Revolution 9

Revolution 9 is the penultimate track on The Beatles, which is commonly known as The White Album. Entirely composed of random voices, songs and snippets of noise, it was a creation made solely by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with George Harrison assisting at times; The other band members and George Martin hated it.
Lennon said it represented an image he tried to paint of revolution. It was inspired by several other Avant-garde types of music. It was first conceived as an additional coda to Revolution. This became its own project after Lennon had added sound effects and reversed audio. It runs for a total of eight minutes, the longest project released by The Beatles.
Reception to the track is varied: From an "embarrassment" to "anti-masterpiece" to "beautifully organized," fans and critics are divided on the nature of the track, some fully hating it, others enjoying it.
It has also been interpreted different ways. Some saw connections to the Paul is dead theory, and Charles Manson has seen it as an example of his "Helter Skelter" scenario, in which an interracial war will take place. Some simply dismiss it as garbage.
== Background and recording ==
"Revolution 9" is one of few Beatles experimental tracks, the other being "Carnival of Light", done by Paul McCartney during "Penny Lane" recording sessions. Both Lennon and McCartney had inspiration from Karlheinz Stockhausen, and his work titled Hymnen can be seen as inspiration for the song. Yoko Ono was also a powerful influence on Lennon; Their previous and first work together, Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, was similar to "Revolution 9". Lennon was intrigued by the screams and random talk of Ono, so he let her pick which tapes to use.
The first bits of "Revolution 9" came from a recording session for "Revolution", which was just simply Lennon and a guitar. It soon evolved into a ten-minute "jam" with Lennon screaming "Alright!" and Ono occasionally speaking at times, like as saying, "You become naked." This recording session became two projects: The first part became "Revolution 1", and the second transforming into "Revolution 9". He began to mix tapes of random noises supplied from EMI and began mixing it in until the STEED system ran out. Additional sound was added later with George Harrison assisting.
Final overdubs took place on June 21, and Lennon himself mixed the audio into stereo and mono. When the project was completed, McCartney returned from holiday, as he had been gone during most of the process. Dissatisfied, McCartney tried to persuade Lennon to drop the song from the album; He refused.
== Lyrics ==
[Spoken]
(Bottle of Claret for you if I had realised?)
(Well, do it next time)
(I forgot about it, George, I’m sorry)
(Will you forgive me?)
(Mmm... yes)
(Cheeky bitch!)
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number
[Verse 1]
Then there’s this Welsh Rarebit wearing some brown underpants
About the shortage of grain in Hertfordshire
Everyone of them knew that as time went by
They’d get a little bit older and a litter slower but
It’s all the same thing, in this case manufactured by someone who’s always
Umpteen your father’s giving it diddly-i-dee
District was leaving, intended to pay for
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9
[Refrain]
Who's to know?
Who was to know?
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Verse 2]
I sustained nothing worse than
Also for example
Whatever you’re doing
A business deal falls through
I informed him on the third night
When fortune gives
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Bridge]
Right! Right! 
Right, right, right, right!
Right!
Right!
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Verse 3]
I’ve missed all of that
It makes me a few days late
Compared with, like, wow!
And weird stuff like that
Taking our sides sometimes
Floral bark
Rouge doctors have brought this specimen
I have nobody’s short-cuts, aha?
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Verse 4]
With the situation
They are standing still
The plan, the telegram
Ooh ooh
[Refrain]
Ooh
[Verse 5]
A man without terrors from beard to false
As the headmaster reported to me
My son he really can try as they do to find function
Tell what he was saying, and his voice was low and his hive high
And his eyes were low'
[Pre-Chorus]
Alright!
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Verse 6]
So the wife called me and we’d better go to see a surgeon
Or whatever to price it? yellow underclothes
So, any road, we went to see the dentist instead
Who gave her a pair of teeth which wasn’t any good at all
So I said I’d marry, join the fucking navy and went to sea
In my broken chair, my wings are broken and so is my hair
I’m not in the mood for whirling
Um da
Aaah
[Verse 7]
How?
Dogs for dogging, hands for clapping
Birds for birding and fish for fishing
Them for themming and when for whimming
Only to find the night-watchman
Unaware of his presence in the building
Onion soup
[Chorus]
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
[Verse 8]
Industrial output
Financial imbalance
Thrusting it between his shoulder blades
The Watusi
The twist
Eldorado
Take this brother, may it serve you well
Maybe it’s nothing
Aaah
Maybe it’s nothing
What? What? Oh
[Verse 9]
Maybe even then
Impervious in London
Could be difficult thing
It’s quick like rush for peace is
Because it’s so much
It was like being naked
If you became naked
[Outro]
Hold that line, hold that line!
Block that kick, block that kick!
== Personnel ==
* John Lennon – spoken vocals, tape loops, sound effects, piano, mellotron, cymbals, screaming, mumbling
* George Harrison – spoken vocals, tape loops, sound effects, electric guitar
* Yoko Ono – spoken vocals, tape loops, sound effects
* George Martin – spoken vocals
* Alistair Taylor - spoken vocals
* Unidentified EMI engineer – spoken vocals
In addition, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed on the extended "Revolution" coda, elements of which were used intermittently in "Revolution 9".
Category:The Beatles songs
Category:Songs on The White Album
Category:1968 songs
Category:Songs written by John Lennon
Category:Songs credited to Lennon–McCartney
Category:Songs