I Am the Walrus
“Yellow-matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye”
Lennon's surrealist nonsense composition for Magical Mystery Tour, sung over a stepwise descending outro arranged by George Martin for strings, horns, contra-bass clarinet, and the 16-voice Mike Sammes Singers. A live BBC broadcast of King Lear was mixed into the fade. The BBC banned it over the line 'you let your knickers down'.
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This song is the most-annotated song in the catalogue, carrying 731 distinct tags.
Track6 · Side closer · Side 1
Songwriter(s)LennonCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedSeptember 5 – September 29, 1967
ReleasedNovember 24, 1967
Song familyReferenced in songby Glass Onion; by Come Together, Paul is deadKing Lear death lines in the fade; walrus as a death symbol
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Text369 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
bloodydeadfacefatherflygardengunhojokerlettersmenpartypolicemanrainrestrowseensirstandingstickstupidsuntogethertuesdaywalrusa deada guna poorall togetherand weare youas youat youbeen aeverybody's gotget agive thehim outif theman yousee howshould havesitting insitting onthe englishthe sunthe walrusthey arethey runto comeup theup yourupon thewaiting forwe arewhat isyou areyou downyou getyou letyou thinkyour faceha ha haif the sunstanding in thewaiting for thewhat are youyou think thelucy in the skysee how they run
Lyric shape
[NOUN] would[NOUN] you've[VERB] at[VERB] him[WORD] as[WORD] down[WORD] i'm[WORD] whichas [NOUN]as [WORD]the [VERB]which [WORD][ADV] a [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] you[NOUN] would [VERB][VERB] [VERB] to[VERB] at you[VERB] for the[VERB] him out[VERB] in the[VERB] on a[VERB] up the[VERB] you down[WORD] [VERB] at[WORD] [VERB] him[WORD] in a[WORD] to thebeen a [WORD]don't you [VERB]if the [NOUN]in a [NOUN]of [WORD] [VERB]of [WORD] [WORD]should have [VERB]up your [WORD]upon the [WORD]we are [WORD]your [NOUN] [VERB][NOUN] [VERB] for the[VERB] [WORD] from a[VERB] for the [NOUN][VERB] for the [WORD][VERB] how they [VERB][VERB] in a [NOUN][VERB] in the [WORD][VERB] to [WORD] [WORD][VERB] up the [WORD][VERB] you [VERB] a[VERB] you down [NOUN][VERB] your [NOUN] [VERB][WORD] [WORD] [VERB] it[WORD] [WORD] of [WORD][WORD] a [ADJ] [NOUN][WORD] of [WORD] [VERB][WORD] of [WORD] [WORD][WORD] to the [WORD]in an [WORD] [NOUN]in the [WORD] [VERB]the [WORD] of [WORD]to the [WORD] ofyou [VERB] a [WORD]you [VERB] your [NOUN]the [WORD] of [WORD] [WORD]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] a[NOUN] don't[NOUN] you[VERB] a[VERB] for[VERB] from[VERB] how[VERB] i'm[VERB] in[VERB] it[VERB] my[VERB] on[VERB] one[VERB] the[VERB] them[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] you[VERB] your[WORD] a[WORD] from[WORD] in[WORD] me[WORD] of[WORD] to[WORD] whata [ADJ]a [NOUN]a [WORD]an [WORD]and [VERB]are [WORD]don't [VERB]down [NOUN]from [VERB]have [VERB]he [ADJ]i [VERB]i'm [WORD]my [WORD]of [WORD]one [WORD]the [NOUN]the [WORD]they [VERB]to [VERB]to [WORD]would [VERB]you [VERB]your [NOUN]your [WORD][ADJ] [VERB] in[NOUN] don't [VERB][VERB] [WORD] in[VERB] a [WORD][VERB] i'm [WORD][VERB] in a[VERB] it up[VERB] my [WORD][VERB] one [WORD][VERB] the [WORD][VERB] to [WORD][VERB] you [VERB][VERB] your [NOUN][VERB] your [WORD][WORD] [VERB] it[WORD] [VERB] my[WORD] [WORD] a[WORD] [WORD] of[WORD] a [ADJ][WORD] from a[WORD] in the[WORD] of [WORD][WORD] to [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN]a [ADJ] [WORD]a [WORD] [NOUN]a [WORD] [WORD]and [VERB] thedon't [VERB] youfor the [NOUN]for the [WORD]from a [ADJ]from a [NOUN]i [VERB] [WORD]in a [WORD]in the [NOUN]in the [WORD]on a [WORD]the [WORD] [NOUN]the [WORD] [VERB]the [WORD] [WORD]the [WORD] ofto the [WORD]you [VERB] ayou [VERB] theyou [VERB] your[VERB] [VERB] [WORD] in[WORD] [WORD] a [ADJ][WORD] in the [NOUN]and [VERB] the [WORD]i [VERB] [WORD] [ADV]the [WORD] [WORD] ayou [VERB] the [WORD]you [VERB] your [WORD]
Distinctive word
a'jooballanbadnessbodyburychokingclimbingcornflakecorporationcrabalockercryincustarddeathdesiredog'sdrippingduteousearledgaredmundeggeggmaneggmeneiffelelementaryexpertfindstfishwifefortune'sg'goog'joobgloucestergoohareheejoobjumperkickingknickerskrishnalaughsmistressnaughtypenguinpigspilchardpitypoepolicemenpornographicpriestesspurseseeksemolinaserviceablesmokerssniedstytametantee-shirttextperttheethouthrivethytowerumpauntimelyvanvicesvillainwiltyellow-matter
Music213 tags
Chord shape
C → D → EC → D → FC → G → FC → B♭ → A♭C → G7C → A♭C → B♭C → BC → CC → C7C7 → B♭C → AmAm → A♭C → GAm → A♭ → GC → C → GC → DC → E♭C → Am → A♭C → G → EmC → Am7C7 → GC → C → B♭C → B♭ → AC → B → AC → B → BC → C7 → B♭C → A♭ → B♭C → D → B♭C → Am → A♭ → GC → B♭ → A → GC → G → F → E♭C → B → B → AC → B♭ → B♭C → A♭ → F♯C → C7 → GC → B → B7Am7 → A♭
Studio15 tags
People72 tags
Info25 tags
Sources & references
Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides – then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.
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