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[nimrod]

I am he as you are he as you are me
 And we are all together
 See how they run like pigs from a gun see how they fly
 I'm crying

 Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come
 Corporation teeshirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
 Man you been a naughty boy. You let your face grow long
 I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
 I am the walrus, goo goo goo joob

 Mister City Policeman sitting, pretty little policemen in a row
 See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run
 I'm crying, I'm crying
 I'm crying, I'm crying

 Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye
 Crabalocker fishwife pornographic priestess
 Boy you been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down
 I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
 I am the walrus, goo goo goo joob

 Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun
 If the sun don't come
 You get a tan from standing in the English rain
 I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
 I am the walrus, goo goo goo joob goo goo goo goo joob

 Expert textpert choking smokers
 Don't you think the joker laughs at you? (Ha ha ha! He he he! Ha ha ha!)
 See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snied
 I'm crying

 Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower
 Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna
 Man you should have seen them kicking Edgar Alan Poe
 I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
 I am the walrus, goo goo goo joob goo goo goo joob
 Goo goo goo joob goo goo goo joob
 Goo gooooooooooo jooba jooba jooba jooba jooba jooba
 Jooba jooba
 Jooba jooba
 Jooba jooba 


"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song was featured in the Beatles' 1967 television film Magical Mystery Tour, as a track on the associated British double EP of the same name and its American counterpart LP, and was the B-side to the number 1 hit single "Hello, Goodbye". Since the single and the double EP held at one time in December 1967 the top two slots on the British singles chart, the song had the distinction of being at number 1 and number 2 simultaneously.

Lennon received a letter from a pupil at Quarry Bank High School, which he had attended. The writer mentioned that the English master was making his class analyse Beatles' lyrics (Lennon wrote an answer, dated 1 September 1967, which was auctioned by Christie's of London in 1992). Lennon, amused that a teacher was putting so much effort into understanding the Beatles' lyrics, decided to write in his next song the most confusing lyrics that he could.

The genesis of the lyrics is found in three song ideas that Lennon was working on, the first of which was inspired by hearing a police siren at his home in Weybridge; Lennon wrote the lines "Mis-ter cit-y police-man" to the rhythm and melody of the siren. The second idea was a short rhyme about Lennon sitting in his garden, while the third was a nonsense lyric about sitting on a corn flake. Unable to finish the ideas as three different songs, he eventually combined them into one. The lyrics also included the phrase "Lucy in the sky" from "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band earlier in the year.

The walrus is a reference to the walrus in Lewis Carroll's poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" (from the book Through the Looking-Glass). Lennon later expressed dismay upon belatedly realising that the walrus was a villain in the poem.

The final catalyst of the song occurred when Lennon's friend and former fellow member of the Quarrymen, Peter Shotton, visited and Lennon asked Shotton about a playground nursery rhyme they sang as children. Shotton remembered:
"Yellow matter custard, green slop pie,All mixed together with a dead dog's eye,Slap it on a butty, ten foot thick,Then wash it all down with a cup of cold sick."
Lennon borrowed a couple of words, added the three unfinished ideas and the result was "I Am the Walrus". The Beatles' official biographer Hunter Davies was present while the song was being written and wrote an account in his 1968 biography of the Beatles. Lennon remarked to Shotton, "Let the f***ers work that one out." Shotton was also responsible for suggesting to Lennon to change the lyric "waiting for the man to come" to "waiting for the van to come".

"I Am the Walrus" was the first studio recording made after the death of the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in August 1967. The basic backing track featuring the Beatles was released in 1996 on Anthology 2. George Martin arranged and added orchestral accompaniment that included violins, cellos, horns, clarinet and a 16-piece choir. Paul McCartney said that Lennon gave instructions to Martin as to how he wished the orchestration to be scored, including singing most of the parts as a guide. A large group of professional studio vocalists named the Mike Sammes Singers, took part in the recording as well, variously singing "Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha", "oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper!", "everybody's got one" and making a series of shrill whooping noises.

Personnel

John Lennon – lead vocal, electric piano, mellotron
Paul McCartney – bass, tambourine, backing vocal
George Harrison – electric guitar, backing vocal
Ringo Starr – drums
Orchestrated, directed and produced by George Martin.
Session musicians – strings, brass and woodwinds
Mike Sammes singers – backing vocals

[ibanez_ax]

One of my all time favorites.  I never get tired of this ridiculous song.

[Klang]

One of my faves just for its strangeness and originality.

I remember my first listen. I got home from school and heard it on the radio. What a smack on the head out of nowhere. No Internet in those days, nor much else to inform of impending new releases, so the singles just popped up out of the blue. I raced to the record store and got my copy. Probably played it 100 times that evening.

There's some kind of story around about Eric Burdon being the actual "egg man" based on some — er — rather odd activities that he enjoyed. I'm sure someone here must have the details.

 

[tkitna]

Top 5 Beatle tune easily for me. Love everything about it.

[stevie]

One of my faves just for its strangeness and originality.

I remember my first listen. I got home from school and heard it on the radio. What a smack on the head out of nowhere. No Internet in those days, nor much else to inform of impending new releases, so the singles just popped up out of the blue. I raced to the record store and got my copy. Probably played it 100 times that evening.

There's some kind of story around about Eric Burdon being the actual "egg man" based on some — er — rather odd activities that he enjoyed. I'm sure someone here must have the details.

 

Yeah, I think it's in the Goldman book (so take it or leave it lol) that Eric used to break raw eggs onto women's body as he made love to them  .  Sniffing amyl nitrate was involved too lol. Apparently John was with Ekka once while the eggperience was going on and he was urging him on saying, 'Go egg man'!

[blmeanie]

Great song.  Love it.  Love that non fans don't get the coolness of this song.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

It's one of the best psychedelic songs by the Beatles, for sure, though I've always preferred "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" or "Tomorrow Never Knows". Nevertheless, "I Am The Walrus" is pure genius. Well done John.

[Dcazz]

I've always thought the "Sitting in an English garden" waiting for the sun. If the sun don't come you get a tan from standing in the English rain" lyrics were some of the most clever ones ever put to music. Love it!

[Moogmodule]

One of my favs. It's one if those songs that argue for Johns genius. Such a weird collection of words, music and arrangement that fit together so well.

It's strangeness can be appreciated even by kids with the eggman lyrics (forgetting the unsavoury potential origins  that Klang and Stevie mentioned).

It's interesting to listen to the version lacking all the orchestral and sound effect overdubs. It comes across as a grungier but a still compelling piece of music.

You can  appreciate johns consternation when this was bumped to the B side by Hello Goodbye.

[nimrod]

One of my favs. It's one if those songs that argue for Johns genius. Such a weird collection of words, music and arrangement that fit together so well.

It's strangeness can be appreciated even by kids with the eggman lyrics (forgetting the unsavoury potential origins  that Klang and Stevie mentioned).

It's interesting to listen to the version lacking all the orchestral and sound effect overdubs. It comes across as a grungier but a still compelling piece of music.

You can  appreciate johns consternation when this was bumped to the B side by Hello Goodbye.

Definitly too good for a B side song, one of my favourite Beatle songs, brilliantly conceived and executed, I loved it the first time I heard it and still do, my kids loved it, even the cat loved it 

I was 14 when it came out and Beatle crazy, Id never heard anything like it of course, I remember thinking, this is just a huge record, it hit the world and made a massive statement...........how could those lads keep coming up with these great tunes ??

[Hello Goodbye]

A large group of professional studio vocalists named the Mike Sammes Singers, took part in the recording as well, variously singing "Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha", "oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper!", "everybody's got one" and making a series of shrill whooping noises.

That's not what I hear.  I hear "smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smokes pot."

[Hello Goodbye]

A large group of professional studio vocalists named the Mike Sammes Singers, took part in the recording as well, variously singing "Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha", "oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper!", "everybody's got one" and making a series of shrill whooping noises.

I hear something else there too.   

[Klang]

I have one of those guys' albums...



Pretty middle of the road stuff. If they really were on 'Walrus' then it has to be the coolest thing they ever did.

 

[Dcazz]

That's not what I hear.  I hear "smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smokes pot."

That's what I hear too!

[ibanez_ax]

Definitly too good for a B side song, one of my favourite Beatle songs, brilliantly conceived and executed, I loved it the first time I heard it and still do, my kids loved it, even the cat loved it 

I was 14 when it came out and Beatle crazy, Id never heard anything like it of course, I remember thinking, this is just a huge record, it hit the world and made a massive statement...........how could those lads keep coming up with these great tunes ??

I think I read somewhere that John didn't like the fact that it was the b side of Hello Goodbye which was song he didn't care for.

[Moogmodule]

I think I read somewhere that John didn't like the fact that it was the b side of Hello Goodbye which was song he didn't care for.

And it wasn't even given the honour of a double A side.

Maybe it was logical. Hello Goodbye, despite the vacuous lyric was  catchy cheery pop tune. They might have been worried Walrus was just too out there as a single. The boys had their chart topping reputation to uphold.

 

[Mr Mustard]

I love it, despite the fact it doesn't even really seem to have a tune, and melody was always one of The Beatles' greatest strengths.

Lennon's lyrical loop-the-loop lunacy allied to that incessant two-note pulse is wonderfully mesmerising... in the MMT film segment of course, John wore that 19th Century asylum inmate's tight skull cap (I always thought that made him look like an egg, hence the word imagery) - a nod to the marvellous insanity over which he is presiding: the Shepard tone finale is in itself enough to drive you mad.

That such an original and mischievous slice of brilliant nonsense should be their first recording in the wake of Brian's shocking death is a testament to their resilience and their genius. As for that random radio scanning at the close, tuning into the BBC Third Programme broadcast of King Lear and the gasped line "Oh! Untimely death" so prominent in the fade out mix....coincidence?

[Hello Goodbye]

I love it, despite the fact it doesn't even really seem to have a tune, and melody was always one of The Beatles' greatest strengths.

Well, it's a rap song. 

But The Beatles didn't invent rap.  Bob Dylan might have had the first rap song...

Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back - Clip

[Hello Goodbye]

That's what I hear too!

Right.  Do you hear "everybody's got one" or something else, Dave?

[Mr Mustard]

Well, it's a rap song. 

But The Beatles didn't invent rap.  Bob Dylan might have had the first rap song...

With its repetitious rhythm and nonsense rhymes I've always said "Walrus" was the closest The Beatles ever got to rap. But John never sang a bum note in his life, so "Walrus" doesn't quite qualify....

There is a case for saying that Dylan invented rap  - like all rappers, Bob couldn't hold a tune in a bucket.

Jagger would've made a great rap artist. He can't even talk in tune.

 


For what it's worth I only ever hear "Oompah Oompah stick it up your jumper" and "Everybody's got one"...nothing else!