You Say You Want a Revolution? The Beatles Got It.

Youtube ^ | 1960s | Paul McCartney / John Lennon

[Jess Kitting]

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 if 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

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 you 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

All right, all right

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney

[Jess Kitting]

These words were written in the 1960s, when people were talking about "revolution."

Not too unlike today. The Beatles had an interesting response with this song.

[Tawiskaro]

[plain talk]

Even John Lennon — once he grew up a bit — knew marxist revolution was a load of crap.

[untenured]

This is my favorite Beatles song, and I’m a fan. I will teach a class on Marxism in the fall, and I plan to have students listen to this, especially the part about Mao.

To the extent they thought about politics the Beatles were lefties, but John (I assume this song was mostly his) saw the difference between working peacefully to remake society and engaging in indiscriminate violence.

[Gay State Conservative]

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow

[Robert TG]

Just shows there is a big difference between 1960’s “The Summer of Love” and the 2020’s “Summer of Looting and Burning”

[A strike]

Nowadays The Beatles would be canceled for expressing skepticism and not outright advocacy of violent marxist revolution.

[Rusty0604]

Good lyrics.

[fhayek]

The White Album. No way you can let that stand.

[lee martell]

..to which Paul replied:
“Happiness is a Warm Gun!”

[Jane Long]

Agree.

I wonder what Paul says, today.

[Bommer]

To be followed with “Happiness is a Warm Gun!”

[cowboyusa]

To me it is the Greatest Conservative song ever. The Commie Left panned it at the time, and Lennon shreaded them. Toward the end he renounced Imagine, and began to like Reagan. This song goes great with Taxman.

[Fred Hayek]

I would credit John Lennon more with those lyrics.

[SpaceBar]

John Lennon never advocated revolution, violent or otherwise, so never had to “grow up”. He was hip to the BS from the get-go.

[Federal46]

John wrote that song about the IRA. Throughout the sixties they harassed The Beatles continuously because the Beatles gave them some money but didn’t come out in support of them or funnel large amounts of money to them. He spoke about that back then, I guess that gives away my age oh well.

[Tejas Rob]

>>Even John Lennon — once he grew up a bit — knew marxist revolution was a load of crap.<<

He was becoming more conservative as he got older, even became a born again Christian for awhile, but gave it up.

You know the old saying, “A Conservative is a Liberal who finally grew up”.

[A strike]

damn, that’s a good catch !

[smvoice]

But NEVER “Rocky Raccoon”....

uh...because it talked about a Bible...
...

[The Toll]

The Beatles were a bunch of British nerds that desperately tried to stay cool. Just like all the other stupid white hippie idiots in the 60’s that smoked some weak azz weed and pretended that made them down with the struggle.

I’m done with all of those morons and all of the bull$hit boomer crap they dreamed up while living in a perfect world created for them by their far better parents.

Kent State is the best thing that happened to America in the 60’s. The day the last scumbag that spit on my Father when he rotated back to America dies the better. If these Marxist scum in the street today pull the Woodstock fans outta there comfy homes and burn their bodies in the street I’m going to laugh at them.