I've been trying to get this song for weeks. I read the write-up on wikipedia but I still don't get it.

LOL What the fuck are they talking about?

musicjunky318 said:

I've been trying to get this song for weeks. I read the write-up on wikipedia but I still don't get it.

LOL What the fuck are they talking about?

Well all i know about it is what i heard on The Beatles documentary which is exactly what wiki said

And Lennon wrote a few of the lines while on acid trips so that probably explains a little

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...the_Walrus

It means nothing, John Lennon liked Lewis Carroll stories. There's a song on the White Album called Glass Onion about people trying to analyze song lyrics.

luv4u said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...the_Walrus

musicjunky318 said:

I read the write-up on wikipedia but I still don't get it.

MickyDolenz said:

It means nothing, John Lennon liked Lewis Carroll stories. There's a song on the White Album called Glass Onion about people trying to analyze song lyrics.

I haven't listened to that song in forever

errant said:

luv4u said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...the_Walrus

musicjunky318 said:

I read the write-up on wikipedia but I still don't get it.

MickyDolenz said:

It means nothing, John Lennon liked Lewis Carroll stories. There's a song on the White Album called Glass Onion about people trying to analyze song lyrics.

Yea I thought so. So it isn't just me.

musicjunky318 said:

MickyDolenz said:

It means nothing, John Lennon liked Lewis Carroll stories. There's a song on the White Album called Glass Onion about people trying to analyze song lyrics.

Yea I thought so. So it isn't just me.

Maybe it means Paul McCartney died in a car wreck in 1966. If you play it backwards there might be some clues.

The Walrus and The Carpenter

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

(from jabberwocky.com)

He talked about it briefly here: http://prince.org/msg/8/318831

Just a bunch of interesting sounding words & music. It doesn't mean anything.

He kept a piece of paper in a typewriter and every so often he'd add a new line to it. If you listen, much of it is not in a specific rhythm or rhyme scheme. Somehow he made it all come together into an incredible song.

The Beatles were on LSD during that period.

[Edited 1/31/11 11:52am]

NDRU said:

Just a bunch of interesting sounding words & music. It doesn't mean anything.

He kept a piece of paper in a typewriter and every so often he'd add a new line to it. If you listen, much of it is not in a specific rhythm or rhyme scheme. Somehow he made it all come together into an incredible song.

I agree.

Timmy84 said:

The Beatles were on acid and LSD during that period.

Those are the same thing But you are right.

NDRU said:

Timmy84 said:

The Beatles were on acid and LSD during that period.

Those are the same thing But you are right.

Oops lemme go edit.

I don't know if David Byrne was a Beatles fan, but when he did the Speaking in Tongues album, he did the same type of lyrics. They were meant to sound good, but not really mean anything. Burning Down the House is the classic example. Lines like "three hundred sixty five degrees" and "it was once upon a place" and "dreams walking in broad daylight" sound great but mean nothing in relation to each other.

He & Lennon got that rock was often just about the sound, not the actual meaning.

What is Purple Rain, for that matter? It does not have to literally make sense. It makes emotional sense.

NDRU said:

I don't know if David Byrne was a Beatles fan, but when he did the Speaking in Tongues album, he did the same type of lyrics. They were meant to sound good, but not really mean anything. Burning Down the House is the classic example. Lines like "three hundred sixty five degrees" and "it was once upon a place" and "dreams walking in broad daylight" sound great but mean nothing in relation to each other.

He & Lennon got that rock was often just about the sound, not the actual meaning.

What is Purple Rain, for that matter? It does not have to literally make sense. It makes emotional sense.