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I never thought it had anything to do with religion. I have a Hispanic co-worker named Jesus and the last thing I think of is the Deity. I remember listening to Lady Madonna as a kid and getting the visual of the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe. Kids running about, feeding this one, doing this, doing that. I don't know. That was my mind movie and that was 30 years ago, still is.

[apple sauce]

Actually I think "Jesus" is just a name picked by the Hispanic society due to their religious upbringing. As for the "Lady Madonna" song like most Beatle songs the lyrics can have many interpitaions which is evident by this thread.

[Frightwolf]

It can have many interpretations, but Lady Madonna being about a woman with many children and not much money and how the heck she could make ends meet seems the most plausible.  It's just there in the lyrics!

[Harrison]

What could be more religious than the "Virgin Mary??"

[Kevin]

John clearly was referring to himself with the cruciofixation remark on BOJ&Y, yet it was banned. So whether Paul meant Lady Madonna to have religious overtones (I think he meant the double meanings but didn't mean for the song to be religious) or not doesn't really matter, it's whether the radio stations considered them to be offensive or not.
I always thought Johns line was a dig at 1966. I think it was banned because it was more overt and in a way John was comparing himself to Christ again (as a joke I think).
Banning has always been a bit hit and miss-both "My Boy Lollipop and Walk on The Wild Side got through

[Kevin]

For crying out loud, it's just a song. Just listen to it and enjoy it instead of fussing over who the hell it's about.

But that's half the fun of being a Beatles fan!

[zipp]

Banning has always been a bit hit and miss-both

I think in 68 Paul was taking a bit of a chance using the word 'breast'.

But as has been said it's pretty clear the song was about an overworked mother so it couldn't get banned for blasphemy, drugs or sex.

[Kevin]

I think in 68 Paul was taking a bit of a chance using the word 'breast'.

But as has been said it's pretty clear the song was about an overworked mother so it couldn't get banned for blasphemy, drugs or sex.

Yes, but surely "Ballad of J&Y" is clearly about John and Yoko, but still got banned.
Like I said I don't think intention has much to do with it.
Split Enz "Six months in a leaky boat" was banned by the BBC during the Falklands war, and there intention certainly wasn't to write a song about p*ssed off British sailors

[zipp]

Yes, but surely "Ballad of J&Y" is clearly about John and Yoko, but still got banned.

Lennon used 'Christ' as a blasphemous swear word, so that was easy to ban.
(And the comparison between himself and Christ was obviousy going to get him back into trouble in the States).

The use of Madonna on the other hand seems to be praising the mother in the song making her into a kind of modern saint.

[Kevin]

^ Dang! You're right.

[zipp]

Pleased you agree, Kevin.

[Kevin]

Oh, but it hurts

[An Apple Beatle]

Nicely summed up though Zipp......Nice n consise.

[apple sauce]

The Madonna is still a religious figure and writing a song about her praising her or not should have driven the "religous" people crazy! I think it flew under their radar! Obviously no one picked up on it similar to most of the people here!

[Ydoll Gwyn]

I think Paul MAY (only MAY) have been inspired to write this song by a controversy that was raging strongly at the time (late 67, thereabouts). It was rumored that the Pope (Paul VI) was going to relax the ban on "artificial contraception" for Catholics. The pill had begun to be very widely used following its introduction a few years earlier. One of the arguments used by Western women was that they could decide on the size of their families. They could have the number of children that they could look after properly, rather than breeding the family into poverty.

At the time, it was an often-discussed matter. Non-catholic christians were into the debate as well, because many saw the pope as being an important moral spokesman. The morality of the "pill", family size, poverty, ethial decisions made my people (priests) for whom there were no practical consequences, etc etc all were in the soup. Paul distilled ONE angle out of the debate, and produced one of his finest set of lyrics. It was seen by some as being a religio-political statement (really!).

THAT could be the religious angle to the song, if it has one. The "madonna" in Lady Madonna is NOT the "virgin", but rather woman-kind in general.

The Pope --of course -- said no way Jose! You gotta wonder what goes on inside the heads of these celibate heroes: not much, it seems.

[apple sauce]

Cogratulations on an extremely well thought out and written response. You definatley dug up some great facts.

[Ydoll Gwyn]

Thanks! Paul's often accused (rightly) of very often writing fluff, but he was on the money sometimes. Lady M has great lyrics, and a great arrangement. Their second last GREAT single, in my opinion (Hey Jude/Revolution being the last GREAT one).

[pc31]

(I think he meant the double meanings but didn't mean for the song to be religious)

at least a sensible arguement.he probally did that on purpose to mimic johns genuis useage of it.meant it to means two things.noone even saw that?

[The End]

Did Paul try to replicate this double meaning on Let It Be with his "Mother Mary comes to me" line? The 'Mary' reference could either be about his mother Mary or the virgin Mary.

A lot of religeous people think this song is based on the Catholic mass - especially with the line "in my hour of darkness" (pointedly NOT 'in my dakest hour') pertaining to a mass held in a dimly-lit church.

[apple sauce]

Actually Paul has indicated that the "Mother Mary" in his song is in fact his own "Mother" that he's reffering to. He had a dream that in his darkest hour which was the Beatles drifting apart she came to him and offered her support! Her name was Mary.