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link to www.youtube.com]
Lyrics:You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah
ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...
You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
Songfacts:This was the first overtly political Beatles song. It was John Lennon's response to the Vietnam War.
John Lennon wrote this in India while The Beatles were at a transcendental meditation camp with The Maharishi. Lennon told Rolling Stone: "I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this 'God will save us' feeling about it, that it's going to be all right (even now I'm saying 'Hold on, John, it's going to be all right,' otherwise, I won't hold on) but that's why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say 'What do you say? This is what I say.'"
The original slow version appears on The White Album. The fast, loud version was released as a single. In the slow version, Lennon says "count me in" as well as "count me out" when referring to violence. This gives the song a dual meaning.
This was released as the B-side of "Hey Jude." Lennon wanted it to be the first A-side released on Apple Records, the label The Beatles started, but "Hey Jude" got the honor.
There are so many versions of this song because Paul McCartney didn't like it. Lennon really wanted this song to be the 'A' side of the single instead of "Hey Jude," and kept changing it around to come up with something that would make Paul see it his way. He basically wrote the song because he felt like he was being pulled in so many directions by different people, all of whom wanted his backing, politically. It was also him questioning his own belief in the revolution that was going on... whether he was "out" or "in."
In truth, he was writing about a revolution of the mind rather than a physical "in the streets" revolution. He truly believed that revolution comes from inner change rather than social violence. (This is discussed in the DVD Composing the Beatles Songbook)
Nike used this for commercials in 1987. Capital Records, who owns the performance rights, meaning The Beatles version of the song, was paid $250,000. Michael Jackson, who owns the publishing rights, meaning use of the words and music, also had to agree and was paid for the song.
The Nike commercials caused a huge backlash from Beatles fans who felt that Nike was disrespecting the legacy of John Lennon, who probably would have objected to its use. There were plans to use more Beatles songs in future ads, but they were abandoned when it became clear it was not good business practice. As years went by, it became more acceptable to use songs in commercials, but Beatles songs were still considered sacred, especially since the group did not control their rights. In 2002, "When I'm 64" was used in a commercial for Allstate insurance. Many Beatles fans were not pleased, but it didn't get nearly the reaction of the Nike commercials, partly because it was not a political song, but also because it was sung by Julian Lennon, which implied endorsement by his father.
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The Beatles played this, along with "Hey Jude," on The David Frost Show in 1968. It was their first performance in 2 years. They played it for the first time in America on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968.
Nicky Hopkins played the piano. When The Beatles needed keyboards, they usually used Hopkins, Billy Preston, or their producer, George Martin.
The dirty guitar sound was created by plugging the guitars directly into the audio board. The guitar sounded so scratchy that many who bought the 45 RPM single tried to return it, thinking it was defective. (thanks to Dwight Rounds, author of The Year The Music Died, 1964-1972)
The word "Revolution" is mentioned just once, in the first line.
John Lennon wanted his vocals to have an unusual sound, so he recorded most of them lying on his back in the studio. The famous scream at the beginning is a double-tracked recording of Lennon. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France and Jonathon - Clermont, FL)
The version on the Hey Jude compilation, released in February 1970 in the US, was the B-side of the "Hey Jude" single. The Hey Jude compilation album peaked at #2 in the US and consists of a collection of singles and B-sides that had not previously appeared on US non-soundtrack album releases. The album cover was taken at the final Beatles photo session, at Lennon's (later Starr's) country estate in Ascot, England. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
The Stone Temple Pilots performed this at Madison Square Garden as part of the 2001 special, Come Together: A Night For John Lennon's Words And Music. Their version was released as a single, with proceeds going to charity.
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I don't remember saying that [the song] Revolution was revolutionary... You say that in order to change the world you have to destroy it. Ruthlessly. You're obviously on a destruction kick. I'll tell you what's wrong with it - people. So, do you want to destroy them? Ruthlessly? You seem to think it's just a class war... The lyrics still stand today. They're still my feelings about politics: I want to see the PLAN. That is what I used to say to Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman. Count me out if it's for violence... What's the point in bombing Wall Street? If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people.
John Lennon in response to critics of his song Revolution History: By spring 1968, student demonstrations had reached a fever pitch all around the world, most notably in Paris, where a massive strike and resultant riots led to the collapse of the government led by Charles DeGaulle. John Lennon, who questioned the goals of the leftists movements even as he championed their basic beliefs, wrote this song directly to the world's young revolutionaries, specifically inspired as he was by the May 1968 French upheaval.
John had always intended this song to be the first release on the group's new, self-owned label, Apple, but the other band members and producer George Martin felt the original song -- slower and calmer than the single we know today -- wouldn't capture the attention of radio listeners. Still, Lennon thought the message important enough that he reconvened the band in the Abbey Road studios in late July, 1968, and cut the loud, fast, rock version we know today. It is still accepted as the definitive version of this song, even though it was recorded six weeks after the original take.)
The original slower version of "Revolution," named "Revolution 1" so as to distance it from the more familiar single version, was released as a track on the album The Beatles (usually known as the "White Album") in November 1968. Snippets from the recording of "1" were used in a sound collage Lennon made for the album, dubbed "Revolution 9."
John laid on the floor of the Abbey Road studios to record the vocal for this single; he got the distorted guitar tone he wanted by scraping the paint from his Epiphone Casino and having engineers run it directly through the sound board. When the 45 single was released, many customers returned it, thinking the record was damaged in some way.
The famous scream heard at the beginning of this track was John himself, double-tracked, although Paul can be seen performing the scream on the video taped for their appearance on the British TV show The David Frost Show. It would be impossible for John to scream live and then jump into the verse.
Nicky Hopkins, who played electric piano on this track, was a favorite sideman of the Rolling Stones. He can also be heard on their songs "Sympathy for the Devil," "Tumbling Dice," and "Angie," as well as the Who's "The Song Is Over," Lennon's "Jealous Guy," and Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful."
Trivia: This Beatles version of this song was infamously used in a 1987 Nike television ad, the first time an original Beatles version had been heard in a commercial. Fans were in an uproar over the "selling out" of the band's good name, blaming Michael Jackson (who owned a majority of the Beatles song publishing, having bought it from behind Paul McCartney's back) and Yoko Ono (who was required to sign off on the ad as well, being executor of John's estate). The ad was soon pulled.
John remained adamant for the rest of his life about the non-violent form of revolution he preached in this song, later only regretting that he mentioned "Chairman Mao" in one verse as a dig against Communism. (Mao Zedong was Chairman of the People's Republic of China from 1949-1975 and an influential figure on the world stage.)
Despite the title and theme, the word "revolution" is heard only in the first line of this song, and never repeated.
Covered by: Anima Sound System, Billy Bragg, The Brothers Four, Enuff Z'nuff, Jools Holland, Kenny Neal, Reckless Kelly, Stereophonics, Stone Temple Pilots, Jim Sturgess, The Thompson Twins, Trixter
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Last Edited by greggin5d on 12/23/2009 01:40 PM
United States
