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[Greg]

It's so hard to say if The Beatles shouldve couldve done this or said that in terms of politics or just said more than they did in their music.

I think they did the right thing of doing their talking in interviews and not overtly saturating their music with political messages.

If they had I wouldnt criticize them for doing that.  In fact it wouldve been great. 


But I like how they said the important things in interviews.  Many of their comments to the press were not just middle of the road-inconsequential answers.

And besides...they had solo careers to say stuff like that. ha

[2 of 3]

I agree. It's pretty hard to write songs about what you believe to be true(on any topic). People change. One day you're writing songs about (A) and 2 years later you're writing songs about (B). That last thing most people want to hear is preaching. Can you imagine if Paul sang every other song about vegetarianism? Talk about losing the room. 

[Mervap]

One day you're writing songs about (A) and 2 years later you're writing songs about (B).

Lennon might have done that on the same album.....

[kylenz]

Sometimes I'm thankful that they didn't go too overboard with political songs. It's a bit of a bummer after years of enjoying their music and they finally open their mouths with their political opinions and you realise they're just as blinkered as everyone else out there. I remember when Macca brought out that 'Freedom' song and utterly cringing at the sentiment in it - the whole 9/11 thing was based on the Project for a New American Century to give corrupt US governments carte blanche to go in and destabilise the Middle East under the auspice of 'protecting freedoms' and eliminating 'terrorism' and creating LIES to do just that (Saddam Hussein never had weapons of mass destruction for example - yet that was the prime reason they went into Iraq).

I couldn't believe Macca fell for all that media-fed hype and hoopla, but I shrugged my shoulders and now realise 'hey, he's just a musician - a really great one' - but sometimes musicians don't make the best agents for political and social change unfortunately.

Lennon was an interesting one - always promoting peace - yet in his private life he was far from peace-and-love.

(*shrugs shoulders again*)

[Greg]

\ I remember when Macca brought out that 'Freedom' song and utterly cringing at the sentiment in it - the whole 9/11 thing was based on the Project for a New American Century to give corrupt US governments carte blanche to go in and destabilise the Middle East under the auspice of 'protecting freedoms' and eliminating 'terrorism' and creating LIES to do just that (Saddam Hussein never had weapons of mass destruction for example - yet that was the prime reason they went into Iraq).

That was awesome.  I dont even know what to say.

I remember 9/11's most outstanding memory to me.  Our principal was crying and saying something about "people over there are cheering about this."  I was standing there thinking...How can anyone be surprised by this, and how can you be surprised that many are cheering about this?  We have supported dictators and based most of our foreign policy on what's in the best interest of our oil-based economy. 

[kylenz]

On the night that 9/11 happened, we were all glued to our televisions (it happened around midnight-to morning New Zealand time) and one of my flatmates right there and then said "this isn't about terrorism and boogie men hiding in caves.. this is about oil". Very perceptive he was, and this was well before all the conspiracies came out of the woodwork.

I'll never forget what he said - and he wasn't wrong.

 

[Mervap]

Saddam Hussein never had weapons of mass destruction for example

As a point of order, Saddam actually did have weapons of mass destruction........just had used them all in his fight with Iran. I don't recall our government saying much about his use of mustard gas at that time.

The "weapons of mass destruction" play was just that......a play. And we're gonna be paying for that for a long time.

[2 of 3]

Have no fear, Trump is here. 

[2 of 3]

Anybody watch this yet? 3 hrs...whew! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Qt6a-vaNM

[Keri]

They had two overtly political songs that I can think of Taxman and Revolution. Both are quite good songs, I don't really wish for more and I don't get any perception that they were that politically savvy. Blackbird was conceived as a political song, but even knowing that it doesn't really strike me as one.

I pretty much agree with Kyle's assessment of Paul re 911 it was facile. I quite like Paul's looking for Changes, partly because it shows a sincerity (or maybe it's more a willingness to put himself on the line) that is often lacking in Paul, but also partly because he doesn't usually do that.

As artists they were speaking to inspiration and the human condition. Imagine I think was John's most successful political song, I think primarily because it was a vision piece.

Still Ian MacDonald called his book on the Beatles "Revolution in the Head" and I think that reflects in a way that the Beatles caused some sort of cultural revolution, not necessarily all for the better.

[2 of 3]

I quite like Paul's looking for Changes, partly because it shows a sincerity (or maybe it's more a willingness to put himself on the line) that is often lacking in Paul, but also partly because he doesn't usually do that.

I like that song too. It does remind me of Press for some reason though I don't think is sounds like it. All of the parts go together nicely.

[Keri]

I like that song too. It does remind me of Press for some reason though I don't think is sounds like it. All of the parts go together nicely.

Cool, I thought I was the only one. I am a vegetarian, so that makes it easy for me to relate to it.