When I find myself in times of trouble, John, Paul, George, and Ringo come to me speaking words of wisdom. Some of the Beatles' lyrics are astoundingly deep and meaningful. In fact, some of their songs have totally changed my outlook on life.
Consider this point-blank expression of mortality, in what from the surface seems to be just a lighthearted, upbeat Beatlemania-era song:
"It won't be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)!
It won't be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)!
It won't be long, yeah (yeah), 'til I belong to you!"
Clearly, the "you" to whom the narrator is soon going to "belong" is the Grim Reaper himself, and "It Won't Be Long" has, hidden behind its exuberant exterior, the troubling but vital message that "life is very short," as the Beatles would later reiterate in "We Can Work It Out."
The repeated "yeahs" symbolize the inevitability of death, and their presence in a seemingly innocuous rock 'n' roll number hints at how death creeps up on each of us unaware. When you really look into the meaning behind the lyrics, you have to conclude that "It Won't Be Long" is definitely the Beatles' most proto-heavy metal song, surpassing even "Helter Skelter."
This is just the beginning of the philosophic riches found in the Beatles' lyrics, though. Consider John's masterpiece, an introspective contemplation of conformity vs. individuality.
"I am the eggman (Whooo!) They are the eggmen (Whooo!) I am the walrus, koo koo ka-choo!"
Here John rejects mindlessly going along with society in its eggman-like behavior and communal whooping, instead forging his own path, that of being the walrus and saying koo koo ka-choo all on his own. He bravely chooses a life of isolation and social persecution over a comfortable life that would violate his personal values.
It's also worth mentioning that koo koo ka-choo phonetically and rhythmically resembles the prescribed chants from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. This suggests John is setting himself up as a guide for others, a figurehead for a larger movement of civil disobedience. His cry of koo koo ka-choo calls everyone to follow in his footsteps and do the right thing even when it's tusk-- I mean, tough.
And people thought "Tomorrow Never Knows" was spiritually significant! It's got nothing on "I Am the Walrus," which is to "Magical Mystery Tour" as "Within You Without You" is to "Sgt. Pepper."
Not all of the Beatles' meaningful lyrics are quite so abstract and impersonal, though. Some of their songs include heartfelt, vulnerable expressions of love. Consider this masterful lyric, actually written by Ringo in a moment of intense soul-searching:
"I'm sorry that I doubted you, I was so unfair. You were in a car crash and you lost your hair. You said you would be late, about an hour or two. Well that's all right, dear, I'm waiting here, just waiting to hear from you."
Here we find a confession of selfish behavior that makes John's "Jealous Guy" pale in comparison. Consider the narrator's perfect willingness to admit his misjudgment of his lover, and the gracious patience with which he promises to wait for whatever amount of time she needs to make herself presentable.
You're probably in awe of the metaphysical gold mine that is the Beatles' music by now, but there's much more where this came from! Some of their lyrics have become almost like mantras to me... I mentally repeat them over and over, not by choice but passively. Actually, a better way of phrasing it is that they repeat themselves in my mind.
I won't elaborate on the meanings of these lyrics because I think they speak for themselves, and they are going to rock your world.
"We all live in a yellow submarine,
A yellow submarine,
A yellow submarine.
We all live in a yellow submarine,
A yellow submarine,
A yellow submarine."
"Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down on her head.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead."
"Hey, Bungalow Bill!
What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?
Hey, Bungalow Bill!
What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?"
Every word of these lyrics is like an epiphany all on its own... Put the words together in the right sequence, with the right melody and appropriate repetitions, and they are absolutely life-changing. But I've left the best for last. A lot of the songs I've mentioned in this post are underrated, overlooked gems, but this lyric is part of one of the songs universally considered the Beatles' greatest. It's at the very end of the track, with a lot of background screaming from Paul to cover it up, so it's possible you haven't heard it before, or at least haven't really contemplated just how meaningful it is. Without further ado, let me present to you...
"NA NA NA Na-Na-Na-NA
Na-Na-Na-NA
Hey Jude."
Mentally repeat that phrase without pause for the rest of your life, and you'll realize all the secrets of the universe. Or you'll go insane, but honestly who can tell the difference?
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