Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 5, 6, 27, 29 September 1967
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Ken Scott
Released: 24 November 1967 (UK), 27 November 1967 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, pianet electric piano
Paul McCartney: bass guitar, tambourine
George Harrison: electric guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
Peggie Allen, Wendy Horan, Pat Whitmore, Jill Utting, June Day, Sylvia King, Irene King, G Mallen, Fred Lucas, Mike Redway, John O'Neill, F Dachtler, Allan Grant, D Griffiths, J Smith, J Fraser: backing vocals
Sidney Sax, Jack Rothstein, Ralph Elman, Andrew McGee, Jack Greene, Louis Stevens, John Jezzard, Jack Richards: violins
Lionel Ross, Eldon Fox, Bram Martin, Terry Weil: cellos
Gordon Lewin: clarinet
Neil Sanders, Tony Tunstall, Morris Miller: horns
Available on:
Magical Mystery Tour
Anthology 2
Love
John Lennon's final masterpiece of 1967 found him at his surrealistic, sneering best. I Am The Walrus was included on the soundtrack of the Magical Mystery Tour TV film, and first released as the b-side of Hello Goodbye.
Lennon had wanted I Am the Walrus to be The Beatles' next single after All You Need Is Love, but Paul McCartney and George Martin felt that Hello Goodbye was the more commercial song. The decision led to resentment from Lennon, who complained after the group's split that "I got sick and tired of being Paul's backup band".
The song was written in August 1967, at the peak of the Summer of Love and shortly after the release of Sgt Pepper. Lennon later claimed to have written the opening lines under the influence of LSD.
The first line was written on one acid trip one weekend, the second line on another acid trip the next weekend, and it was filled in after I met Yoko.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
I Am The Walrus was a composite of three song fragments. The first part was inspired by a two-note police siren Lennon heard while at home in Weybridge. This became "Mr city policeman sitting pretty..."
Hunter Davies recounted the beginnings of the second part in his authorised 1968 biography of The Beatles:
He'd written down down another few words that day, just daft words, to put to another bit of rhythm. 'Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the man to come.' I thought he said 'van to come', which he hadn't, but he liked it better and said he'd use it instead.
The third part started from the phrase "sitting in an English country garden" which, as Davies noted, Lennon was fond of doing for hours at a time. Lennon repeated the phrase to himself until a melody came.
I don't know how it will all end up. Perhaps they'll turn out to be different parts of the same song – sitting in an English garden, waiting for the van to come. I don't know.
The Beatles, Hunter Davies
The chord sequence was described by critic Ian MacDonald as "the most unorthodox and tonally ambiguous sequence he ever devised." He ingeniously referred to the looped sequence as "an obsessive musical structure built round a perpetually ascending/descending MC Escher staircase of all the natural major chords".
I Am The Walrus was one of the highlights of the Magical Mystery Tour film. For the performance, filmed in West Malling in Kent, Lennon tellingly wore an 18th century madman's cap.
Interesting, Marcus. You have good ears. That´s typical Lennon: At the same time he is singing a straight melody on the same notes, the accompaniment is descending! That´s more evident in Strawberry Fields Forver (“Living is easy with eyes closed”) and Julia, where the desceding notes are more numerous than in Walrus.
According to McCartney himself in Many Years From Now, he didn´t contribute anything to the song. Amazing is even the switch to “sitting in an English garden…”.That is a change from darkness to light, so typical for — as a matter of fact — Wagner!
The recording is far superior to the melody-less, random-words song.
I downloaded a clean stereo version of this masterpiece from YouTube and it’s the only version I listen to now. It has a “full” sound all the way through without any abrupt jumps into one side of the stereo picture. The orchestration comes through beautifully. I listen to most music at home through headphones so this “stereo-all-the-way-through” effect is much more pleasing
I assume the King Lear stuff is missing then, since that was added live during the mono mixing session.
bless you grandfather bless you
It’s “Sit you down father, rest you”
It’s from Shakespeare’s King Lear.
They should have just released it as an A-Side with any other song from the EP as a B-side, and did the same for Hello Goodbye and everybody would have been happy. I’m a little surprised he didn’t push the subject a little more, but I guess that would have been too many singles coming from an EP.
This song is SO much an example of the magic of music. How many post-ers claim it as one of their favorites Beatle songs (myself included). But I can’t tell you WHY, and I bet others would have trouble putting it into words also. IT’s MUSIC, DANGIT, don’t make me explain! (and others just don’t resonate with it…)
Closest I can come to describing it’s effect on me, is like standing in the hot sun, and having someone slowly dump a 55 gallon barrel of cool gumbo over you- your all awash in multiple textures, pieces of food, smells,
and its a gloriously refreshing feeling.
Reading over my post, I am aware of how strange it sounds. But, that’s just me. It’s music dangit!
Wikipedia list Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues on backing vocals also
Frank Zappa used to play “I am the walrus” very seriously on stage, he must have loved and respected a lot this song. In 1976 when I first listened to MMT, I found it too far out for me, but it grew on me, and I’ve loved it for ages now
I have enjoyed Frank’s version of Walrus. Very weird in light of the comments he has made about certain songs that were played in the Fillmore East jam with john and yoko in 1971.
What is John saying in the transition right before “Sitting in an English Garden”? Is it anything understandable to anyone?
I always wondered what the weird voice was saying before the strings take over for the beginning of the “english garden” section. But I guess that’s what John wanted everyone to do; anaylize and not get answers.
Walrus is such an amazing and ugly song. It washes you dirty, and your left breathless. This is why the Beatles are just so up there and out there. 1966 Tomorrow Never Knows, 1967 I am the walrus. John Lennon at his best.
I totally agree. When John wrote Tomorrow Never Knows there was nothing close to that song in popular music world. So far ahead of everyone. Same with Walrus. In the late 80’s Kurt Cobain was writing grunge music while we all listened to big hair rock and rap. He was ahead of his time too. Also a Lennon fan.
I have the audio of the end part of the King Lear. But I’m still missing the audio from the third chorus (“Now good sir”, “poor man, made tame to fortune” and “good pity”. Does anyone have these?
“I Am the Walrus (“”No You’re Not,”” said little Nicola)” is a miraculous composition on every level. Théâtre at its best, the piece defies all convention. It is a masterpiece… the best “song” on the best album “The Magical Mystery Tour” our beloved Beatles ever recorded. It is my favourite… no beyond that, it is my preference.
Poetry may be for sound as well as meaning, and as such, attempts to “define” words here are silly.
Let it go, people, and enjoy the sound. The words are splendid, full of delightful humour… and the music is funny, too.
Americans had the advantage in 1967 to purchase a full LP with “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields” on Side 2, whilst poor British people had to settle for the EP of the 5 MMT “songs”. I believe the American import did become available at a shocking price. Well, hallelujah, all may now enjoy the CD version with everything on it. You can’t beat progress.
I do have some regrets.
“King Lear” really should have been presented in complete Act form; or perhaps at least a scene. The part where Lear is presented with the obvious comment that he was now old, but without having become wise, would have been perfect.
The Lewis Carroll piece might have been included as well.
Of course that would have been too much for the “fans” who might have fallen asleep at being exposed to so much serious literature. Apparently literature has a worse reputation than drugs, which are discussed here at length, whereas literature is passed over as something toxic. Legalise literature, one cries, or at the very least decriminalise it.
Cheers.
Their music is like one of your favorite movies, you’ve seen it multiple times yet you notice a part in a scene you somehow missed before and when you do you feel a bit more assured your a step further into the club.
Yes! I keep hearing ‘bits’ I never heard before (in almost all songs, not just this fabulous one), and I *have* been listening since ’62! 🙂
Has a Country Music band ever recorded I Am The Walrus?
Well, the Beatles were a nice little country and western combo.
I think the “everybody’s got one” refers to the opinions the students had analyzing Lennons songs..IMO. And has anyone else read or heard that “sitting on a cornflake” means passing gas?
Actually, in an interview (in Playboy Magazine I believe) John Lennon reveals the lyric is ‘Everybody’s got one.” When the interviewer asked him “one what?” he replied “One penis, one vagina, you name it.”
I read Eric Burden of the Animals say he was the “eggman” after telling John of his experience in Jamaica with a lady who broke eggs on his body and proceeded to clean it off. Apparently John thought it was a good story.