Are the Beatles Evil?

[fresca]

I don't usually jump into these debates, but I have to say a few things (the Beatles have been a huge part of my musical influence since I was ten ... and since I turned out to be a musician I think that means alot).

1) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, according to John Lennon himself, was written because his son Julian brought home a drawing of a classmate named Lucy and the inspiration for the song grew from that drawing.

From NY Times:

Lucy Vodden, Who Inspired a Beatles Song, Dies at 46

 

[Mary Kay]

The Beatles were kids having fun. They made a million young girls weak in the knees (me included) Just as ole Blue eyes did to my mother.
gashin, these kids grew up, got into drugs, quit drugs and became more thoughtful men. That's all there is to it.

 

[doots]

My Gosh, If you look for evil look at what is coming out now with Rap..

The world the Beatles lived in and us too(for those myage) was a different time.

The world has gone nuts now.. It was simple back then..

 

[Bones]

I think the fact that we don't take their message seriously BECAUSE of their great music is an aspect of their evil. It might seem silly and good but look at the images they're depicting:


"{VERSE 1}
Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,
Towering over your head.
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,
And she's gone.

{CHORUS}
Lucy in the sky with diamonds,
Lucy in the sky with diamonds,
Lucy in the sky with diamonds,
Ah... Ah...

{VERSE 2}
Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain,
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers,
That grow so incredibly high.

Newspaper taxis appear on the shore,
Waiting to take you away.
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds,
And you're gone.

{CHORUS}

Picture yourself on a train in a station,
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties.
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes."

The message of the song tell the listeners to follow a girl named Lucy (Lucifer?) with kaleidoscope eyes, with sun in her eyes, who lives in the sky with Diamonds to a bridge where rocking horse people are eating marshmallow pies and people are smiling at you as you are making this journey. Then it says Newspaper taxis will take you away and to climb in with your head in the clouds (detached from reality?) and closes with plasticine porters (porters are people who carried things back in the days) with looking glass ties and the girl with kaleidoscope eyes waiting at the turnstile (a gate that allows only one person in at a time). If really read that message it seems to be telling us to follow a demonic woman somewhere and glosses over this image with happy descriptions of "cellophane" flowers and people smiling and then it describes people carrying things tied with ties that are looking glasses. I mean that video depicts it pretty well - it certainly seems pretty evil to me. I might be looking more into it than I should because this is my favorite song but the lyrics are very, very strange.

That song was about a picture that John's son drew - The phrase "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" Comes DIRECTLY from Julian - It was a drawing of a friend of his named Lucy and that was the name he gave it - And the images you demonize are borrowed from Alice In Wonderland - A lot of the Beatles Lyrics and imagery were actually borrowed from literature - Call them plagiarists if you will but EVIL? -

Take the song "I am The Walrus" - That song is intentional gibberish - John Lennon wrote it specifically to screw with people who insisted on trying to read too much into their music - He fully admits to this being the case and still - People try to assign all kinds of spiritual messages to it - "I am the Walrus" - INTENTIONALLY meant NOTHING - Just a string of cryptic BS and borrowed literary allusions designed to screw with people like you - He's probably looking down and laughing at you right now -

Gashin - You and I have had some heated yet respectful debates - But I gotta tell you - With this thread you have totally lost all respect from me -You leave me no choice now but to view you as a WACKO - Were YOU tripping on acid when you came up with the idea to start this thread?

The Beatles were musicians - NOT religious leaders - -And in your crazy talk you toss out attacks on Eastern Philosophies and call the idea of coming together peacefully as one to create our own reality of love and acceptance - EVIL? - WOW - The Beatles were just writing songs man - Nothing more than that - They had no secret agenda - Evil or otherwise - They were just doing their thing -

You are WAY WAY out on a limb here - Take care not to fall - It's a long way down - CHECK YOURSELF!

 

[amandanator]

Not all of the Beatles songs were a utopian "let's all have a group hug" point of view - far from it. If anything, I would say their music is a reflection of the social climate of the time.

I have to wonder if you've listened to any of their music other than Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds? Songs such as Working Class Hero are hardly reminisient of a utopian point of view.

 

[Walrus]

Not all of the Beatles songs were a utopian "let's all have a group hug" point of view - far from it. If anything, I would say their music is a reflection of the social climate of the time.

I have to wonder if you've listened to any of their music other than Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds? Songs such as Working Class Hero are hardly reminisient of a utopian point of view.

It really depended on who was the primary songwriter for the song. John was the one who (mostly) provided social commentary. Paul (usually) wrote love songs and pop ditties. George did a little of both. Ringo... well Ringo wrote Octopus's Garden (and Don't Pass Me By).

The difference in their styles was a contributor to their break-up. Afterwards, John made disparaging comments about Paul's songs many times.

Not important, but Working Class Hero was by John after the Beatles had broken up.

 

[AngusATAT]

The Beatles weren't evil. They were just really really stoned most of the time.

 

[surbitonPete]

It's the good people who can see evil in something like that, that really scare me and make me sleep uneasy at night. The Beatles certainly don't frighten me.

I would have felt more comfortable leaving my daughter alone with any one of the Beatles than I would have felt leaving her alone with the local vicar.

 

[sherid]

I'm serious. Lately I've been listening to them (even before the new hype) because a stoner friend recommended them. The music they made DOES sound great but the lyrics are pretty demonic - especially the songs that were clearly written on acid. The images they describe are of supernatural beings and a lot of their music does praise universalism and relativism. I guess I'm viewing their music from a Christian perspective but still....

The new hype is because the Beatles were geniuses, a once in a century perhaps longer Renaissance of musical talent. The music is timeless. There is a reason full orchestras have recorded Beatles songs. I suggest if you find the Beatles evil, don't listen to their music. I don't understand the purpose of this question, so rather than attack it, I will stop here.

 

[sherid]

This is the video that made me question the motives of their lyrics - which may or may not have been intentional:

YouTube - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

It's such an acid-head's ideal of the world packed into good music that lowers peoples' sense of reality and values.

If I could slip back into that time of "lowered sense of reality" I would do so in a heartbeat. The world today is filled with bitter angry people ready to pass judgment on anyone who does not believe as they do. The time of the Beatles was a time of dreams and love, even as war dominated the news. The Beatles brought that magic to us. If one looks for evil, he will always find it.

 

[cliff5550]

OMG. Just listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Just what does "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave," really mean. Just joking.
You can hear what ever you want to hear in song lyrics. Did Sinatra really leave his heart in San Franciso?
The problem really stems from those who believe their religion is the only "true" religion and everyone else's is that of evil. That, my friends, is where the wars of this world really begin.

 

[WILDJC]

OMG. Just listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Just what does "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave," really mean. Just joking.
You can hear what ever you want to hear in song lyrics. Did Sinatra really leave his heart in San Franciso?
The problem really stems from those who believe their religion is the only "true" religion and everyone else's is that of evil. That, my friends, is where the wars of this world really begin.

Tony Bennet left his heart in San Francisco. Sinatra left his in Hoboken.

 

[Nestran]

Wait...What?

I think ECF is evil. The very first smiley in the list has flames and horns.

And before we start trashing other religions, take a look at your own, with your eyes open please. Ask a Pagan about evil and I think you will be provided with a very different view than your own.

Nestran

 

[Angela]

Just when I think I've seen and heard everything on this site, a thread like this comes along to prove me wrong.



I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that the human race is doomed.

 

[SilverBear]

A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

NO WAY!!! I've ALWAYS thought it was "a girl with colitis goes by"!!!

 

[gep]

NO WAY!!! I've ALWAYS thought it was "a girl with colitis goes by"!!!

Poor thing...she was looking for the loo....

 

[amandanator]

Not important, but Working Class Hero was by John after the Beatles had broken up.

Walrus, you are right...it was just the first song that came into my head.

 

[Dilutetrips]

No way The Beatles are great. Wish there was more bands like them now days. We have so much bad music today. Evil is the new top 40.

 

[cliff5550]

WILDJC - Nice catch. I knew better. My Bad.

 

[LisaLisa]

NO WAY!!! I've ALWAYS thought it was "a girl with colitis goes by"!!!

OMG!!!!! That's hysterical! LOL!