[Keith_McClary]

Beatles `Revolution' Returns Four Decades Later - Matthew Lynn

What we are witnessing may well be the first shots in a long generational war. Whereas the last century was dominated by a battle between classes over how to divide up the economic pie, this one may be over how you divide it up between generations.
...
In the U.K., plans to triple university fees provoked riots.
...
This generation will graduate burdened by big debts.
...
Governments across Europe are running up vast debts, money that will have to be paid back in higher taxes by today’s 20- somethings. Retirement ages are being raised all the time. This generation may end up working into their 80s. They can forget about spending a few decades cruising around the Mediterranean and touring the Spanish golf courses like their parents.

There is a generational aspect to peak oil as well:
"Daddy, there wont be any oil when I grow up - you're using it all up driving your stupid pickup to your stupid Nascar."

[copious.abundance]

LOL! So many people make this mistake about this song.

The Beatles song "Revolution" wasn't about "revolution," it was about the stupidity of the "revolutions" going on then (in particular Lennon wrote the song about the '68 French student riots).

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 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
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right

The whole song is cynical of these "revolutions," it's not advocating them. In fact the narrator of the song wants no part of it all.

[yeahbut]

LOL! So many people make this mistake about this song.

The Beatles song "Revolution" wasn't about "revolution," it was about the stupidity of the "revolutions" going on then

Standard conservative misinterpretation, repeated again and again over the years but no more true for that. "Revolution" is actually about Lennon's commitment to pacifism, and his rejection of violence as a driver of revolution, not of the idea of revolution itself. He believed in a revolution of the mind, a step change in global consciousness driven by peace, love and understanding. Basic reading comprehension shows this to be so:

"We all want to change the world [he does want to change the world]
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out [but not thru violent means]"
Sentiment repeated, in case you missed it the first time:
"But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait"

I note you have highlighted the refrain "Don't you know it's gonna be all right", as if this is a terribly significant confirmation of your interpretation, as if Lennon is saying 'don't worry, the status quo is fine'. Anyone familiar with Lennnon's position at this time knows that couldn't be further from the truth, rather he was more likely stating his trust in the essential goodness of the universe, and his belief that peace and love would prevail (poor bugger).

Anyone who doubts Lennon's commitment to revolutionary change(albeit peaceful, and consciousness based) need only watch the documentary 'John Lennon versus the USA'.

[vision-master]

Oily ain't that old, he missed the 60's.

[copious.abundance]

Oily ain't that old, he missed the 60's.

I was 4 years old when this song came out. I do remember a fair bit of the era. I even vaguely remember when the Beatles broke up.

@yeahbut:
I disagree. The song to me seems to be saying, "Chill out people, things always work out for the best." Thus the refrain: "It's gonna be alright," which is why he put it in the refrain, repeated 3 times. Indeed, questioning the constitution and the institution, for example, aren't even violent acts per se, yet Lennon tells people who do such things that they should have their head changed and their mind freed. It's not all about physical violence.

And even if your interpretation of the song was correct, how does it support the opening article? The article talks about the "Beatles' Revolution."

“You say you want a revolution,” the Beatles sang in a song that was released in the year that students across Europe famously took to the streets to protest against the established order.

It may not quite be 1968 all over again. Even so, there is a whiff of youthful rebellion in the air. Young people across the region have been staging angry demonstrations in the last few months as government austerity measures take effect.

So if Lennon were to write this song about the current European riots, he'd be telling them rioting isn't the way to go (even if he agreed with their goals) and that everything was gonna be alright.

This is probably one of the most abused songs ever written. Anytime there's some sort of revolution in the air somewhere, inevitably someone will start playing or invoking this song in support of the revolution, regardless of whether the words in the song support the cause or not. It's got the word "revolution" in it so that's good enough to get everyone all excited.

[yeahbut]

@yeahbut: I disagree.

Fair enough. That's one of the interesting things about true art, once it has been created it is out of the artist's hands and everyone takes something different from it. It's a tribute to Lennon and the Beatles that we are having this discussion so many years after the song was written.

The song to me seems to be saying, "Chill out people, things always work out for the best." Thus the refrain: "It's gonna be alright," which is why he put it in the refrain, repeated 3 times.

Again, fair enough, however I think Lennon was a lot more proactive than that. In his own fruity, freaky way he was a genuine activist. To claim that his message was just relax, everything will work out fine would be a woeful mis-reading of the man, his music and in particular the life that he lived, IMHO. Again, I encourage you to watch "John Lennon vs. the USA". He certainly wasn't about just chilling out and letting things work out.

And even if your interpretation of the song was correct, how does it support the opening article? The article talks about the "Beatles' Revolution."

“You say you want a revolution,” the Beatles sang in a song that was released in the year that students across Europe famously took to the streets to protest against the established order.

It may not quite be 1968 all over again. Even so, there is a whiff of youthful rebellion in the air. Young people across the region have been staging angry demonstrations in the last few months as government austerity measures take effect.

So if Lennon were to write this song about the current European riots, he'd be telling them rioting isn't the way to go (even if he agreed with their goals) and that everything was gonna be alright.

That's right. He'd be encouraging them to demonstrate peacefully(Lennon participated in, and spoke and performed at, many demonstrations in the late 60s/early 70), and possibly to come up with more creative, imaginative ways of disrupting the system.

This is probably one of the most abused songs ever written.

Quite possibly. But compared to the crassness of a certain shoe company, the others are saints... remember this?!?
Now that's sacrilege. The man had been dead, what, six or seven years?
And they're using his song to flog sneakers...They had Yoko Ono's permission, too, IIRC...Man the 80s were one shabby, grubby, shallow decade

[PrestonSturges]

If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

[copious.abundance]

Yeah, I thought about mentioning the Nike commercial. That was the worst abuse of all!

[SeaGypsy]

Lennon was heavily influenced by several Indian Gurus, particularly Maharishi.
Off the last album:

People say I’m crazy doing what I’m doing
Well they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin
When I say that I’m o.k. well they look at me kind of strange
Surely you’re not happy now you no longer play the game
People say I’m lazy dreaming my life away
Well they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me
When I tell them that I’m doing fine watching shadows on the wall
Don’t you miss the big time boy you’re no longer on the ball

I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and roundI really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go

Ah, people asking questions lost in confusion
Well I tell them there’s no problem, only solutions
Well they shake their heads and they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind
I tell them there’s no hurryI’m just sitting here doing time


I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go

Essentially an existentialist; as Lennon matured he reflected the more enlightened aspects of the same generation he inspired with lightweight poppy love songs in the early 60's. He seemed to become more jaded with age and increasingly introspective. I think he was basicly a doomer towards the end. I doubt he had any faith that humanity was going to change in time to save itself. The ambiguity in 'Revolution' had by the time of 'Watching the Wheels' catalysed into a fairly thoroughly objective Hindu perspective on this world as 'The Wheel of Karma'.

Getting off the wheel of Karma is the key to every Hindu philosophy. It is a complex area of study with many viewpoints. The basic law of Karma is somewhat misunderstood in the west, partly due to the early transmission to the west by the Beatles, as being about the law of 'do unto others'. In fact the closest translation for Karma is the word: work. Getting off the wheel usually means renunciation of work for personal reward and devotion of ones life to the spiritual plane of existence.

Hinduism is not pacifist. War is not only permitted but is seen as equal in glory to supreme spiritual devotion when undertaken for a righteous cause. Death is an illusory end to an illusory life and a necessary transition in the increasingly Karmic life of those bound on the material plane. Even the complete annihilation of society, leaving only a few living humans, is not a bad thing in Hinduism if the few survivors become spiritualised in the process.

I don't want to over assert my little knowlege of John's interior life. I think though by his words and actions it is not possible to understand where he was coming from without looking at the words of his Gurus over the years. George Harrison was the most obviously enamoured of the Beatles towards Hinduism, that should not overshadow it's influence over other Beatles, particularly John Lennon.

Hinduism is a vastly richer source of spiritual resources than any other religion.
It is said that to read the entire authorised Vedas one would have to read 12 hours a day every day for over 270 years.