Was it Paul or John? John did sing it, but then said it was Paul who was the walrus. Hmm... what are your opinions on this?

Well, When John sang about the Walrus, it was just random nonsense thrown at the critics to mock them. Lennon found how people often analysed his songs as ridiculous, so he wrote Walrus as a private joke for himself and the band.
Later, he said the Walrus was Paul, just to keep Paul happy. This was done, because by this time, Lennon & Yoko were very close, and the paul & john bond was breaking, thus he wrote it to keep him happy..
The Walrus* is heavily influenced by Alice through the looking glass...the characters the Walrus & the Carpenter...( The Walrus is infact the evil capitalist character)

Hope it helps.

Well I think the walrus was Harold...

James Joyce was a big influence on JL. On the cover of Magical Mystery Tour, Paul is in the walrus suit. On the inside of the album after the IAMT title it says 'No you're not, said little Nicola' meaning it wasn't John. Then you can read into whatever you like as far as the Paul Is Dead rumor, vis a vis "Glass Onion". I never heard that he wrote that to keep Paul happy because of Yoko, I personally don't think he gave a s**t what people thought of him and Yoko.

why would comparing him to a evil capitalist "looking glass" character make him happier.

Hmm... thanks for the info about the walrus guys. I was just listening to "I Am the Walrus" earlier and I had heard "Glass Onion" countless times and heard Lennon's remarks about the walrus. It just got me wondering.

Paul was the hippo I thought .. meh, doesn't matter.

I've also heard that the whole walrus thing came from a Shakespearean play (one which I cannot remember).

Quoted from barry_burton

I've also heard that the whole walrus thing came from a Shakespearean play (one which I cannot remember).

It didn't come from the play, but you hear Act IV Scene VI, the death scene from King Lear, during the fadeout.

Quoted from lennonlemon

why would comparing him to a evil capitalist "looking glass" character make him happier.

John got the characters wrong. He said later on he picked the wrong guy! I guess he wasn't THAT familiar with the work when he wrote the song. Probably liked the way Walrus sounded. I think the bit about Paul being the Walrus is another Lennon backpeddling thing. He said he was throwing Paul a bone, but then, he said a lot of things that were probably only half true. If true at all. It probably just rhymed or something.

look at a pic of the boys where there standing next together.. look at the difference in hight.. then have a look at a pic of them standing next together in their costumes and try and work out who was the WALRUS  hehe .. just a bit of fun i guess lmao ...

in the when we was fab video by george harrison ringo is in it, but they couldn't get paul so they substituted him with a walrus playing bass.

it's hardly evidence, but it does make some sense.

Quoted from juniorsfarm

I personally don't think he gave a s**t what people thought of him and Yoko.

Based on his Rolling Stone interviews (1970?) and the way he attacked the others for their alledged mistreatment of Yoko, I think he cared very much what people thought.
John has always struck me as a nervous, ill at ease person. not some happy- go lucky- don't- give- a- damn kinda guy

Quoted from kevin_b

Based on his Rolling Stone interviews (1970?) and the way he attacked the others for their alledged mistreatment of Yoko, I think he cared very much what people thought.
John has always struck me as a nervous, ill at ease person. not some happy- go lucky- don't- give- a- damn kinda guy

True. He lashed out at the treatment of Yoko and how she was villified, but it didn't change anything that he/they did. Then again, he lashed out at everything in the Jann Wenner interview. He knew that they were going to be mocked about the Bed-In,  Bagism, etc., but he went on with it, mainly to draw attention to their Peace campaign. I'm not saying that he wasn't hurt by it and the dissension with the rest of the band, but he forged ahead and must have figured the price was worth the cost.

Quoted from juniorsfarm

James Joyce was a big influence on JL. On the cover of Magical Mystery Tour, Paul is in the walrus suit. On the inside of the album after the IAMT title it says 'No you're not, said little Nicola' meaning it wasn't John. Then you can read into whatever you like as far as the Paul Is Dead rumor, vis a vis "Glass Onion". I never heard that he wrote that to keep Paul happy because of Yoko, I personally don't think he gave a s**t what people thought of him and Yoko.

That's what I thought on the MMT cover, untilI read that the hippo has the watch on the right hand, and left-handers have watches on their right hand, signalling that Paul is in the hippo costume.

nice reply's there Kev & JF .. i absolutely agree with the both of you !