The beatles biography band guns

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

1968 song spawn the Beatles

For the 2002 film, perceive Happiness is a Warm Gun (film).

"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is shipshape and bristol fashion song by the English rock bracket together the Beatles from their 1968 textbook The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written make wet John Lennon and credited to interpretation Lennon–McCartney partnership. He derived the inscription from an article in American Rifleman magazine and explained that the argument were a double entendre for ordnance and his sexual desire for Yoko Ono.

Although tensions were high mid the recording sessions for the Chalk-white Album, the Beatles worked together little a unit to complete the song's challenging rhythmic issues and time type changes. A demo of the declare, recorded at George Harrison's Kinfauns dwelling before the album's recording sessions, showed the song in its initial mistreat, with only a few portions now. He helped with the time classification changes through his knowledge of Asian classical music. The final portion unbutton the song features backing vocals provoke Harrison and Paul McCartney. An pericope from the demo was released exhaust Anthology 3 in 1996, with justness full demo being released on greatness super deluxe edition of the Milky Album in 2018.

Despite mixed reviews for the White Album on escape, "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" was positively received by music critics, who highlighted the song's complex structure spell lyrics for praise. All four Beatles identified it as their favourite motif on the album. Nevertheless, it was banned by the BBC due chance on its sexually suggestive lyrics. The sticky tag has been covered by Tori Book, U2 and the Breeders.

Background point of view inspiration

Lennon derived the title of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" from program article in the May 1968 cascade of American Rifleman. The magazine belonged to George Martin, the Beatles' impresario, who had brought it with him to the recording studio. Lennon disintegrate his reaction to the phrase: "I just thought it was a queer, insane thing to say. A jovial gun means you just shot something." Written by Warren W. Herlihy, righteousness article told the story of to whatever manner Herlihy had introduced his teenage discrepancy to shooting and how much righteousness young man had come to spoilt brat the sport. The magazine had right the headline from the title obey the bestselling book by Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, Happiness is shipshape and bristol fashion Warm Puppy.[6]

Some commentators[who?] suggested that high-mindedness "warm gun" could refer to Lennon's sexual desire for Yoko Ono be unhappy, due to the drug connotations condemn the lyric "I need a fix", to a heroin syringe. In her highness 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon admitted consent the double meaning of guns talented sexuality but denied that the air had anything to do with blockhead. He said: "that was the come across of my relationship with Yoko gleam I was very sexually oriented then."

Composition

Lennon said he "put together three sections of different songs ... it seemed in depth run through all the different kinds of rock music ..." and stated doubtful it as a miniature "history staff rock and roll". This results pull a three-part through-composed structure.[10] The tune begins with surreal imagery inspired toddler an acid trip that Lennon professor Derek Taylor experienced, with Taylor causative the opening lines. The three sections were described by Lennon as "the Dirty Old Man", "the Junkie" service "the Gunman (Satire of '50s R&R)".[6]

Author John Winn divides the completed make-up into five sections: the fingerpicked bass intro, with the line "She's very different from a girl who misses much"; honourableness portion when the full band enters, containing more of the lyrical carbons copy supplied by Taylor; the blues-based "I need a fix" section; the "Mother Superior" refrain; and the doo wop-style section exploring the "warm gun" subjectmatter. The composite structure features several swings in time signature. According to Kenneth Womack, this consists of shifts outlandish 4
4 to 6
4 time in authority "Dirty Old Man" section; 9
8 ray 12
8 in "the Junkie", although interpretation drums play in 6
8 throughout; four-bar sequences of 6
8, 6
4, 6
8 pivotal 7
4 over the "Mother Superior" portion; and 6
8 and 4
4 for "the Gunman" (even though the drums be there in 4
4). The musical keys cast-off in the song are E mini, A major, A Lydian and Parable major.

The demo recorded by Lennon think it over May 1968 shows the song withdraw its initial stage, with only decency "I need a fix" and "Mother Superior jump the gun" portions present.[14] Lennon extends the "Mother Superior" power, segueing into a portion addressing Musician by name, which does not arise in the Beatles' recording. The disintegrate that became the rock 'n' demolish and doo-wop satire was partly previewed at the end of Lennon's lend a hand of "I'm So Tired" from distinction same demo tape. This two-minute unescorted performance of "Happiness Is a Weaken Gun" was edited for release welcome the Anthology 3 compilation album din in 1996, with over 30 seconds make available cut from the middle of prestige song.

Recording

Recording for "Happiness Is a Matronly Gun" began at 7 pm listed Studio Two at EMI Studios timetabled London on 23 September 1968. Despite the fact that tensions were high among the Beatles during the album's recording sessions, honourableness band collaborated as a close section to work out the song's provocative rhythmic and metre issues. Having bushed much of the first session discussing the individual sections, the group accomplished a satisfactory basic track on 24 September, albeit by editing together separate performances: takes 53 and 65. Work on the song was undivided at 5 am on 26 Sept. Piano, organ and tuba parts heritage this recording are unattributed; the brass was all but removed through mixing.[22] Martin was on holiday while that song was recorded, and had formerly larboard a note asking Chris Thomas top take over as producer.

Having spent trinket two years studying the sitar, Martyr Harrison had become familiar with decency complex time signatures typically found comprise Indian classical music. Lennon benefited steer clear of Harrison's input in the arrangement oblige "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", new to the job to the pair having joined iciness sections together for Lennon's 1966 express "She Said She Said".[25] Author Playwright Leng highlights Harrison's guitar playing grade the completed track – ranging get round stinging riffs beside Lennon's picked chords, to the heavily distorted solo think it over introduces the "I need a fix" bridge – as an example objection Harrison's empathetic musicianship on Lennon's Snowwhite Album songs. A tape containing unprejudiced the 25 September instrumental overdubs reveals that the guitar solo was prep added to to the previous day's backing silhouette, along with organ (over the air section of the song), tambourine refuse extra hi-hat, and piano (throughout dignity closing, "doo-wop" portion). In his group of this tape, music critic Richie Unterberger comments that the organ reveal, which appears low in the valedictory mix, sounds "so churchly downcast ask over would do the Zombies proud". On top of the "Gunman" section of the freshen, Paul McCartney and Harrison sang authority vocals in the doo-wop style, counting the lines "Bang bang, shoot shoot" in response to Lennon singing rectitude title phrase.

Musicologists Kenny Jenkins, of Metropolis Beckett University and Richard Perks, Doctrine of Kent, have expressed the intellect that a Bartell fretless guitar connection to Harrison was used on that track.[28]

Release and reception

Apple Records released The Beatles on 22 November 1968, operate the double LP soon gaining probity informal title "the White Album" extinguish to its stark cover art. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" was sequenced as the final track on verge one, following "While My Guitar Right away Weeps". "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" reportedly was Harrison and McCartney's pick track on the White Album. Conclusion four of the Beatles later resolved it as their favourite song horizontal the album. American and British censors were unhappy with the song, tell off it was banned[when?] by the BBC.

Nik Cohn gave the album an eerie review in The New York Times, but he wrote: "The only path that I've found myself actually presentation for pleasure has been 'Happiness Level-headed a Warm Gun', which is plainly mostly by John Lennon and which stands [in] roughly the same contributions as 'A Day in the Life' and 'I Am the Walrus'." Phytologist added that although the song "includes more than its share of brainless poeticisms", it develops into "a improbable parody of high school rock return the mid-fifties of groups like class Diamonds and the Monotones", during which Lennon's bandmates support his repetition believe the title phrase with interjections be in command of 'Bang bang – shoot shoot'". Phytologist concluded that "Just this once, loftiness take-off has edge, it's not unquestionable self-indulgence."[33] Hubert Saal of Newsweek was also highly critical of the Beatles' propensity for pastiche, yet he star "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" in the midst the few successes that result while in the manner tha they abandoned their attempts to just "Alexander Pope or Max Beerbohm". Significant said it featured "an orgasmic success that Mick Jagger would admire".[34]

Record Mirror commented that the song starts chimp "a serene ballad, but is before you know it taken over in the true striation of this foremost stylist", with honourableness arrival of the "deep guitar" unaccompanie and lyrics referencing Mother Superior nearby the sensation of "my hands lay waste your trigger". The reviewer said turn "The firearm becomes feminine and excellence lyrics ambiguous in this strange bypass matter for a song."[35]Barry Miles wrote in International Times: "'Happiness is spruce up Warm Gun' is one of high-mindedness greatest numbers on the album. In addition a very complex construction in which the music has three distinct phases ending with a touch of significance '50s ... It has a frail developing deep bass line and uses a snatch from 'Angel Baby' hard Rosie & The Originals at birth end."[36]

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary promote to its release, Jacob Stolworthy of The Independent listed the song at broadcast 2 in his ranking of significance White Album's 30 tracks, below Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Stolworthy described it as "A loaded rocket of a track" and "one virtuous Lennon's best songs".[37] In 2006, Mojo placed it at number 8 advance the magazine's list of "The Cardinal Greatest Beatles Songs".[38] In her analysis with the selection, American singer-songwriter Tori Amos highlighted "Happiness Is a Lukewarm Gun" as a rare example jurisdiction social commentary that successfully makes neat statement "without preaching". Amos added: "The Beatles had the ability to power you think about the world, whoop just your own little world. They could put the microcosm and everything in the same song. They chant of drugs and guns without effectual me what to feel about clever. That's genius."[38] Beatles biographer Bill Accompany commented on the irony of Songster having written a song titled "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and after that, following his fatal shooting in Modern York City in December 1980, obsequious the "most high profile" of nobility many musicians who have died whilst a result of the wide propinquity of guns in the United States.[39]

Personnel

According to Ian MacDonald, except where noted:

Cover versions

  • Tori Amos, on her 2001 album Strange Little Girls. The make a copy of includes an anti-gun message read tired by her father.[42] In 2006, Book recalled that her decision to incorporate the song was because of neat relevance in the aftermath to authority Columbine High School massacre and before an era of US gun steer typified by the "father and personage comedy team" of George Bush deliver George W. Bush, and the pair's "close connections" with the National Despoil Association.[38] She added that in require accompanying picture of her included fashionable the CD booklet, she was "playing the call girl character" that Groove Chapman had visited the night earlier he fatally shot Lennon on 8 December 1980.[38]
  • Phish, on the album Live Phish Volume 13.[43]
  • U2, as a Abandon of the 1997 single Last Threadbare on Earth.
  • Joe Anderson with Salma Economist, for the soundtrack of Across ethics Universe
  • The Breeders, on the album Pod
  • Marc Ribot, on the album Saints
  • World Tyrannical, on the European maxi-single release get a hold Way Down Now
  • Annika Aakjær, on description collab album Come Together

References

  1. ^Sokol, Tony (9 November 2018). "The Beatles: Happiness Assay a Warm Gun Still Triggers Debate". Den of Geek. Archived from righteousness original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. ^ abRolling Stone baton (19 September 2011). "100 Greatest Beatle Songs". rollingstone.com. Archived from the beginning on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  3. ^Osborn, Brad (October 2011). "Understanding Through-Composition in Post-Rock, Math-Metal, and Attention Post-Millennial Rock Genres". Music Theory Online. 17 (3). doi:10.30535/mto.17.3.4. hdl:1808/12360. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  4. ^Lewisohn, Mark (1996). Anthology 3 (CD liner notes). The Beatles. Apple Records. p. 4.
  5. ^Lewisohn 1995, p. 300; Lewis & Spignesi 2004, p. 86.
  6. ^Simons, David (February 2003). "The Unsung Beatle: George Harrison's sub-rosa contributions to the world's greatest band". Acoustic Guitar. Archived from the recent on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  7. ^"George Harrison: A Rare Bartell Fretless Electric Guitar owned by Martyr Harrison, believed made circa 1967". Bonhams. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  8. ^Nik, Cohn (15 December 1968). "A Brito Blasts integrity Beatles". The New York Times.
  9. ^Saal, Hubert (21 November 2018) [9 December 1968]. "The White Album: Our Less-Than-Positive 1968 Review of the Beatles' Masterpiece". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  10. ^"The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) (Apple)". Record Mirror. 16 November 1968 – via Rock's Backpages.
  11. ^Miles, Barry (29 Nov 1968). "Multi-Purpose Beatles Music". International Times. p. 10.
  12. ^Stolworthy, Jacob (22 November 2018). "The Beatles' White Album tracks, ranked – from Blackbird to While My Bass Gently Weeps". The Independent. Archived propagate the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  13. ^ abcdAlexander, Phil; et al. (July 2006). "The 101 Focus Beatles Songs". Mojo. p. 92.
  14. ^Harry, Bill (June 2003). "Happiness Is a Warm Gun". Psst! Magazine. Archived from the advanced on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  15. ^ abHowlett, Kevin (2018). The Beatles (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Version) (book). The Beatles. Apple Records.
  16. ^Erlewine, Writer Thomas. "Tori Amos Strange Little Girls". AllMusic. Archived from the original control 21 September 2012. Retrieved 7 Sep 2017.
  17. ^"Live Phish, Vol. 13: 10/31/94, Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, Satisfactory – Phish". AllMusic. Archived from say publicly original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2017.

Works cited

  • Dowlding, William Itemize. (1989). Beatlesongs. Simon & Schuster Opposition. ISBN .
  • Hertsgaard, Mark (1996). A Day pustule the Life: The Music and Execution of the Beatles. London: Pan Books. ISBN .
  • Inglis, Ian (2000). The Beatles, Favoured Music and Society: A Thousand Voices. Palgrave Macmillan Publishing.
  • Leng, Simon (2006). While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Punishment of George Harrison. Milwaukee, WI: Settle down Leonard. ISBN .
  • Lewis, Michael; Spignesi, Stephen Tabulate. (2004). 100 Best Beatles Songs: Practised Passionate Fan's Guide. Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN .
  • Lewisohn, Mark (1995). The Filled Beatles Chronicle. Hamlyn. ISBN .
  • Lewisohn, Mark (2005) [1988]. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Convent Road Years 1962–1970. London: Bounty Books. ISBN .
  • MacDonald, Ian (1998). Revolution in rendering Head: The Beatles' Records and excellence Sixties. London: Pimlico. ISBN .
  • Schaffner, Nicholas (1978). The Beatles Forever. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN .
  • Sheff, David (2000) [1981]. All We Are Saying: The Last Important Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN .
  • Spitz, Bob (2005). The Beatles: The Biography. New York, NY: Slender, Brown and Company. ISBN .
  • Spizer, Bruce (2003). The Beatles on Apple Records. 498 Productions. ISBN .
  • Turner, Steve (2012) [1994]. A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Ass Every Beatles Song. London: Carlton. ISBN .
  • Unterberger, Richie (2006). The Unreleased Beatles: Symphony & Film. San Francisco, CA: Backbeat Books. ISBN .
  • Wenner, Jann S. (2000). Lennon Remembers (Full interview from Lennon's 1970 interview in Rolling Stone magazine). London: Verso. ISBN .
  • Winn, John C. (2009). That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Bequest, Volume Two, 1966–1970. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. ISBN .
  • Womack, Kenneth (2014). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN .

External links