with the orchestration. When Brian Epstein started to manage The Beatles, out of his own pocket he would pay for their demo tape recordings and he went to many record companies to see if they would take any interest on The Beatles, which they didn't. When he approached George Martin (Sir) he took some interest in them. After he heard the recordings (or listen to The Beatles play) he thought that they were not that good, but he did see they had potential. So producer George Martin (Sir) and The Beatles made musical history, and that opened the doors for so many other British bands and singers starting in 1964. Here in the USA it was called "The Second British Invasion", of course without any violence, just excellent music from Great Britain.
Another predictably excellent reaction! Philip, the more you listen to them, the surer you’ll become that The Beatles were the most creative and influential rock band in history!
John Lennon wrote the melody during an acid trip in his back yard, & way off in the distance on a country road, he heard a police siren wailing …knowing that u kind of get a glimpse into what songwriting sometimes is, the “I-am-HE-as-YOU-are-ME” melody, the cadence of it is similar to the “woo-WOO-woo-WOO” of an old school English police siren, it kind of takes the mystique away from the song a little….anyway, the lyrics are just stream of consciousness jibberish & the teasing, taunting childhood rhythms Lennon & his best friend Pete Shotton used to recite (yellow custard dripping from a dead dog ‘s eye )…..many people begged the Beatles & Lennon to explain “what does it mean?”, it kind of haunted them for a lot of years, lol….its just fun with words more or less, & sometimes doing that u get random combinations & some profound “sounding” stuff….its modern art…the sound collage at the end is reminiscent of Georges Braque & Pablo Picasso’s college paintings from the years 1909 to about 1911 where they’d take a part , or torn strips, of cigarette packs & glue them to the canvas & nclude them in an already abstracted picture…the Beatles here used random snippets of a BBC radio broadcast of Shakespeare’s “King Lear”…..it’s just a lot of nonsense & fun…again, modern art. Anyway…Great reaction as always:)
For a while, this was my favourite Beatles song. I still love it, but I think the initial psychedelic novelty wore off as I matured (I wasn't yet even a teenager when this was released, but I was a massive fan). I tended to prefer John's songs, but have since become more into George; my fave now being "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
That's exactly right-John purposely wrote the most nonsensical lyrics he possibly could for this song. He had heard through Pete Shotton, both former schoolmates at Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool, that there was a teacher who was teaching interpretations of Beatles songs. This was the same high school that wrote on a report about John in his school days that he was wasting his time in life. Needless to say, John had a bit of an attitude when he heard this. According to Pete, after John finished the lyrics, he turned to Pete and said, (paraphrasing), "There-let the f*****s figure out what that one means!". So, yes, I believe that John intentionally wrote nonsensical and fantastical lyrics purposely in this song.
5 years earlier these guys were singing “Love Me Do”. The progression from that to this is unparalleled in its originality.
What's even more amazing is that there were only 2 years and 9 months between the release of *_I Want to Hold Your Hand_* and *_Tomorrow Never Knows._*
It would be trippy enough if a band NOW went from some poppy love songs to weird underground experimental, but these guys INVENTED that shit, it didn't exist before.
A band would have to create a totally new radical form of music that would actually be pleasing enough to the ear that the whole world would be listening to them... Let us think about that ;)
@@HaleksMTLThose guys weren't from this Planet, or were blessed by God!
You've hit it on the head exactly! John was reading fan mail at his house with his friend Pete in 1967. A fan who was a student at his old school told him they were teaching Beatles' songs in class. John howled with laughter, and immediately started pulling together various nonsense lines and absurd imagery. ("Semolina pilchard," for instance.) After some initial work on the song, he turned to Pete and laughed, "Let the f***ers figure this one out!"
Finally a song reactor who knows what he's talking about.
What the Beatles (4 young guys barely their 20s) did in 5 short years (64-69) was beyond revolutionary creative brilliance but innovative genius. NO one then or since has matched their artistic cultural transformative creative brilliance, NO ONE!
In a historical place of their own
A masterpiece of the highest order🤘❤️ hats off to george martin, the producer and arrangements
it was written in 1986. Now I strogly suggest 'A day in the life' and 'Tomorrow never knows', two other peaks of their psychedelic phase
John at the very height of his powers, dipping his toes into the currents of psychedelic rock. A masterpiece.
The part at the very end was literally a play o n BBC radio 3 when they were recording…
Your facial reactions to this masterpiece is priceless.
You see why Zappa liked this song, inspiring him to do a cover of it!
Your observations are MUCH better than most of the people doing this.
1967 , performed on the Magical Mystery Tour film.
“Happiness is a warm gun!” Fav Beatles song! Actually, one of many great trippy songs like I am the Walrus. Enjoy!
As a general rule, I tend to be more interested in a song's lyrics than the music when I first hear it, and, for that reason, it took me a LONG time to appreciate I Am The Walrus. Eventually, I found a hook to hang it on: it's like a surrealist painting by Salvador Dali. You're not meant to look for meaning in the images, you're just meant to lose yourself in them; to appreciate the imagination and creativity that went into crafting them.
this song is like a disturbing half-remembered dream... you wake up feeling rattled, and aren't exactly sure why, but you're glad it was only a dream
Hahaha I know exactly what you mean..thanks for tuning in and for this comment
It’s like a heavy ket trip
Acid was a wonderful drug 😊❤🎉
There's no lyric so profound as, "Oompah oompah stick it up yer jumper".
It's the last line the last living beings will hear at the end of all things right before the light's are turned off for the Universe.
Oompah Oompah everybody smokes pot.
On pot,on pot Everybody’s on pot. That’s what I always heard.
@@newms69 Listen again. No pot involved, just jumpers, pronounced in a Liverpool accent.
"Semolina pilchard. . .climbing up the Eiffel Tower.". Talk about bizarre imagery!
1967. It's a sound poem. The words sound good together, but there's no overarching meaning.
John was throwing something out there for all the people who tried to analyze and interpret their songs.
I think you can hear almost anything you want to hear in those background lyrics at 4:44 --- the most popularly accepted story is that the lyrics at this point say _Everybody Smoke Pot_ but in my own mind I always hear _Everybody F*cked Up._ Truly strange but absolutely amazing song. And they mentioned one of my absolutely favorite all time writers, the Grandfather of modern Horror --- Edgar Allan Poe. Also, as an interesting aside, Poe and Bob Dylan both hold the unique distinction of being the only individuals (other than the Beatles themselves of course) who were not only mentioned in a Beatles song but also both appeared on a Beatles album cover.
My Mum. British. Born late 40's. Explained it to me. Kids in the primary school yards, used to chant, "Oompah loompah, stick it up your joompah!" "Jumper", is the British term for what North Americans call a "sweater". Now, listen again.
Perfect reaction. I was 8 when I first saw them on Ed Sullivan, amazed, then followed them every step of the way. What a journey for a kid. But this was the first song that frightened me a bit... "What?!" I thought. Now it's one of my very favorites. Thank you.
Your review is spot on. You can only imagine when this song was released, how revolutionary it was.🤔😎👍
You were spot on about this strange and groundbreaking song, love it.
This song was written just to play with the minds of those who try and find meanings in song lyrics
There's a story behind this song with John and his longtime friend Pete Shotton, a friend even before Paul, who was with John when he wrote this song.
A good follow up to this might be "Glass Onion" from the White Album.
Released in 1967 on the "Magical Mystery Tour" album by the Beatles. This was the album that came next after Sgt. Pepper.
This was entente to be an EP, In fact in England was an EP, just in the USA it was released as an LP. Btw this was made contemporary to Sgt Peppers
George Martin (Sir) was their producer, and he was also a music composer as well, so he had a lot to do with the orchestration. When Brian Epstein started to manage The Beatles, out of his own pocket he would pay for their demo tape recordings and he went to many record companies to see if they would take any interest on The Beatles, which they didn't. When he approached George Martin (Sir) he took some interest in them. After he heard the recordings (or listen to The Beatles play) he thought that they were not that good, but he did see they had potential. So producer George Martin (Sir) and The Beatles made musical history, and that opened the doors for so many other British bands and singers starting in 1964. Here in the USA it was called "The Second British Invasion", of course without any violence, just excellent music from Great Britain.
You're analysis is always top notch! Very cool!
Peace
Much appreciated
Listen to that on 2 hits of good acid!
Oh, my friend, I love your short circuit expresion jajaja love it... that's them, my beloved crazy original Beatles 😁
Another predictably excellent reaction! Philip, the more you listen to them, the surer you’ll become that The Beatles were the most creative and influential rock band in history!
Fantastic program, Philip! Now if we could only just see how Frank Zappa might cover this song. . . .
1967
Oh boy! HERE WE GO!!!
John Lennon wrote the melody during an acid trip in his back yard, & way off in the distance on a country road, he heard a police siren wailing …knowing that u kind of get a glimpse into what songwriting sometimes is, the “I-am-HE-as-YOU-are-ME” melody, the cadence of it is similar to the “woo-WOO-woo-WOO” of an old school English police siren, it kind of takes the mystique away from the song a little….anyway, the lyrics are just stream of consciousness jibberish & the teasing, taunting childhood rhythms Lennon & his best friend Pete Shotton used to recite (yellow custard dripping from a dead dog ‘s eye )…..many people begged the Beatles & Lennon to explain “what does it mean?”, it kind of haunted them for a lot of years, lol….its just fun with words more or less, & sometimes doing that u get random combinations & some profound “sounding” stuff….its modern art…the sound collage at the end is reminiscent of Georges Braque & Pablo Picasso’s college paintings from the years 1909 to about 1911 where they’d take a part , or torn strips, of cigarette packs & glue them to the canvas & nclude them in an already abstracted picture…the Beatles here used random snippets of a BBC radio broadcast of Shakespeare’s “King Lear”…..it’s just a lot of nonsense & fun…again, modern art. Anyway…Great reaction as always:)
For a while, this was my favourite Beatles song. I still love it, but I think the initial psychedelic novelty wore off as I matured (I wasn't yet even a teenager when this was released, but I was a massive fan). I tended to prefer John's songs, but have since become more into George; my fave now being "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
Ringo god father of hip-hop
I'm sorry that you didn't see the video for this from Magical Mystery Tour. It's a better experience. Love your show.!
No. The song from the video is not as good.
That's exactly right-John purposely wrote the most nonsensical lyrics he possibly could for this song. He had heard through Pete Shotton, both former schoolmates at Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool, that there was a teacher who was teaching interpretations of Beatles songs. This was the same high school that wrote on a report about John in his school days that he was wasting his time in life. Needless to say, John had a bit of an attitude when he heard this. According to Pete, after John finished the lyrics, he turned to Pete and said, (paraphrasing), "There-let the f*****s figure out what that one means!".
So, yes, I believe that John intentionally wrote nonsensical and fantastical lyrics purposely in this song.
Its all very lewis Carroll
Don’t analyse the lyrics too deeply Lennon knew what he was doing 😂
What does it all mean? It's deliberate nonsense designed to mess with fans heads. Lennon was an absolute genius.
Still one of the weirdest songs ever and at the time Beatles fans definitely weren’t prepared for it
This song was absolute non-sense, but the production was like nothing heard before.
Sitting on a corn flake. Psycho Delic Rap.