Beatles songs, Revolution 9
Revolution 9
(John Lennon, Yoko Ono and George Harrison)Albums in which the song is present
1968 - The Beatles (White Album)GEORGE 1969: 'Revolution 9 wasn't particularly like a Beatles number… it worked quite well in the context of all those different songs.
I find it heavy to listen to myself – in fact, I don't, really.'JOHN 1971: 'I thought I was painting in sound a picture of revolution, but I made a mistake, you know.
The mistake was that it was antirevolution.'JOHN 1980: 'The slow version of 'Revolution' on the album went on and on and on and I took the fade-out part, which is what they sometimes do with disco records now, and just layered all this stuff over it.
It was the basic rhythm of the original 'Revolution' going on with some twenty (tape) loops we put on, things from the archives of EMI.
We were cutting up classical music and making different-size loops, and then I got and engineer tape on which some test engineer was saying, 'Number nine.' All those different bits of sound and noise are all compiled.
There were about ten (tape) machines with people holding pencils on the loops – some only inches long and some a yard long.
I fed them all in and mixed them live.
I did a few mixes until I got one I liked.
Yoko was there for the whole thing and she made decisions about which loops to use.
It was somewhat under her influence, I suppose.
Once I heard her stuff – not just the screeching and the howling but her sort of word pieces and talking and breathing and all this strange stuff, I thought, My God, I got intrigued… so I wanted to do one.
I spent more time on 'Revolution 9' than I did on half the songs I ever wrote.
It was a montage.'
I find it heavy to listen to myself – in fact, I don't, really.'JOHN 1971: 'I thought I was painting in sound a picture of revolution, but I made a mistake, you know.
The mistake was that it was antirevolution.'JOHN 1980: 'The slow version of 'Revolution' on the album went on and on and on and I took the fade-out part, which is what they sometimes do with disco records now, and just layered all this stuff over it.
It was the basic rhythm of the original 'Revolution' going on with some twenty (tape) loops we put on, things from the archives of EMI.
We were cutting up classical music and making different-size loops, and then I got and engineer tape on which some test engineer was saying, 'Number nine.' All those different bits of sound and noise are all compiled.
There were about ten (tape) machines with people holding pencils on the loops – some only inches long and some a yard long.
I fed them all in and mixed them live.
I did a few mixes until I got one I liked.
Yoko was there for the whole thing and she made decisions about which loops to use.
It was somewhat under her influence, I suppose.
Once I heard her stuff – not just the screeching and the howling but her sort of word pieces and talking and breathing and all this strange stuff, I thought, My God, I got intrigued… so I wanted to do one.
I spent more time on 'Revolution 9' than I did on half the songs I ever wrote.
It was a montage.'
(Bottle of Claret for you if I had realisedWell, do it next time.I forgot about it, George, I'm sorry.
Will you forgive me?Yes.)Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, numberThen there's this Welsh Rarebit wearing some brown underpants
About the shortage of grain in Hertfordshire
Everyone of them knew that as time went by
They'd get a little bit older and a litter slower but
It's all the same thing, in this case manufactured by someone who's always
Umpteen your father's giving it diddly-i-dee
District was leaving, intended to pay forNumber 9, number 9Who's to know?
Who was to know?Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9I sustained nothing worse than
Also for example
Whatever you're doing
A business deal falls through
I informed him on the third night
When fortune givesNumber 9, number 9, number 9People ride, people ride
Ride, ride, ride, ride, ride
Ride! Ride!9, number 9, number 9, number 9I've missed all of that
It makes me a few days late
Compared with, like, wow!
And weird stuff like that
Taking our sides sometimes
Floral bark
Rouge doctors have brought this specimenI have nobody's short-cuts, aha 9, number 9With the situationThey are standing stillThe plan, the telegramOoh oohNumber 9, numberOohA man without terrors from beard to false
As the headmaster reported to me
My son he really can try as they do to find function
Tell what he was saying, and his voice was low and his hive high
And his eyes were lowAlright!Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9So the wife called me and we'd better go to see a surgeon
Or whatever to price it yellow underclothes
So, any road, we went to see the dentist instead
Who gave her a pair of teeth which wasn't any good at all
So I said I'd marry, join the fucking navy and went to seaIn my broken chair, my wings are broken and so is my hair
I'm not in the mood for whirlingUm da
AaahHow?
Dogs for dogging, hands for clapping
Birds for birding and fish for fishing
Them for themming and when for whimmingOnly to find the night-watchman
Unaware of his presence in the buildingOnion soupNumber 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9Industrial output
Financial imbalanceThrusting it between his shoulder bladesThe Watusi
The twistEldoradoTake this brother, may it serve you wellMaybe it's nothing
Aaah
Maybe it's nothing
What? What? OhMaybe even then
Impervious in London
Could be difficult thing
It's quick like rush for peace is
Because it's so much
It was like being nakedIf you became naked
Will you forgive me?Yes.)Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, numberThen there's this Welsh Rarebit wearing some brown underpants
About the shortage of grain in Hertfordshire
Everyone of them knew that as time went by
They'd get a little bit older and a litter slower but
It's all the same thing, in this case manufactured by someone who's always
Umpteen your father's giving it diddly-i-dee
District was leaving, intended to pay forNumber 9, number 9Who's to know?
Who was to know?Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9I sustained nothing worse than
Also for example
Whatever you're doing
A business deal falls through
I informed him on the third night
When fortune givesNumber 9, number 9, number 9People ride, people ride
Ride, ride, ride, ride, ride
Ride! Ride!9, number 9, number 9, number 9I've missed all of that
It makes me a few days late
Compared with, like, wow!
And weird stuff like that
Taking our sides sometimes
Floral bark
Rouge doctors have brought this specimenI have nobody's short-cuts, aha 9, number 9With the situationThey are standing stillThe plan, the telegramOoh oohNumber 9, numberOohA man without terrors from beard to false
As the headmaster reported to me
My son he really can try as they do to find function
Tell what he was saying, and his voice was low and his hive high
And his eyes were lowAlright!Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9So the wife called me and we'd better go to see a surgeon
Or whatever to price it yellow underclothes
So, any road, we went to see the dentist instead
Who gave her a pair of teeth which wasn't any good at all
So I said I'd marry, join the fucking navy and went to seaIn my broken chair, my wings are broken and so is my hair
I'm not in the mood for whirlingUm da
AaahHow?
Dogs for dogging, hands for clapping
Birds for birding and fish for fishing
Them for themming and when for whimmingOnly to find the night-watchman
Unaware of his presence in the buildingOnion soupNumber 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9Industrial output
Financial imbalanceThrusting it between his shoulder bladesThe Watusi
The twistEldoradoTake this brother, may it serve you wellMaybe it's nothing
Aaah
Maybe it's nothing
What? What? OhMaybe even then
Impervious in London
Could be difficult thing
It's quick like rush for peace is
Because it's so much
It was like being nakedIf you became naked
