I am the Walrus

1. By: John Lennon Presentation by: Amanda Bartlett I am the Walrus

2. I am the Walrus Lyrics: • I am he as you are he as you are meAnd we are all together See how they run like pigs from a gun See how they fly, I'm cryingSitting on a cornflakeWaiting for the van to comeCorporation T-shirt, stupid bloody TuesdayMan you've been a naughty boyYou let your face grow long

3. Lyrics continued: • I am the eggmanThey are the eggmenI am the walrusGoo goo g' joob Mr. City policeman sittingPretty little policemen in a rowSee how they fly like Lucy in the skySee how they run, I'm crying I'm crying, I'm crying, I'm crying

4. Lyrics Continued #2: • Yellow matter custardDripping from a dead dog's eyeCrabalocker fishwifePornographic priestessBoy, you've been a naughty girlYou let your knickers downI am the eggmanThey are the eggmenI am the walrusGoo goo g' joob

5. Lyrics Continued #3: • Sitting in an English gardenWaiting for the sunIf the sun don't come you get a tanFrom standing in the English rainI am the eggmanThey are the eggmenI am the walrusGoo goo g' joobG-goo goo g' joob

6. Lyrics Continued #4: • Expert, texpert choking smokersDon't you think the joker laughs at you?See how they smile like pigs in a stySee how they snide, I'm cryingClimbing up the Eiffel towerElementary penguin singing Hare KrishnaMan, you should have seen them kickingEdgar Allan Poe

7. Lyrics Continued #5: • I am the eggmanThey are the eggmenI am the walrusGoo goo g' joobG-goo goo g' joobGoo goo g' gooG-goo goo g' joob gooJuba juba jubaJuba juba jubaJuba juba, juba jubaJubajuba

8. Summery of the Song: • This song can best be summarized as complete gibberish emanating from drug (LSD) induced hallucinations. The song lyrics have been described as mazy wordplay Lennon used to form his own literary pretzels twisting around a cloud of psychedelic imagery. • back

9. Meaning of the Song: • I am the Walrus is a song with very little meaning, this song can best be described as pure Lennon fantasy written while under the influence of LSD on two separate occasions. Other then the reference to “The Eggman” which was a nickname given to a friend of Lennon’s for breaking raw eggs on girls during sex, the song was just mostly nonsense. • Back

10. Biography of John Lennon: • John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 during a Luftwaffe bombing in Liverpool, England. His mom bought him his first guitar when he was 16 and he formed his first group the Quarryman that same year. On July 6, 1957 John met Paul McCartney for the first time while he was performing with his band. Three years later they formed the Silver Beetles. Shortly after, John’s mom was killed by a pedestrian’s car while she was crossing the street. Changing the group’s name to be spelled Beatles they debut in 1961 at the Cavern club in Liverpool. John married Cynthia Powell on August 23, 1962. John Charles Julian Lennon who was the only child with Cynthia was born in April of 1963. 1964 the Beatles started their first U.S tour and two days later they made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show which was a really big deal at the time (DeCurtis). Next

11. Biography of John Lennon • During the summer of 1964 the Beatles were introduced to drugs. In 1966 Lennon met Yoko One, and a year later Cynthia filed for divorce. The Beatles performed for the last time on the top of the Apple building, singing “Let it be,” in 1969. Less than two months later John and Yoko got married. Late in 1971, John Lennon left the U.K for New York, never to return, four years later the US court of appeals granted Lennon US residency. October 9, 1975 Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born in New York. Finally on December 8, 1980, tragedy strikes when John Lennon was assassinated in front of his apartment building. Lennon received a Grammy for his lifetime achievements, and he was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Back

12. Song facts: • Lennon got the idea for the song when he heard police sirens outside of his home. • The song was also based on the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” from Lewis Carrol’sThrough the Looking Glass. Although John was disappointed when he later discovered that the Walrus was the “bad guy” in the poem. • Back`

13. Theories: • Pete Shotton, one of Johns friends, said the Lennon’s inspiration came from a letter sent to him from a student at his old school saying that the English classes had been analyzing Beatles lyrics Lennon was amused by that, so he wanted to put together something ridiculous to possibly tease the people who were looking for a clause in his lyrics. back

14. The Paul Theory: • Another theory was that the song was about Paul McCartneys rumored death. Certain lines within the song supported that theory. People believed that Paul was the Walrus in the song. • Although because Paul was not dead the lyrics still had no meaning. • back

15. Recording the Song • Lennon listened to the basic track of the song for a month then decided it needed proper musical arrangement which meant one as weird as the lyrics. • The Producers of the album ( Magical Mystery Tour) were not happy with the song, but decided to let the Beatles and John Lennon in particular, have their fun with the bizarre song. • back

16. Future Songs: • There at least two references to other Beatle songs that had not been recorded at the time of “The Walrus” Lucy in the sky may refer to the song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds from the Sergeant Pepper album; and Sitting in a English garden waiting for The sun’ is believed to refer to “Here comes the Sun” from the Abby Road album. back

17. Lyric Poem • Expresses the observations and feelings of a speaker in a musical way. • back

18. Personification: • Gives human characteristics to non-human things. • back

19. Allusion: • A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. • Back

20. Simile: • A figure of speech in which like or as is used to make comparison between two unlike ideas. • Back

21. Onomatopoeia: • The use of words that imitate sounds. • Back

22. Work cited • DeCurtis, Anthony. "History." Editorial. John Lennon . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept.      2005. • Spitz, Bob. The Beatles . New York: Back Bay Books/ Little, Brown and Company ,      2005. Print.