♫ Revolution ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Political commentary, Social commentary

Some songs I can barely find a line or two of background information, but tonight’s song has page after page after page of background, trivia, etc.  I’ll pick just a few things, and if you’ve interested in more you can visit either Songfacts or Wikipedia to read the rest!

This was the first overtly political Beatles song. It was John Lennon’s response to the Vietnam War.

According to SongFacts …

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.'”

There are two very different versions of this song: a slow version that appears on The White Album, and a 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.

The fast version was released as the B-side of “Hey Jude” in August 1968, three months before the slow version appeared on The White Album. John Lennon wanted it to be the first A-side released on Apple Records, the label The Beatles started, but Paul McCartney’s “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.

Interestingly, this charted at #1 in Australia and New Zealand, #12 in the U.S., but did not chart in the Beatles’ homeland of the UK!  Perhaps because it was merely a “B-side”?  Even odder, though, is that another version by the Thompson Twins (who?????) did chart in the UK some 17 years later in 1985, although only at #56.

Revolution

The Beatles

Take two
Okay

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 (in)

Don’t you know it’s gonna be
All right?
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (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 all doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait

Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)

You say you’ll change the constitution
Well, you know
We’d all love to change your head
You tell me it’s the institution
Well, you know
You better free your 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)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)

All, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all right
All right, all right, all right, all right, all right

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

Revolution 1 lyrics © Sony/atv Tunes Llc

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23 thoughts on “♫ Revolution ♫”

  1. This was my favorite Beatles song in 1986. I remember playing the single frequently. I love Thompson Twins, but don’t think I’ve heard their version.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I would contest this being the first political Beatles’ song — I believe that honour belongs to George’s Taxman.
    I much prefer Revolution to Hey Jude, but then though George was my main man Beatle, Paul was always st the bottom of my list, even below Sir George Martin. John was 2nd behind George.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. You’re right – it didn’t chart here as it was the B-side. We didn’t separate the tracks out like you guys did – it was the same piece of plastic that was being bought.

    The Thompson Twins were a fun pop band, originally seven of them but they settled down into a trio. They had a string of hits here, with songs like We Are Detective, Doctor Doctor, and You Take Me Up. One of their biggest was Hold Me Now, which got to #4 here and, wait for it, #3 in the US. Maybe you should try it?

    Liked by 2 people

    • I back Clive as to the Thompson Twins. I really think you could enjoy their stuff, Jill.

      Also, thank you for this one. It’s in my head a lot, though not the “in” version, of which I was unaware until just a few minutes ago. Ah, well.

      Liked by 2 people

    • I wonder why you guys didn’t/don’t separate the tracks? It seems that many a good song have not gotten a fair shake in the UK because of that.

      I will check out the Thompson Twins … in fact, a couple of the ones you mention ring a vague bell, so perhaps I have heard of them and just forgot (I forget a LOT these days!) Thanks, Clive!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Smaller market, so splitting the sales would damage the A-side’s chart chances. And as I said, when someone goes into a record shop they come out with the same piece of plastic whichever side they asked for. This seems more logical to me than counting both separately.

        Looking forward to Thompson Twins week 😊

        Liked by 1 person

        • True, but the B-side isn’t getting the air time on the radio, so even though people may own the vinyl, they might not even listen to it. How many 45s did you have that you never even listened to the B-side?

          Heh heh … sorry, I already had a Week-long artist picked out for this week, but maybe soon!

          Liked by 1 person

          • The answer to that question is: none. I always played the B-sides, and some of them became favourites that got played a lot. Delaney and Bonnie’s “Groupie,” B-side to “Coming Home,” sticks in my mind. As does the B-side to Fleetwood Mac’s “Man Of The World,” which was “Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight,” listed as being by someone called Earle Vince and the Valiants – the band having a lot of fun spoofing Elvis. I’d paid for them, so why not listen?

            I wonder who the next week will be…

            Liked by 1 person

            • You’re right, and I would likely look at it that way now, but back in the day when I was buying singles, I almost never took the time to listen to the B-side. No doubt I missed out on many a good song, too! And by now, you know what this week will be … I think you’ll be pleased!

              Liked by 1 person

  4. Never a huge Beatles fan, I actually thought this was one of their worst. I found it repetitive and boring. (As with ‘Back In The USSR’) I much prefer their more poetic songs, like ‘In My Life’, ‘A Day In The Life’, and ‘Eleanor Rigby’.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: ♫ Revolution ♫ | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

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