The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

The White Album

**"The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"** is a song released by the English rock band The Beatles, and is the sixth track of their self-titled ninth album, *The Beatles* (also known as "*the White Album*)" (1968). The song is one of several on *The Beatles* that was inspired by the band’s trip to Rishikesh, India; John Lennon sings a rather childish and upbeat song, especially surprising regarding his disdain for the earlier track “*Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da*”, this is also the only track in the Beatles’ catalog that contains background vocals from Lennon’s then future-wife, Yoko Ono. During sessions for the album’s creation, she sat in numerous times and even tried to offer musical advice to other members of the group. The song centers around the fictional character 'Bungalow Bill,' a stereotypical American hunter, who was famously inspired by an American visitor who departed for a tiger-killing spree before returning to the ashram to seek spiritual enlightenment.

## Lyrics

[Chorus]

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

[Verse 1]

He went out tiger hunting with his elephant and gun

In case of accidents, he always took his mum

He's the all American, bullet-headed, Saxon mother's son

All the children sing

[Chorus]

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

[Verse 2]

Deep in the jungle, where the mighty tiger lies

Bill and his elephants were taken by surprise

So Captain Marvel zapped him right between the eyes

All the children sing

[Chorus]

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

[Verse 3]

The children asked him if to kill was not a sin

"Not when he looked so fierce," his mummy butted in

"If looks could kill, it would have been us instead of him"

All the children sing

[Chorus]

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

Hey, Bungalow Bill

What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?

[Outro]

Eh, up!

## Personnel

* John Lennon – lead vocal, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, Mellotron
* Paul McCartney – backing vocals, bass guitar
* George Harrison – backing vocals, acoustic guitar
* Ringo Starr – backing vocals, drums, tambourine
* Chris Thomas – Mellotron

* Yoko Ono – co-lead vocal, backing vocals
* Maureen Starkey (and others) – backing vocals

## Info

* When the band visited India, they stayed in small bungalows, hence the title of the song.
* John Lennon called the song a 'quirky tune,' and "a sort of teenage social-comment song and a bit of a joke."
* The song took one day to record.
* Lennon wrote this about a guy he met at the Maharishi's camp in India who loved to hunt. The four Beatles went on the retreat to study meditation, but were not impressed with the results.
* Yoko Ono sang the line "Not when he looked so fierce." It was the first female vocal on a Beatles song.
* The opening riff was played on a Mellotron synthesizer by Chris Thomas.
* The song features Ringo and his wife, Maureen Starkey, as backing vocals.
* The final line, "eh, up!" said by John, cuts directly into the next song, “*While My Guitar Gently Weeps*”.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Beatles\_discography
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Beatles\_(album)
3. ↑ https://genius.com/The-beatles-the-continuing-story-of-bungalow-bill-lyrics
4. ↑ https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-continuing-story-of-bungalow-bill/
5. ↑ https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/john-lennon-beatles-song-about-hunter-bungalow-bill/
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-beatles/the-continuing-story-of-bungalow-bill
7. ↑ https://genius.com/17110202